diff --git a/tools/xentrace/xentrace.c b/tools/xentrace/xentrace.c
index 3548255123..be6226f088 100644
--- a/tools/xentrace/xentrace.c
+++ b/tools/xentrace/xentrace.c
@@ -807,7 +807,7 @@ static void monitor_tbufs(void)
 const char *program_version     = "xentrace v1.2";
 const char *program_bug_address = "<mark.a.williamson@intel.com>";
 
-static void usage(void)
+static void usage(int status)
 {
 #define USAGE_STR \
 "Usage: xentrace [OPTION...] [output file]\n" \
@@ -854,7 +854,7 @@ static void usage(void)
     printf(USAGE_STR);
     printf("\nReport bugs to %s\n", program_bug_address);
 
-    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    exit(status);
 }
 
 /* convert the argument string pointed to by arg to a long int representation,
@@ -873,7 +873,7 @@ long sargtol(const char *restrict arg, int base)
     {
         fprintf(stderr, "Invalid option argument: %s\n", arg);
         fprintf(stderr, "Error: %s\n\n", strerror(errno));
-        usage();
+        usage(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
     else if (endp == arg)
     {
@@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ long sargtol(const char *restrict arg, int base)
 
 invalid:
     fprintf(stderr, "Invalid option argument: %s\n\n", arg);
-    usage();
+    usage(EXIT_FAILURE);
     return 0; /* not actually reached */
 }
 
@@ -917,10 +917,10 @@ static long argtol(const char *restrict arg, int base)
     if (errno != 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Invalid option argument: %s\n", arg);
         fprintf(stderr, "Error: %s\n\n", strerror(errno));
-        usage();
+        usage(EXIT_FAILURE);
     } else if (endp == arg || *endp != '\0') {
         fprintf(stderr, "Invalid option argument: %s\n\n", arg);
-        usage();
+        usage(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
 
     return val;
@@ -1090,7 +1090,7 @@ static void parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
         { "discard-buffers", no_argument,      0, 'D' },
         { "dont-disable-tracing", no_argument, 0, 'x' },
         { "start-disabled", no_argument,       0, 'X' },
-        { "help",           no_argument,       0, '?' },
+        { "help",           no_argument,       0, 'h' },
         { "version",        no_argument,       0, 'V' },
         { 0, 0, 0, 0 }
     };
@@ -1144,8 +1144,12 @@ static void parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
             opts.memory_buffer = sargtol(optarg, 0);
             break;
 
+        case 'h':
+            usage(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+            break;
+
         default:
-            usage();
+            usage(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
     }