diff --git a/elf/dl-main.h b/elf/dl-main.h
index 68dd27d0d7..71ca5114de 100644
--- a/elf/dl-main.h
+++ b/elf/dl-main.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ struct audit_list
 };
 
 /* This is a list of all the modes the dynamic loader can be in.  */
-enum mode { normal, list, verify, trace };
+enum mode { normal, list, verify, trace, rtld_help };
 
 /* Aggregated state information extracted from environment variables
    and the ld.so command line.  */
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ call_init_paths (const struct dl_main_state *state)
 }
 
 /* Print ld.so usage information and exit.  */
-void _dl_usage (void) attribute_hidden __attribute__ ((__noreturn__));
+void _dl_usage (const char *argv0, const char *wrong_option)
+  attribute_hidden __attribute__ ((__noreturn__));
+
+/* Print ld.so --help output and exit.  */
+void _dl_help (const char *argv0, struct dl_main_state *state)
+  attribute_hidden __attribute__ ((__noreturn__));
 
 #endif /* _DL_MAIN */
diff --git a/elf/dl-usage.c b/elf/dl-usage.c
index e03f183622..e1dc5d33b2 100644
--- a/elf/dl-usage.c
+++ b/elf/dl-usage.c
@@ -19,12 +19,24 @@
 #include <dl-cache.h>
 #include <dl-main.h>
 #include <ldsodefs.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 void
-_dl_usage (void)
+_dl_usage (const char *argv0, const char *wrong_option)
 {
-  _dl_fatal_printf ("\
-Usage: ld.so [OPTION]... EXECUTABLE-FILE [ARGS-FOR-PROGRAM...]\n\
+  if (wrong_option != NULL)
+    _dl_error_printf ("%s: unrecognized option '%s'\n", argv0, wrong_option);
+  else
+    _dl_error_printf ("%s: missing program name\n", argv0);
+  _dl_error_printf ("Try '%s --help' for more information.\n", argv0);
+  _exit (1);
+}
+
+void
+_dl_help (const char *argv0, struct dl_main_state *state)
+{
+  _dl_printf ("\
+Usage: %s [OPTION]... EXECUTABLE-FILE [ARGS-FOR-PROGRAM...]\n\
 You have invoked `ld.so', the helper program for shared library executables.\n\
 This program usually lives in the file `/lib/ld.so', and special directives\n\
 in executable files using ELF shared libraries tell the system's program\n\
@@ -46,5 +58,9 @@ of this helper program; chances are you did not intend to run this program.\n\
   --inhibit-rpath LIST  ignore RUNPATH and RPATH information in object names\n\
                         in LIST\n\
   --audit LIST          use objects named in LIST as auditors\n\
-  --preload LIST        preload objects named in LIST\n");
+  --preload LIST        preload objects named in LIST\n\
+  --help                display this help and exit\n\
+",
+              argv0);
+  _exit (0);
 }
diff --git a/elf/rtld.c b/elf/rtld.c
index eac9a1e743..610203d5d2 100644
--- a/elf/rtld.c
+++ b/elf/rtld.c
@@ -1131,6 +1131,7 @@ dl_main (const ElfW(Phdr) *phdr,
   _dl_starting_up = 1;
 #endif
 
+  const char *argv0 = _dl_argv[0];
   if (*user_entry == (ElfW(Addr)) ENTRY_POINT)
     {
       /* Ho ho.  We are not the program interpreter!  We are the program
@@ -1156,8 +1157,12 @@ dl_main (const ElfW(Phdr) *phdr,
       while (_dl_argc > 1)
 	if (! strcmp (_dl_argv[1], "--list"))
 	  {
-	    state.mode = list;
-	    GLRO(dl_lazy) = -1;	/* This means do no dependency analysis.  */
+	    if (state.mode != rtld_help)
+	      {
+	       state.mode = list;
+		/* This means do no dependency analysis.  */
+		GLRO(dl_lazy) = -1;
+	      }
 
 	    ++_dl_skip_args;
 	    --_dl_argc;
@@ -1165,7 +1170,8 @@ dl_main (const ElfW(Phdr) *phdr,
 	  }
 	else if (! strcmp (_dl_argv[1], "--verify"))
 	  {
-	    state.mode = verify;
+	    if (state.mode != rtld_help)
+	      state.mode = verify;
 
 	    ++_dl_skip_args;
 	    --_dl_argc;
@@ -1212,13 +1218,34 @@ dl_main (const ElfW(Phdr) *phdr,
 	    _dl_argc -= 2;
 	    _dl_argv += 2;
 	  }
+	else if (strcmp (_dl_argv[1], "--help") == 0)
+	  {
+	    state.mode = rtld_help;
+	    --_dl_argc;
+	    ++_dl_argv;
+	  }
+	else if (_dl_argv[1][0] == '-' && _dl_argv[1][1] == '-')
+	  {
+	   if (_dl_argv[1][1] == '\0')
+	     /* End of option list.  */
+	     break;
+	   else
+	     /* Unrecognized option.  */
+	     _dl_usage (argv0, _dl_argv[1]);
+	  }
 	else
 	  break;
 
       /* If we have no further argument the program was called incorrectly.
 	 Grant the user some education.  */
       if (_dl_argc < 2)
-	_dl_usage ();
+	{
+	  if (state.mode == rtld_help)
+	    /* --help without an executable is not an error.  */
+	    _dl_help (argv0, &state);
+	  else
+	    _dl_usage (argv0, NULL);
+	}
 
       ++_dl_skip_args;
       --_dl_argc;
@@ -1243,7 +1270,7 @@ dl_main (const ElfW(Phdr) *phdr,
 	    break;
 	  }
 
-      if (__builtin_expect (state.mode, normal) == verify)
+      if (state.mode == verify || state.mode == rtld_help)
 	{
 	  const char *objname;
 	  const char *err_str = NULL;
@@ -1256,9 +1283,16 @@ dl_main (const ElfW(Phdr) *phdr,
 	  (void) _dl_catch_error (&objname, &err_str, &malloced, map_doit,
 				  &args);
 	  if (__glibc_unlikely (err_str != NULL))
-	    /* We don't free the returned string, the programs stops
-	       anyway.  */
-	    _exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
+	    {
+	      /* We don't free the returned string, the programs stops
+		 anyway.  */
+	      if (state.mode == rtld_help)
+		/* Mask the failure to load the main object.  The help
+		   message contains less information in this case.  */
+		_dl_help (argv0, &state);
+	      else
+		_exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
+	    }
 	}
       else
 	{
@@ -1607,6 +1641,11 @@ ERROR: '%s': cannot process note segment.\n", _dl_argv[0]);
   audit_list_add_dynamic_tag (&state.audit_list, main_map, DT_AUDIT);
   audit_list_add_dynamic_tag (&state.audit_list, main_map, DT_DEPAUDIT);
 
+  /* At this point, all data has been obtained that is included in the
+     --help output.  */
+  if (__builtin_expect (state.mode, normal) == rtld_help)
+    _dl_help (argv0, &state);
+
   /* If we have auditing DSOs to load, do it now.  */
   bool need_security_init = true;
   if (state.audit_list.length > 0)
