diff --git a/builtin/blame.c b/builtin/blame.c
index 641523ff9af..45d9873a999 100644
--- a/builtin/blame.c
+++ b/builtin/blame.c
@@ -29,12 +29,8 @@
 #include "refs.h"
 #include "tag.h"
 
-static char blame_usage[] = N_("git blame [<options>] [<rev-opts>] [<rev>] [--] <file>");
-
 static const char *blame_opt_usage[] = {
-	blame_usage,
-	"",
-	N_("<rev-opts> are documented in git-rev-list(1)"),
+	N_("git blame [<options>] [<git rev-list args>] [<rev>] [--] <file>"),
 	NULL
 };
 
@@ -1107,7 +1103,8 @@ int cmd_blame(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 				    nth_line_cb, &sb, lno, anchor,
 				    &bottom, &top, sb.path,
 				    the_repository->index))
-			usage(blame_usage);
+			usage_msg_opt(_("Invalid -L <range> parameters"),
+				      blame_opt_usage, options);
 		if ((!lno && (top || bottom)) || lno < bottom)
 			die(Q_("file %s has only %lu line",
 			       "file %s has only %lu lines",
diff --git a/builtin/rev-parse.c b/builtin/rev-parse.c
index 22c4e1a4ff0..aeebfd52805 100644
--- a/builtin/rev-parse.c
+++ b/builtin/rev-parse.c
@@ -436,7 +436,10 @@ static int cmd_parseopt(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	for (;;) {
 		if (strbuf_getline(&sb, stdin) == EOF)
 			die(_("premature end of input"));
+		if (!sb.len)
+			die(_("empty lines are not permitted before the `--' separator"));
 		ALLOC_GROW(usage, unb + 1, usz);
+
 		if (!strcmp("--", sb.buf)) {
 			if (unb < 1)
 				die(_("no usage string given before the `--' separator"));
diff --git a/parse-options.c b/parse-options.c
index 2abff136a17..950a8279beb 100644
--- a/parse-options.c
+++ b/parse-options.c
@@ -924,18 +924,12 @@ static int usage_with_options_internal(struct parse_opt_ctx_t *ctx,
 		fprintf(outfile, "cat <<\\EOF\n");
 
 	fprintf_ln(outfile, _("usage: %s"), _(*usagestr++));
-	while (*usagestr && **usagestr)
+	while (*usagestr) {
 		/*
 		 * TRANSLATORS: the colon here should align with the
 		 * one in "usage: %s" translation.
 		 */
 		fprintf_ln(outfile, _("   or: %s"), _(*usagestr++));
-	while (*usagestr) {
-		if (**usagestr)
-			fprintf_ln(outfile, _("    %s"), _(*usagestr));
-		else
-			fputc('\n', outfile);
-		usagestr++;
 	}
 
 	need_newline = 1;
diff --git a/t/helper/test-parse-options.c b/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
index 2051ce57db7..e00aef073b0 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-parse-options.c
@@ -102,8 +102,6 @@ int cmd__parse_options(int argc, const char **argv)
 	const char *prefix = "prefix/";
 	const char *usage[] = {
 		"test-tool parse-options <options>",
-		"",
-		"A helper function for the parse-options API.",
 		NULL
 	};
 	struct string_list expect = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
diff --git a/t/t0040-parse-options.sh b/t/t0040-parse-options.sh
index ad4746d899a..2910874ece5 100755
--- a/t/t0040-parse-options.sh
+++ b/t/t0040-parse-options.sh
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ test_description='our own option parser'
 cat >expect <<\EOF
 usage: test-tool parse-options <options>
 
-    A helper function for the parse-options API.
-
     --yes                 get a boolean
     -D, --no-doubt        begins with 'no-'
     -B, --no-fear         be brave
diff --git a/t/t1502-rev-parse-parseopt.sh b/t/t1502-rev-parse-parseopt.sh
index b29563fc997..6badc650d64 100755
--- a/t/t1502-rev-parse-parseopt.sh
+++ b/t/t1502-rev-parse-parseopt.sh
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ test_description='test git rev-parse --parseopt'
 test_expect_success 'setup optionspec' '
 	sed -e "s/^|//" >optionspec <<\EOF
 |some-command [options] <args>...
-|
-|some-command does foo and bar!
 |--
 |h,help    show the help
 |
@@ -41,8 +39,6 @@ EOF
 test_expect_success 'setup optionspec-no-switches' '
 	sed -e "s/^|//" >optionspec_no_switches <<\EOF
 |some-command [options] <args>...
-|
-|some-command does foo and bar!
 |--
 EOF
 '
@@ -50,8 +46,6 @@ EOF
 test_expect_success 'setup optionspec-only-hidden-switches' '
 	sed -e "s/^|//" >optionspec_only_hidden_switches <<\EOF
 |some-command [options] <args>...
-|
-|some-command does foo and bar!
 |--
 |hidden1* A hidden switch
 EOF
@@ -62,8 +56,6 @@ test_expect_success 'test --parseopt help output' '
 |cat <<\EOF
 |usage: some-command [options] <args>...
 |
-|    some-command does foo and bar!
-|
 |    -h, --help            show the help
 |    --foo                 some nifty option --foo
 |    --bar ...             some cool option --bar with an argument
@@ -103,8 +95,6 @@ test_expect_success 'test --parseopt help output no switches' '
 |cat <<\EOF
 |usage: some-command [options] <args>...
 |
-|    some-command does foo and bar!
-|
 |EOF
 END_EXPECT
 	test_expect_code 129 git rev-parse --parseopt -- -h > output < optionspec_no_switches &&
@@ -116,8 +106,6 @@ test_expect_success 'test --parseopt help output hidden switches' '
 |cat <<\EOF
 |usage: some-command [options] <args>...
 |
-|    some-command does foo and bar!
-|
 |EOF
 END_EXPECT
 	test_expect_code 129 git rev-parse --parseopt -- -h > output < optionspec_only_hidden_switches &&
@@ -129,8 +117,6 @@ test_expect_success 'test --parseopt help-all output hidden switches' '
 |cat <<\EOF
 |usage: some-command [options] <args>...
 |
-|    some-command does foo and bar!
-|
 |    --hidden1             A hidden switch
 |
 |EOF
@@ -144,8 +130,6 @@ test_expect_success 'test --parseopt invalid switch help output' '
 |error: unknown option `does-not-exist'\''
 |usage: some-command [options] <args>...
 |
-|    some-command does foo and bar!
-|
 |    -h, --help            show the help
 |    --foo                 some nifty option --foo
 |    --bar ...             some cool option --bar with an argument
@@ -282,4 +266,22 @@ test_expect_success 'test --parseopt --stuck-long and short option with unset op
 	test_cmp expect output
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'test --parseopt help output hidden switches' '
+	sed -e "s/^|//" >optionspec-trailing-line <<-\EOF &&
+	|some-command [options] <args>...
+	|
+	|
+	|--
+	|h,help    show the help
+	EOF
+
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	fatal: empty lines are not permitted before the `--'"'"' separator
+	EOF
+
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --parseopt -- -h >out < optionspec-trailing-line 2>actual &&
+	test_must_be_empty out &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_done
