diff --git a/src/lib/test/run.hpp b/src/lib/test/run.hpp
index bcb38e222..013581e41 100644
--- a/src/lib/test/run.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/test/run.hpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
  ** 
  ** @see HelloWorld_test
  ** @see test::Suite
- ** @see mainsuite.cpp
+ ** @see testrunner.cpp
  ** @see main.cpp
  */
 
diff --git a/src/lib/test/suite.cpp b/src/lib/test/suite.cpp
index aaf10dcb1..f1d569884 100644
--- a/src/lib/test/suite.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/test/suite.cpp
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ namespace test {
    *  in this suite is invoked with a empty cmdline vector.
    *  @param cmdline ref to the vector of commandline tokens  
    */
-  void 
+  bool
   Suite::run (Arg cmdline)
   {
     PTestMap tests = testcases.getGroup(groupID_);
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ namespace test {
             cmdline.erase (cmdline.begin());
             VALID (test,testID);
             exitCode_ |= invokeTestCase (*(*test)(), cmdline);  // TODO confusing statement, improve definition of test collection datatype Ticket #289
-            return;
+            return true;
           }
         else
           throw lumiera::error::Invalid ("unknown test : "+testID);
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ namespace test {
         VALID (test, i->first);
         exitCode_ |= invokeTestCase (*(*test)(), cmdline); // actually no cmdline arguments
       }
+    return true;
   }
   
   
diff --git a/src/lib/test/suite.hpp b/src/lib/test/suite.hpp
index 953642150..6e88d4a2b 100644
--- a/src/lib/test/suite.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/test/suite.hpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
  ** @see test::Test
  ** @see test::TestOption
  ** @see run.hpp
- ** @see mainsuite.cpp
+ ** @see testrunner.cpp
  */
 
 
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ namespace test {
       
     public:
       Suite (string groupID);
-      void run (Arg cmdline);
+      bool run (Arg cmdline);
       void describe ();
       int getExitCode ()  const;
       static void enrol (Launcher *test, string testID, string groups);
diff --git a/src/lib/test/testoption.cpp b/src/lib/test/testoption.cpp
index 9e0598d2b..dcb64aedb 100644
--- a/src/lib/test/testoption.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/test/testoption.cpp
@@ -76,9 +76,6 @@ namespace test {
       
       // remove all recognised options from original cmdline vector
       cmdline = op::collect_unrecognized(parsed.options, op::include_positional);
-      
-      if (parameters.count("help"))
-        std::cerr << *this;
     }
   
   
@@ -107,11 +104,25 @@ namespace test {
   
   /** @return \c true if --describe switch was given */
   bool 
-  TestOption::getDescribe ()
+  TestOption::shouldDescribe ()
   {
     return parameters["describe"].as<bool>();
   }
   
+  /** handles the --help switch by printing a syntax description
+   * @return \c false if there was no help request and the
+   *         Suite should indeed be executed.
+   */
+  bool
+  TestOption::handleHelpRequest()
+  {
+    if (parameters.count("help"))
+      {
+        std::cerr << *this;
+        return true;
+      }
+    return false;
+  }
   
 
   ostream& 
diff --git a/src/lib/test/testoption.hpp b/src/lib/test/testoption.hpp
index 4d41de8e6..9691b7b82 100644
--- a/src/lib/test/testoption.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/test/testoption.hpp
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ namespace test {
       TestOption (lib::Cmdline& cmdline);
       const string getTestgroup ();
       const string getTestID ();
-      bool getDescribe ();
+      bool handleHelpRequest();
+      bool shouldDescribe ();
       
     private:
       boost::program_options::options_description syntax;
diff --git a/tests/testrunner.cpp b/tests/testrunner.cpp
index 4493fc9b6..28dd91a77 100644
--- a/tests/testrunner.cpp
+++ b/tests/testrunner.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-  mainsuite.cpp  -  execute a suite of test objects, possibly filtered by category
+  testrunner.cpp  -  execute a suite of test objects, possibly filtered by category
 
   Copyright (C)         Lumiera.org
     2008,               Christian Thaeter <ct@pipapo.org>
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ int main (int argc, const char* argv[])
   test::Suite suite (optparser.getTestgroup());
   LifecycleHook::trigger (ON_GLOBAL_INIT);
   
-  if (optparser.getDescribe())
+  if (optparser.shouldDescribe())
     suite.describe();
   else
-    suite.run (args);
+    optparser.handleHelpRequest() || suite.run (args);
 
   LifecycleHook::trigger (ON_GLOBAL_SHUTDOWN);
   return suite.getExitCode();