diff --git a/test/functional/feature_help.py b/test/functional/feature_help.py
new file mode 100755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/functional/feature_help.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Copyright (c) 2018 The Bitcoin Core developers
+# Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+# file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+"""Verify that starting bitcoin with -h works as expected."""
+import subprocess
+
+from test_framework.test_framework import BitcoinTestFramework
+from test_framework.util import assert_equal
+
+
+class HelpTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
+    def set_test_params(self):
+        self.setup_clean_chain = True
+        self.num_nodes = 1
+
+    def setup_network(self):
+        self.add_nodes(self.num_nodes)
+        # Don't start the node
+
+    def run_test(self):
+        self.log.info("Start bitcoin with -h for help text")
+        self.nodes[0].start(extra_args=['-h'],
+                            stderr=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+        # Node should exit immediately and output help to stdout.
+        ret_code = self.nodes[0].process.wait(timeout=1)
+        assert_equal(ret_code, 0)
+        output = self.nodes[0].process.stdout.read()
+        assert b'Options' in output
+        self.log.info("Help text received: {} (...)".format(output[0:60]))
+        self.nodes[0].running = False
+
+        self.log.info("Start bitcoin with -version for version information")
+        self.nodes[0].start(extra_args=['-version'],
+                            stderr=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+        # Node should exit immediately and output version to stdout.
+        ret_code = self.nodes[0].process.wait(timeout=1)
+        assert_equal(ret_code, 0)
+        output = self.nodes[0].process.stdout.read()
+        assert b'version' in output
+        self.log.info("Version text received: {} (...)".format(output[0:60]))
+        self.nodes[0].running = False
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    HelpTest().main()
diff --git a/test/functional/timing.json b/test/functional/timing.json
--- a/test/functional/timing.json
+++ b/test/functional/timing.json
@@ -143,6 +143,10 @@
   "name": "feature_uacomment.py",
   "time": 16
  },
+ {
+  "name": "feature_help.py",
+  "time": 0
+ },
  {
   "name": "interface_bitcoin_cli.py",
   "time": 3