diff --git a/cmd/edit.go b/cmd/edit.go
index 3d7c20a..5ae7063 100644
--- a/cmd/edit.go
+++ b/cmd/edit.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 type Edit struct {
 	Filtering
 	Sorting
-	Force bool `help:"Don't confirm before editing many notes at the same time" short:"f"`
+	Force bool `help:"Don't confirm before editing many notes at the same time." short:"f"`
 }
 
 func (cmd *Edit) Run(container *Container) error {
diff --git a/cmd/finder_opts.go b/cmd/finder_opts.go
index f2d01ab..b1a6b39 100644
--- a/cmd/finder_opts.go
+++ b/cmd/finder_opts.go
@@ -13,29 +13,29 @@ import (
 type Filtering struct {
 	Path []string `arg optional placeholder:"<glob>"`
 
-	Match          string   `short:"m" placeholder:"<query>" help:"Terms to search for in the notes"`
-	Limit          int      `short:"n" placeholder:"<count>" help:"Limit the number of results"`
-	Created        string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes created on the given date"`
-	CreatedBefore  string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes created before the given date"`
-	CreatedAfter   string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes created after the given date"`
-	Modified       string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes modified on the given date"`
-	ModifiedBefore string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes modified before the given date"`
-	ModifiedAfter  string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes modified after the given date"`
-	Related        []string `                                help:"Only the notes which might be related to the given notes" xor:"link"`
-	LinkedBy       []string `short:"l" placeholder:"<path>"  help:"Only the notes linked by the given notes"                 xor:"link"`
-	LinkingTo      []string `short:"L" placeholder:"<path>"  help:"Only the notes linking to the given notes"                xor:"link"`
-	NotLinkedBy    []string `          placeholder:"<path>"  help:"Only the notes not linked by the given notes"             xor:"link"`
-	NotLinkingTo   []string `          placeholder:"<path>"  help:"Only the notes not linking to the given notes"            xor:"link"`
-	MaxDistance    int      `                                help:"Maximum distance between two linked notes"`
-	Orphan         bool     `                                help:"Only the notes which don't have any other note linking to them"`
-	Exclude        []string `short:"x" placeholder:"<glob>"  help:"Excludes notes matching the given file path pattern from the list"`
-	Recursive      bool     `short:"r"                       help:"Follow links recursively"`
-	Interactive    bool     `short:"i"                       help:"Further filter the list of notes interactively"`
+	Match          string   `short:"m" placeholder:"<query>" help:"Terms to search for in the notes."`
+	Limit          int      `short:"n" placeholder:"<count>" help:"Limit the number of results."`
+	Created        string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes created on the given date."`
+	CreatedBefore  string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes created before the given date."`
+	CreatedAfter   string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes created after the given date."`
+	Modified       string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes modified on the given date."`
+	ModifiedBefore string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes modified before the given date."`
+	ModifiedAfter  string   `          placeholder:"<date>"  help:"Only the notes modified after the given date."`
+	Related        []string `                                help:"Only the notes which might be related to the given notes." xor:"link"`
+	LinkedBy       []string `short:"l" placeholder:"<path>"  help:"Only the notes linked by the given notes."                 xor:"link"`
+	LinkingTo      []string `short:"L" placeholder:"<path>"  help:"Only the notes linking to the given notes."                xor:"link"`
+	NotLinkedBy    []string `          placeholder:"<path>"  help:"Only the notes not linked by the given notes."             xor:"link"`
+	NotLinkingTo   []string `          placeholder:"<path>"  help:"Only the notes not linking to the given notes."            xor:"link"`
+	MaxDistance    int      `                                help:"Maximum distance between two linked notes."`
+	Orphan         bool     `                                help:"Only the notes which don't have any other note linking to them."`
+	Exclude        []string `short:"x" placeholder:"<glob>"  help:"Excludes notes matching the given file path pattern from the list."`
+	Recursive      bool     `short:"r"                       help:"Follow links recursively."`
+	Interactive    bool     `short:"i"                       help:"Further filter the list of notes interactively."`
 }
 
 // Sorting holds sorting options to order notes.
 type Sorting struct {
-	Sort []string `short:"s" placeholder:"<term>" help:"Sort the notes by the given criterion"`
+	Sort []string `short:"s" placeholder:"<term>" help:"Sort the notes by the given criterion."`
 }
 
 // NewFinderOpts creates an instance of note.FinderOpts from a set of user flags.
diff --git a/cmd/index.go b/cmd/index.go
index 7bd92c0..dd37c6d 100644
--- a/cmd/index.go
+++ b/cmd/index.go
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ import (
 
 // Index indexes the content of all the notes in the slip box.
 type Index struct {
-	Force bool `help:"Force indexing all the notes" short:"f"`
-	Quiet bool `help:"Do not print statistics nor progress" short:"q"`
+	Force bool `short:"f" help:"Force indexing all the notes."`
+	Quiet bool `short:"q" help:"Do not print statistics nor progress."`
 }
 
 func (cmd *Index) Run(container *Container) error {
diff --git a/cmd/init.go b/cmd/init.go
index 90baa50..861d448 100644
--- a/cmd/init.go
+++ b/cmd/init.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 // Init creates a slip box in the given directory
 type Init struct {
-	Directory string `arg optional type:"path" default:"." help:"Directory containing the slip box"`
+	Directory string `arg optional type:"path" default:"." help:"Directory containing the slip box."`
 }
 
 func (cmd *Init) Run() error {
diff --git a/cmd/list.go b/cmd/list.go
index b954a21..8fba241 100644
--- a/cmd/list.go
+++ b/cmd/list.go
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ import (
 
 // List displays notes matching a set of criteria.
 type List struct {
-	Format    string `help:"Pretty prints the list using the given format" short:"f" placeholder:"<template>"`
-	NoPager   bool   `help:"Do not pipe zk output into a pager" short:"P"`
-	Quiet     bool   `help:"Don't show anything besides the notes themselves" short:"q"`
+	Format    string `help:"Pretty prints the list using the given format." short:"f" placeholder:"<template>"`
+	NoPager   bool   `help:"Do not pipe zk output into a pager." short:"P"`
+	Quiet     bool   `help:"Don't show anything besides the notes themselves." short:"q"`
 	Delimiter string `default:"
-" help:"Delimiter separating each result" short:"d"`
+" help:"Delimiter separating each result." short:"d"`
 	Filtering
 	Sorting
 }
diff --git a/cmd/new.go b/cmd/new.go
index 3cc4943..478ea53 100644
--- a/cmd/new.go
+++ b/cmd/new.go
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@ import (
 
 // New adds a new note to the slip box.
 type New struct {
-	Directory string            `arg optional type:"path" default:"." help:"Directory in which to create the note"`
-	PrintPath bool              `help:"Prints the path of the created note to stdin instead of editing it" short:"p"`
-	Title     string            `short:"t" help:"Title of the new note" placeholder:"<title>"`
-	Template  string            `type:"path" help:"Custom template to use to render the note" placeholder:"<path>"`
-	Extra     map[string]string `help:"Extra variables passed to the templates"`
+	Directory string `arg optional type:"path" default:"." help:"Directory in which to create the note."`
+
+	PrintPath bool              `short:"p"                         help:"Prints the path of the created note to stdin instead of editing it."`
+	Title     string            `short:"t"   placeholder:"<title>" help:"Title of the new note."`
+	Template  string            `type:"path" placeholder:"<path>"  help:"Custom template to use to render the note."`
+	Extra     map[string]string `                                  help:"Extra variables passed to the templates."`
 }
 
 func (cmd *New) ConfigOverrides() zk.ConfigOverrides {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index abc64b8..9b0f13e 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -14,13 +14,14 @@ var Version = "dev"
 var Build = "dev"
 
 var cli struct {
-	Index   cmd.Index        `cmd help:"Index the notes in the given directory to be searchable"`
-	Init    cmd.Init         `cmd help:"Create a slip box in the given directory"`
-	List    cmd.List         `cmd help:"List notes matching given criteria"`
-	Edit    cmd.Edit         `cmd help:"Edit notes matching given criteria"`
-	New     cmd.New          `cmd help:"Create a new note in the given slip box directory"`
-	NoInput NoInput          `help:"Never prompt or ask for confirmation"`
-	Version kong.VersionFlag `help:"Print zk version"`
+	Index    cmd.Index        `cmd help:"Index the notes in the given directory to be searchable."`
+	Init     cmd.Init         `cmd help:"Create a slip box in the given directory."`
+	List     cmd.List         `cmd help:"List notes matching given criteria."`
+	Edit     cmd.Edit         `cmd help:"Edit notes matching given criteria."`
+	New      cmd.New          `cmd help:"Create a new note in the given slip box directory."`
+	NoInput  NoInput          `help:"Never prompt or ask for confirmation."`
+	Version  kong.VersionFlag `help:"Print zk version."`
+	ShowHelp ShowHelp         `cmd default:"1" hidden:true`
 }
 
 // NoInput is a flag preventing any user prompt when enabled.
@@ -31,6 +32,21 @@ func (f NoInput) BeforeApply(container *cmd.Container) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// ShowHelp is the default command run. It's equivalent to `zk --help`.
+type ShowHelp struct{}
+
+func (cmd *ShowHelp) Run(container *cmd.Container) error {
+	parser, err := kong.New(&cli, options(container)...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	ctx, err := parser.Parse([]string{"--help"})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return ctx.Run(container)
+}
+
 func main() {
 	// Create the dependency graph.
 	container := cmd.NewContainer()
@@ -41,19 +57,26 @@ func main() {
 		fatalIfError(err)
 
 	} else {
-		ctx := kong.Parse(&cli,
-			kong.Bind(container),
-			kong.Name("zk"),
-			kong.Vars{
-				"version": Version,
-			},
-		)
-
+		ctx := kong.Parse(&cli, options(container)...)
 		err := ctx.Run(container)
 		ctx.FatalIfErrorf(err)
 	}
 }
 
+func options(container *cmd.Container) []kong.Option {
+	return []kong.Option{
+		kong.Bind(container),
+		kong.Name("zk"),
+		kong.UsageOnError(),
+		kong.ConfigureHelp(kong.HelpOptions{
+			Compact: true,
+		}),
+		kong.Vars{
+			"version": Version,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
 func fatalIfError(err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "zk: error: %v\n", err)
@@ -76,7 +99,7 @@ func runAlias(container *cmd.Container, args []string) (bool, error) {
 				continue
 			}
 
-			cmd := executil.CommandFromString(cmdStr, args...)
+			cmd := executil.CommandFromString(cmdStr, args[1:]...)
 			cmd.Stdin = os.Stdin
 			cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
 			cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr