diff --git a/command.go b/command.go
index 4cd907a558..f0cf9a715d 100644
--- a/command.go
+++ b/command.go
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ type Command struct {
 	Flags []Flag `json:"flags"`
 	// Boolean to hide built-in help command and help flag
 	HideHelp bool `json:"hideHelp"`
+	// Boolean to hide the built-in help command. Applies to this command and
+	// all of its subcommands: as with HideHelp, a true value is inherited and
+	// a subcommand cannot turn it back off.
 	// Ignored if HideHelp is true.
 	HideHelpCommand bool `json:"hideHelpCommand"`
 	// Boolean to hide built-in version flag and the VERSION section of help
diff --git a/command_setup.go b/command_setup.go
index 51c4040039..13ef706315 100644
--- a/command_setup.go
+++ b/command_setup.go
@@ -227,6 +227,17 @@ func (cmd *Command) hideHelp() bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+func (cmd *Command) hideHelpCommand() bool {
+	tracef("hide help command (cmd=%[1]q)", cmd.Name)
+	for c := cmd; c != nil; c = c.parent {
+		if c.HideHelpCommand {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
 func (cmd *Command) ensureHelp() {
 	tracef("ensuring help (cmd=%[1]q)", cmd.Name)
 
@@ -234,7 +245,7 @@ func (cmd *Command) ensureHelp() {
 
 	if !cmd.hideHelp() {
 		if cmd.Command(helpCommand.Name) == nil {
-			if !cmd.HideHelpCommand {
+			if !cmd.hideHelpCommand() {
 				tracef("appending helpCommand (cmd=%[1]q)", cmd.Name)
 				cmd.appendCommand(helpCommand)
 			}
diff --git a/godoc-current.txt b/godoc-current.txt
index d680c5f544..b3e9797175 100644
--- a/godoc-current.txt
+++ b/godoc-current.txt
@@ -464,6 +464,9 @@ type Command struct {
 	Flags []Flag `json:"flags"`
 	// Boolean to hide built-in help command and help flag
 	HideHelp bool `json:"hideHelp"`
+	// Boolean to hide the built-in help command. Applies to this command and
+	// all of its subcommands: as with HideHelp, a true value is inherited and
+	// a subcommand cannot turn it back off.
 	// Ignored if HideHelp is true.
 	HideHelpCommand bool `json:"hideHelpCommand"`
 	// Boolean to hide built-in version flag and the VERSION section of help
diff --git a/help_test.go b/help_test.go
index a3f3476a86..56e8dfb0ba 100644
--- a/help_test.go
+++ b/help_test.go
@@ -1271,8 +1271,11 @@ func TestHideHelpCommand_WithHideHelp(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestHideHelpCommand_WithSubcommands(t *testing.T) {
+	out := &bytes.Buffer{}
 	cmd := &Command{
 		HideHelpCommand: true,
+		Writer:          out,
+		ErrWriter:       out,
 		Commands: []*Command{
 			{
 				Name: "nully",
@@ -1289,6 +1292,59 @@ func TestHideHelpCommand_WithSubcommands(t *testing.T) {
 
 	r.ErrorContains(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"cli.test", "help"}), "No help topic for 'help'")
 	r.NoError(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"cli.test", "--help"}))
+
+	out.Reset()
+	r.ErrorContains(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"cli.test", "nully", "help"}), "No help topic for 'help'")
+	r.NoError(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"cli.test", "nully", "--help"}))
+	r.NotContains(out.String(), "help, h")
+
+	out.Reset()
+	r.ErrorContains(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"cli.test", "nully", "nully2", "help"}), "No help topic for 'help'")
+	r.NoError(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"cli.test", "nully", "nully2", "--help"}))
+	r.NotContains(out.String(), "help, h")
+}
+
+// A subcommand cannot re-enable the help command once an ancestor has hidden
+// it. This mirrors HideHelp, which has always been inherited the same way.
+func TestHideHelpCommand_SubcommandCannotOptBackIn(t *testing.T) {
+	out := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	cmd := &Command{
+		HideHelpCommand: true,
+		Writer:          out,
+		ErrWriter:       out,
+		Commands: []*Command{
+			{
+				Name:            "nully",
+				HideHelpCommand: false, // ignored, the root already hid it
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	r := require.New(t)
+
+	r.ErrorContains(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"cli.test", "nully", "help"}), "No help topic for 'help'")
+	r.NoError(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"cli.test", "nully", "--help"}))
+	r.NotContains(out.String(), "help, h")
+}
+
+// The same inheritance already applies to HideHelp, so the two fields stay
+// consistent with each other.
+func TestHideHelp_SubcommandCannotOptBackIn(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := &Command{
+		HideHelp: true,
+		Writer:   io.Discard,
+		Commands: []*Command{
+			{
+				Name:     "nully",
+				HideHelp: false, // ignored, the root already hid it
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	r := require.New(t)
+
+	r.ErrorContains(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"cli.test", "nully", "help"}), "No help topic for 'help'")
+	r.ErrorContains(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"cli.test", "nully", "--help"}), providedButNotDefinedErrMsg)
 }
 
 func TestDefaultCompleteWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/testdata/godoc-v3.x.txt b/testdata/godoc-v3.x.txt
index d680c5f544..b3e9797175 100644
--- a/testdata/godoc-v3.x.txt
+++ b/testdata/godoc-v3.x.txt
@@ -464,6 +464,9 @@ type Command struct {
 	Flags []Flag `json:"flags"`
 	// Boolean to hide built-in help command and help flag
 	HideHelp bool `json:"hideHelp"`
+	// Boolean to hide the built-in help command. Applies to this command and
+	// all of its subcommands: as with HideHelp, a true value is inherited and
+	// a subcommand cannot turn it back off.
 	// Ignored if HideHelp is true.
 	HideHelpCommand bool `json:"hideHelpCommand"`
 	// Boolean to hide built-in version flag and the VERSION section of help