diff --git a/ansible_runner/__main__.py b/ansible_runner/__main__.py
index 228d5b241..ff9925df3 100644
--- a/ansible_runner/__main__.py
+++ b/ansible_runner/__main__.py
@@ -432,6 +432,15 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger('ansible-runner')
 
 
+class AnsibleRunnerArgumentParser(argparse.ArgumentParser):
+    def error(self, message):
+        # If no sub command was provided, print common usage then exit
+        if 'required: command' in message.lower():
+            print_common_usage()
+
+        super(AnsibleRunnerArgumentParser, self).error(message)
+
+
 @contextmanager
 def role_manager(vargs):
     if vargs.get('role'):
@@ -583,7 +592,7 @@ def main(sys_args=None):
     :rtype: SystemExit
     """
 
-    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+    parser = AnsibleRunnerArgumentParser(
         prog='ansible-runner',
         description="Use 'ansible-runner' (with no arguments) to see basic usage"
     )
@@ -747,11 +756,6 @@ def main(sys_args=None):
     add_args_to_parser(isalive_container_group, DEFAULT_CLI_ARGS['container_group'])
     add_args_to_parser(transmit_container_group, DEFAULT_CLI_ARGS['container_group'])
 
-    if len(sys.argv) == 1:
-        parser.print_usage()
-        print_common_usage()
-        parser.exit(status=0)
-
     args = parser.parse_args(sys_args)
 
     vargs = vars(args)
diff --git a/test/integration/test_main.py b/test/integration/test_main.py
index 34cd96439..5f0aea353 100644
--- a/test/integration/test_main.py
+++ b/test/integration/test_main.py
@@ -70,10 +70,26 @@ def will_pass():
     assert not os.path.exists(context['saved_temp_dir'])
 
 
-def test_help():
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ('command', 'expected'),
+    (
+        (None, {'out': 'These are common Ansible Runner commands', 'err': ''}),
+        ([], {'out': 'These are common Ansible Runner commands', 'err': ''}),
+        (['run'], {'out': '', 'err': 'the following arguments are required'}),
+    )
+)
+def test_help(command, expected, capsys, monkeypatch):
+    # Ensure that sys.argv of the test command does not affect the test environment.
+    monkeypatch.setattr('sys.argv', command or [])
+
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
-        main([])
+        main(command)
+
+    stdout, stderr = capsys.readouterr()
+
     assert exc.value.code == 2, 'Should raise SystemExit with return code 2'
+    assert expected['out'] in stdout
+    assert expected['err'] in stderr
 
 
 def test_module_run():