diff --git a/src/bee-check.sh.in b/src/bee-check.sh.in
index 84a3631..1f772ca 100644
--- a/src/bee-check.sh.in
+++ b/src/bee-check.sh.in
@@ -283,11 +283,12 @@ usage() {
 	Usage: bee check [options] [action] <package>
 
 	Actions:
-	    -d | --deps       print dependencies of the package
-	    -h | --help       display this help
+	    -d, --deps,
+	        --dependencies    print dependencies of the package
+	    -h, --help            display this help
 
 	Options:
-	    -f | --force      can be used to force check come what may
+	    -f, --force           can be used to force check come what may
 
 	EOF
 }
diff --git a/src/bee-download.sh.in b/src/bee-download.sh.in
index e159232..b9b83c5 100644
--- a/src/bee-download.sh.in
+++ b/src/bee-download.sh.in
@@ -44,10 +44,11 @@ function usage() {
 	bee download [options] <repository-url>
 
 	Options:
-	    -h | --help        display this help
-	    -n | --pkgname     specifiy a package name
-	    -v | --pkgversion  specifiy a package version
-	    -c | --commit      use a certain commit as HEAD revision
+	    -h, --help        display this help
+	    -n, --pkgname     specify a package name
+	    -v, --pkgversion  specify a package version
+	    -t, --type        specify type of download (http, https or git)
+	    -c, --commit      use a certain commit as HEAD revision
 
 	EOF
 }
diff --git a/src/bee-install.sh.in b/src/bee-install.sh.in
index cab56da..47e5ffd 100644
--- a/src/bee-install.sh.in
+++ b/src/bee-install.sh.in
@@ -71,10 +71,13 @@ function usage() {
 	'bee update' is short form of 'bee install --update'
 
 	Options:
-	    -f | --force      can be used to force installation come what may
-	    -v | --verbose    bee more verbose (can be used twice e.g. -vv)
-	    -u | --update     install a package and remove all other versions afterwards
-	    -h | --help       display this help
+	    -f, --force         can be used to force installation come what may
+	    -v, --verbose       bee more verbose (can be used twice e.g. -vv)
+	    -u, --update,
+	        --upgrade       install a package and remove old version afterwards
+	    -r, --remove-all    when updating: remove all old versions of the package
+	    -n, --noop          do not install; just print what would be installed
+	    -h, --help          display this help
 
 	EOF
 }
diff --git a/src/bee-list.sh.in b/src/bee-list.sh.in
index cbbb3a0..7cc9086 100644
--- a/src/bee-list.sh.in
+++ b/src/bee-list.sh.in
@@ -63,8 +63,13 @@ function usage() {
 	Usage: bee list <action> [pattern list]
 
 	Actions:
-	    -i | --installed (default) list installed pkgs matching pattern list
-	    -a | --available           list available pkgs matching pattern list
+	    -i, --installed (default)    list installed packages
+	    -a, --available              list available packages
+	    -u, --updateable             list packages that can be updated
+	    -U, --uninstalled            list uninstalled packages
+	    --exact, --by-pkgfullname    exact match
+	    --display-pathname           print pathname
+	    -h, --help                   display this help
 
 	EOF
 }
diff --git a/src/bee-remove.sh.in b/src/bee-remove.sh.in
index 7315265..6d57239 100644
--- a/src/bee-remove.sh.in
+++ b/src/bee-remove.sh.in
@@ -121,8 +121,9 @@ usage() {
 	Usage: bee remove [options] <package>
 
 	Options:
-	    -h | --help    display this help
-	    -n | --noop    do not actually remove; just print
+	    -h, --help        display this help
+	    -n, --noop        do not actually remove; just print
+	    -v, --verbose     print removed files and directories
 
 	EOF
 }
diff --git a/src/beesh.sh.in b/src/beesh.sh.in
index 36e2534..d5c74a2 100644
--- a/src/beesh.sh.in
+++ b/src/beesh.sh.in
@@ -87,12 +87,13 @@ function show_help() {
 	Usage: beesh [options] <pkg>.bee
 
 	Options:
-	    -c | --cleanup          may be used to clean up <pkg>-related
-	                            directory tree before build process is started
-	    -i | --install          after build process is successful and <pkg> is
-	                            built, <pkg>.tgz is installed by bee_install
-	    -f | --force-install    same as -i; bee_install is invoked with --force
-	    -h | --help             display this help
+	    -c, --cleanup          may be used to clean up <pkg>-related
+	                           directory tree before build process is started
+	    -i, --install          after build process is successful and <pkg> is
+	                           built, <pkg>.tgz is installed by bee_install
+	    -f, --force-install    same as -i; bee_install is invoked with --force
+	    -h, --help             display this help
+	    --no-archive-build     do not archive the build directory
 
 	EOF
 }
@@ -600,17 +601,6 @@ function bee_run() {
     fi
 }
 
-config_init_colors
-
-echo -e "${COLOR_CYAN}BEE v${BEE_VERSION} 2009-2011"
-echo -e "  by Marius Tolzmann and Tobias Dreyer <{tolzmann,dreyer}@molgen.mpg.de>"
-echo -e "     Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics Berlin Dahlem"
-echo -e "${COLOR_NORMAL}"
-
-config_init
-
-config_set_skiplist
-
 ###############################################################################
 
 OPTIONS=$(${BEE_BINDIR}/beegetopt --name beesh \
@@ -681,6 +671,17 @@ while true ; do
     esac
 done
 
+config_init_colors
+
+echo -e "${COLOR_CYAN}BEE v${BEE_VERSION} 2009-2011"
+echo -e "  by Marius Tolzmann and Tobias Dreyer <{tolzmann,dreyer}@molgen.mpg.de>"
+echo -e "     Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics Berlin Dahlem"
+echo -e "${COLOR_NORMAL}"
+
+config_init
+
+config_set_skiplist
+
 print_info "  BEE_SKIPLIST           ${BEE_SKIPLIST}"
 print_info "  BEE_REPOSITORY_PREFIX  ${BEE_REPOSITORY_PREFIX}"
 print_info "  BEE_METADIR            ${BEE_METADIR}"