diff --git a/src/Console/ConsoleInputSubcommand.php b/src/Console/ConsoleInputSubcommand.php
index 68e9ad0ebc1..1572f8134c9 100644
--- a/src/Console/ConsoleInputSubcommand.php
+++ b/src/Console/ConsoleInputSubcommand.php
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ class ConsoleInputSubcommand
      *
      * @var string
      */
-    protected $_name;
+    protected $_name = '';
 
     /**
      * Help string for the subcommand
      *
      * @var string
      */
-    protected $_help;
+    protected $_help = '';
 
     /**
      * The ConsoleOptionParser for this subcommand.
@@ -83,6 +83,16 @@ public function name()
         return $this->_name;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the raw help string for this command
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getRawHelp()
+    {
+        return $this->_help;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Generate the help for this this subcommand.
      *
diff --git a/src/Console/ConsoleOptionParser.php b/src/Console/ConsoleOptionParser.php
index ea3387c71e1..5c7e44ad5bb 100644
--- a/src/Console/ConsoleOptionParser.php
+++ b/src/Console/ConsoleOptionParser.php
@@ -583,8 +583,6 @@ public function addSubcommand($name, array $options = [])
             ];
             $options += $defaults;
 
-            $options = $this->_mergeSubcommandHelpToParserDescription($options);
-
             $command = new ConsoleInputSubcommand($options);
         }
         $this->_subcommands[$name] = $command;
@@ -593,33 +591,6 @@ public function addSubcommand($name, array $options = [])
         return $this;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * @param array $options Options
-     * @return array
-     */
-    protected function _mergeSubcommandHelpToParserDescription($options)
-    {
-        if (!$options['help']) {
-            return $options;
-        }
-
-        if ($options['parser'] instanceof self) {
-            if ($options['parser']->getDescription() !== null) {
-                return $options;
-            }
-
-            $options['parser']->setDescription($options['help']);
-
-            return $options;
-        }
-
-        $options['parser'] = [
-            'description' => $options['help']
-        ] + (array)$options['parser'];
-
-        return $options;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Remove a subcommand from the option parser.
      *
@@ -750,12 +721,16 @@ public function parse($argv)
      */
     public function help($subcommand = null, $format = 'text', $width = 72)
     {
-        if (isset($this->_subcommands[$subcommand]) &&
-            $this->_subcommands[$subcommand]->parser() instanceof self
-        ) {
-            $subparser = $this->_subcommands[$subcommand]->parser();
-            $subparser->setCommand($this->getCommand() . ' ' . $subparser->getCommand());
-
+        if (isset($this->_subcommands[$subcommand])) {
+            $command = $this->_subcommands[$subcommand];
+            $subparser = $command->parser();
+            if (!($subparser instanceof self)) {
+                $subparser = clone $this;
+            }
+            if (strlen($subparser->getDescription()) === 0) {
+                $subparser->setDescription($command->getRawHelp());
+            }
+            $subparser->setCommand($this->getCommand() . ' ' . $subcommand);
             return $subparser->help(null, $format, $width);
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/TestCase/Console/ConsoleOptionParserTest.php b/tests/TestCase/Console/ConsoleOptionParserTest.php
index f00d08fd12c..14a77a96e6f 100644
--- a/tests/TestCase/Console/ConsoleOptionParserTest.php
+++ b/tests/TestCase/Console/ConsoleOptionParserTest.php
@@ -591,6 +591,30 @@ public function testSubcommand()
         $this->assertEquals($parser, $result, 'Adding a subcommand is not chainable');
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test addSubcommand inherits options as no
+     * parser is created.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testAddSubcommandInheritOptions()
+    {
+        $parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('test', false);
+        $parser->addSubcommand('build', [
+            'help' => 'Build things'
+        ])->addOption('connection', [
+            'short' => 'c',
+            'default' => 'default'
+        ])->addArgument('name', ['required' => false]);
+
+        $result = $parser->parse(['build']);
+        $this->assertEquals('default', $result[0]['connection']);
+
+        $result = $parser->subcommands();
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey('build', $result);
+        $this->assertFalse($result['build']->parser(), 'No parser should be created');
+    }
+
     /**
      * test addSubcommand with an object.
      *