diff --git a/jupyter_kernel/magickernel.py b/jupyter_kernel/magickernel.py
index 46ade082..4da8d66e 100644
--- a/jupyter_kernel/magickernel.py
+++ b/jupyter_kernel/magickernel.py
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ def _parse_code(code, prefixes, suffixes, start=0, end=-1):
     pre_magics = {}
     for (name, prefix) in prefixes.items():
         pre = ''
-        while snip[len(pre)] == prefix:
+        while len(pre) < len(snip) and snip[len(pre)] == prefix:
             pre += prefix
         if pre:
             pre_magics[name] = pre
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ def _parse_code(code, prefixes, suffixes, start=0, end=-1):
     post_magics = {}
     for (name, suffix) in suffixes.items():
         post = ''
-        while snip[-len(post) - 1] == suffix:
+        while len(post) < len(snip) and snip[-len(post) - 1] == suffix:
             post += suffix
         if post:
             post_magics[name] = post
diff --git a/jupyter_kernel/magics/help_magic.py b/jupyter_kernel/magics/help_magic.py
index 65a51007..9b6aa8e3 100644
--- a/jupyter_kernel/magics/help_magic.py
+++ b/jupyter_kernel/magics/help_magic.py
@@ -39,9 +39,12 @@ def cell_help(self, text):
     def get_help_on(self, info, level):
 
         if info['magic'] and info['magic']['name'] == 'help':
-            code = info['rest']
+            code = info['rest'].rstrip()
 
             magic_prefix = self.kernel.magic_prefixes['magic']
+            if code.endswith(magic_prefix + 'help'):
+                return self.get_help('line', 'help', level)
+
             if magic_prefix + 'help' in code:
                 while code.startswith(self.kernel.magic_prefixes['magic']):
                     code = code[1:]
diff --git a/jupyter_kernel/tests/test_magickernel.py b/jupyter_kernel/tests/test_magickernel.py
index af550328..75d45dc7 100644
--- a/jupyter_kernel/tests/test_magickernel.py
+++ b/jupyter_kernel/tests/test_magickernel.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def test_inspect():
     assert "list the current line and cell magics" in log_text
 
     kernel.do_inspect('%lsmagic ', len('%lsmagic') + 1)
-    assert True, "This was hanging..."
+
 
 def test_path_complete():
     kernel = get_kernel()