diff --git a/5.5/docker-entrypoint.sh b/5.5/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 0f01acc30..81144fc12 100755
--- a/5.5/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/5.5/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,18 @@ if [ "${1:0:1}" = '-' ]; then
 	set -- mysqld "$@"
 fi
 
-if [ "$1" = 'mysqld' ]; then
+# skip setup if they want an option that stops mysqld
+wantHelp=
+for arg; do
+	case "$arg" in
+		-'?'|--help|--print-defaults|-V|--version)
+			wantHelp=1
+			break
+			;;
+	esac
+done
+
+if [ "$1" = 'mysqld' -a -z "$wantHelp" ]; then
 	# Get config
 	DATADIR="$("$@" --verbose --help --log-bin-index=`mktemp -u` 2>/dev/null | awk '$1 == "datadir" { print $2; exit }')"
 
diff --git a/5.6/docker-entrypoint.sh b/5.6/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 90833a3ee..4dace5b1b 100755
--- a/5.6/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/5.6/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,18 @@ if [ "${1:0:1}" = '-' ]; then
 	set -- mysqld "$@"
 fi
 
-if [ "$1" = 'mysqld' ]; then
+# skip setup if they want an option that stops mysqld
+wantHelp=
+for arg; do
+	case "$arg" in
+		-'?'|--help|--print-defaults|-V|--version)
+			wantHelp=1
+			break
+			;;
+	esac
+done
+
+if [ "$1" = 'mysqld' -a -z "$wantHelp" ]; then
 	# Get config
 	DATADIR="$("$@" --verbose --help --log-bin-index=`mktemp -u` 2>/dev/null | awk '$1 == "datadir" { print $2; exit }')"
 
diff --git a/5.7/docker-entrypoint.sh b/5.7/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 025638a90..2c6821ceb 100755
--- a/5.7/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/5.7/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,18 @@ if [ "${1:0:1}" = '-' ]; then
 	set -- mysqld "$@"
 fi
 
-if [ "$1" = 'mysqld' ]; then
+# skip setup if they want an option that stops mysqld
+wantHelp=
+for arg; do
+	case "$arg" in
+		-'?'|--help|--print-defaults|-V|--version)
+			wantHelp=1
+			break
+			;;
+	esac
+done
+
+if [ "$1" = 'mysqld' -a -z "$wantHelp" ]; then
 	# Get config
 	DATADIR="$("$@" --verbose --help 2>/dev/null | awk '$1 == "datadir" { print $2; exit }')"