diff --git a/podman_compose.py b/podman_compose.py
index 69a6a6d8..5bd05bc0 100755
--- a/podman_compose.py
+++ b/podman_compose.py
@@ -862,6 +862,85 @@ def flat_deps(services, with_extends=False):
     for name, srv in services.items():
         rec_deps(services, name)
 
+
+def argparse2dict(parser):
+    from collections import OrderedDict
+    jsonargs = OrderedDict()
+    jsonargs["program"] = parser.prog or ""
+    jsonargs["usage"] = parser.usage or ""  # or parser.format_usage()
+
+    jsonargs["commands"] = []
+    # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/20094215/argparse#20096044
+    # parser._subparsers -> _ArgumentGroup
+    # parser._actions -> [...]
+    for action in parser._actions:
+        # filter commands
+        if isinstance(action, argparse._SubParsersAction):
+            # _SubParsersAction.choices -> {'command': ArgumentParser, ...}
+            # _SubParsersAction._choices_actions -> [_ChoicesPseudoAction, ...]
+            for pseudo_action in action._choices_actions:
+                command = pseudo_action.dest
+                help_ = pseudo_action.help
+                entry = OrderedDict(command=command, help=help_)
+                jsonargs["commands"].append(entry)
+
+    jsonargs["options"] = []
+    for action in parser._actions:
+        # filter options
+        if not isinstance(action, argparse._SubParsersAction):
+            # option_strings -> ["-h", "--help"]
+            opts = action.option_strings
+            if len(opts) == 1:
+                short, long = opts[0], ""
+                if opts[0].startswith('--'):
+                    short, long = long, short
+            elif len(opts) == 2:
+                short, long = opts
+            else:
+                sys.exit("too many options, please fill an issue")
+
+            choices = []
+            if action.metavar:
+                metavar = action.metavar
+            elif action.choices:
+                metavar = action.dest
+                choices = action.choices
+            else:
+                metavar = ""
+            default = action.default or ""
+
+            entry = OrderedDict(short=short, long=long, metavar=metavar,
+                                choices=choices, default=default,
+                                help=action.help)
+
+            jsonargs["options"].append(entry)
+    return jsonargs
+
+def argparse2json(parser):
+    argdict = argparse2dict(parser)
+    return json.dumps(argdict, indent=2)
+
+def print_help(parser):
+    argdict = argparse2dict(parser)
+
+    print("""\
+usage: {program} [options] [command]
+""".format(**argdict))
+
+    print("commands:")
+    commands = sorted(argdict["commands"], key=lambda x: x["command"])
+    comwidth = max([len(x["command"]) for x in commands])+1
+    for c in commands:
+        print("  {c[command]:{width}} {c[help]}".format(c=c, width=comwidth))
+
+    print("\noptions:")
+    for o in argdict["options"]:
+        olong = f"{o['long']} {o['metavar'].upper()}"
+        print(f"  {o['short']:2} {olong:26}  {o['help']}")
+        # o['choices'] o['default']
+
+    #parser.print_help()
+
 ###################
 # podman and compose classes
 ###################
@@ -1212,7 +1291,7 @@ def _parse_args(self):
         if self.global_args.version:
             self.global_args.command = "version"
         if not self.global_args.command or self.global_args.command=='help':
-            parser.print_help()
+            print_help(parser)
             exit(-1)
         return self.global_args