diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b57c853..d414827 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -149,6 +149,13 @@ file (TO_CMAKE_PATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}" CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX)
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # options
 
+OPTION(GFLAGS_STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP "Hide help from GFLAGS modules" OFF)
+IF(GFLAGS_STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP)   
+  SET(STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP 1)
+ELSE(GFLAGS_STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP)
+  SET(STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP 0)
+ENDIF(GFLAGS_STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP)
+
 # maintain binary backwards compatibility with gflags library version <= 2.0,
 # but at the same time enable the use of the preferred new "gflags" namespace
 gflags_define (STRING NAMESPACE "Name(s) of library namespace (separate multiple options by semicolon)" "google;${PACKAGE_NAME}" "${PACKAGE_NAME}")
diff --git a/src/defines.h.in b/src/defines.h.in
index dfb214e..d638a08 100644
--- a/src/defines.h.in
+++ b/src/defines.h.in
@@ -44,5 +44,6 @@
 // Define if your pthread library defines the type pthread_rwlock_t
 #cmakedefine HAVE_RWLOCK
 
+#cmakedefine STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP
 
 #endif // GFLAGS_DEFINES_H_
diff --git a/src/gflags.cc b/src/gflags.cc
index 04d0f9b..ddfaf5c 100644
--- a/src/gflags.cc
+++ b/src/gflags.cc
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@
 // are, similarly, mostly hooks into the functionality described above.
 
 #include "config.h"
+
+#ifdef STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP
+#  define STRIP_FLAG_HELP 1
+#endif
+
 #include "gflags/gflags.h"
 
 #include <cassert>
diff --git a/src/gflags_completions.cc b/src/gflags_completions.cc
index 4f7bb78..5111176 100644
--- a/src/gflags_completions.cc
+++ b/src/gflags_completions.cc
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "config.h"
+
+#ifdef STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP
+#  define STRIP_FLAG_HELP 1
+#endif
+
 #include "gflags/gflags.h"
 #include "gflags/gflags_completions.h"
 #include "util.h"
diff --git a/src/gflags_reporting.cc b/src/gflags_reporting.cc
index db05303..93f4e63 100644
--- a/src/gflags_reporting.cc
+++ b/src/gflags_reporting.cc
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "config.h"
+
+#ifdef STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP
+#  define STRIP_FLAG_HELP 1
+#endif
+
 #include "gflags/gflags.h"
 #include "gflags/gflags_completions.h"
 #include "util.h"
@@ -118,7 +123,7 @@ static string PrintStringFlagsWithQuotes(const CommandLineFlagInfo& flag,
 // Goes to some trouble to make pretty line breaks.
 string DescribeOneFlag(const CommandLineFlagInfo& flag) {
   string main_part;
-  SStringPrintf(&main_part, "    -%s (%s)",
+  SStringPrintf(&main_part, "    --%s (%s)",
                 flag.name.c_str(),
                 flag.description.c_str());
   const char* c_string = main_part.c_str();
@@ -284,7 +289,9 @@ static void ShowUsageWithFlagsMatching(const char *argv0,
             fprintf(stdout, "\n\n");   // put blank lines between directories
           first_directory = false;
         }
+#ifndef STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP
         fprintf(stdout, "\n  Flags from %s:\n", flag->filename.c_str());
+#endif  // STRIP_INTERNAL_FLAG_HELP
         last_filename = flag->filename;
       }
       // Now print this flag
@@ -346,9 +353,6 @@ static void ShowVersion() {
   } else {
     fprintf(stdout, "%s\n", ProgramInvocationShortName());
   }
-# if !defined(NDEBUG)
-  fprintf(stdout, "Debug build (NDEBUG not #defined)\n");
-# endif
 }
 
 static void AppendPrognameStrings(vector<string>* substrings,