diff --git a/builtins/tests/help/help_test.go b/builtins/tests/help/help_test.go
index ff7ec50f..ccb9d026 100644
--- a/builtins/tests/help/help_test.go
+++ b/builtins/tests/help/help_test.go
@@ -167,20 +167,19 @@ func TestHelpColumnsAligned(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestHelpRestrictedShowsOnlyAllowed(t *testing.T) {
 	stdout, stderr, code := runScript(t, "help", "",
-		interp.AllowedCommands([]string{"rshell:echo"}))
+		interp.AllowedCommands([]string{"rshell:echo", "rshell:help"}))
 	assert.Equal(t, 0, code)
 	assert.Empty(t, stderr)
 	assert.Contains(t, stdout, "echo")
-	assert.Contains(t, stdout, "help") // help is always listed
+	assert.Contains(t, stdout, "help")
 	assert.NotContains(t, stdout, "cat")
 	assert.NotContains(t, stdout, "grep")
 	assert.NotContains(t, stdout, "ls")
 }
 
 func TestHelpRestrictedSingleCommand(t *testing.T) {
-	// Only "ls" is explicitly allowed; help should still appear.
 	stdout, _, code := runScript(t, "help", "",
-		interp.AllowedCommands([]string{"rshell:ls"}))
+		interp.AllowedCommands([]string{"rshell:ls", "rshell:help"}))
 	assert.Equal(t, 0, code)
 	assert.Contains(t, stdout, "help")
 	assert.Contains(t, stdout, "ls")
@@ -188,10 +187,10 @@ func TestHelpRestrictedSingleCommand(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestHelpRestrictedAlignmentAdjusts(t *testing.T) {
-	// With "wc" (2-char) and "strings" (7-char) plus implicit "help" (4-char),
+	// With "wc" (2-char), "strings" (7-char), and "help" (4-char),
 	// the column width should match the longest allowed name.
 	stdout, _, code := runScript(t, "help", "",
-		interp.AllowedCommands([]string{"rshell:wc", "rshell:strings"}))
+		interp.AllowedCommands([]string{"rshell:wc", "rshell:strings", "rshell:help"}))
 	assert.Equal(t, 0, code)
 
 	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(stdout), "\n")
@@ -210,27 +209,20 @@ func TestHelpRestrictedAlignmentAdjusts(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestHelpAlwaysAvailable(t *testing.T) {
-	// help is not in the allowed list, but should still run.
-	stdout, stderr, code := runScript(t, "help", "",
+func TestHelpNotAllowedWhenNotInList(t *testing.T) {
+	// help is not in the allowed list and should be blocked.
+	_, stderr, code := runScript(t, "help", "",
 		interp.AllowedCommands([]string{"rshell:echo", "rshell:ls"}))
-	assert.Equal(t, 0, code)
-	assert.Empty(t, stderr)
-	assert.Contains(t, stdout, "help")
-	assert.Contains(t, stdout, "echo")
-	assert.Contains(t, stdout, "ls")
-	assert.NotContains(t, stdout, "cat")
+	assert.Equal(t, 127, code)
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, "command not allowed")
 }
 
 func TestHelpAlwaysAvailableNoCommands(t *testing.T) {
 	// Even with an empty allowed list, help should work.
-	stdout, stderr, code := runScript(t, "help", "",
+	_, stderr, code := runScript(t, "help", "",
 		interp.AllowedCommands([]string{}))
-	assert.Equal(t, 0, code)
-	assert.Empty(t, stderr)
-	// Only help itself should be listed.
-	assert.Contains(t, stdout, "help")
-	assert.NotContains(t, stdout, "echo")
+	assert.Equal(t, 127, code)
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, "command not allowed")
 }
 
 // --- Error handling ---
diff --git a/interp/runner_exec.go b/interp/runner_exec.go
index 62734ee4..d0b5d4c5 100644
--- a/interp/runner_exec.go
+++ b/interp/runner_exec.go
@@ -256,9 +256,7 @@ func (r *Runner) call(ctx context.Context, pos syntax.Pos, args []string) {
 	}
 	name := args[0]
 
-	// Check whether the command is allowed. "help" is always permitted so
-	// users can discover available commands regardless of the active policy.
-	if !r.allowAllCommands && name != "help" && !r.allowedCommands[name] {
+	if !r.allowAllCommands && !r.allowedCommands[name] {
 		r.errf("%s: command not allowed\n", name)
 		r.exit.code = 127
 		return
@@ -267,7 +265,7 @@ func (r *Runner) call(ctx context.Context, pos syntax.Pos, args []string) {
 	if fn, ok := builtins.Lookup(name); ok {
 		var runCmd func(context.Context, string, string, []string) (uint8, error)
 		runCmd = func(ctx context.Context, dir string, cmdName string, cmdArgs []string) (uint8, error) {
-			if !r.allowAllCommands && cmdName != "help" && !r.allowedCommands[cmdName] {
+			if !r.allowAllCommands && !r.allowedCommands[cmdName] {
 				return 127, fmt.Errorf("%s: command not allowed", cmdName)
 			}
 			cmdFn, ok := builtins.Lookup(cmdName)
@@ -324,7 +322,7 @@ func (r *Runner) call(ctx context.Context, pos syntax.Pos, args []string) {
 					return builtins.FileID{Dev: dev, Ino: ino}, true
 				},
 				CommandAllowed: func(n string) bool {
-					return r.allowAllCommands || n == "help" || r.allowedCommands[n]
+					return r.allowAllCommands || r.allowedCommands[n]
 				},
 			}
 			if r.stdin != nil {
@@ -386,7 +384,7 @@ func (r *Runner) call(ctx context.Context, pos syntax.Pos, args []string) {
 				return builtins.FileID{Dev: dev, Ino: ino}, true
 			},
 			CommandAllowed: func(cmdName string) bool {
-				return r.allowAllCommands || cmdName == "help" || r.allowedCommands[cmdName]
+				return r.allowAllCommands || r.allowedCommands[cmdName]
 			},
 			RunCommand: runCmd,
 			Proc:       r.proc,
diff --git a/tests/scenarios/cmd/help/always_available.yaml b/tests/scenarios/cmd/help/always_available.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 546307d7..00000000
--- a/tests/scenarios/cmd/help/always_available.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-description: Help is available even when not in the allowed commands list.
-skip_assert_against_bash: true
-input:
-  allowed_commands: ["rshell:echo"]
-  script: |+
-    help
-expect:
-  stdout_contains: ["echo", "help"]
-  stderr: ""
-  exit_code: 0
diff --git a/tests/scenarios/cmd/help/restricted_commands.yaml b/tests/scenarios/cmd/help/restricted_commands.yaml
index 16883e20..9f7ed8e4 100644
--- a/tests/scenarios/cmd/help/restricted_commands.yaml
+++ b/tests/scenarios/cmd/help/restricted_commands.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-description: Help lists only commands allowed by the active policy, plus itself.
+description: Help lists only commands allowed by the active policy.
 skip_assert_against_bash: true
 input:
-  allowed_commands: ["rshell:echo"]
+  allowed_commands: ["rshell:echo", "rshell:help"]
   script: |+
     help
 expect: