diff --git a/notmuch-client.h b/notmuch-client.h
index 8ecfac6b..78680aa1 100644
--- a/notmuch-client.h
+++ b/notmuch-client.h
@@ -468,4 +468,6 @@ notmuch_database_dump (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 #include "command-line-arguments.h"
 extern const notmuch_opt_desc_t  notmuch_shared_options [];
 void notmuch_process_shared_options (const char* subcommand_name);
+int notmuch_minimal_options (const char* subcommand_name,
+			     int argc, char **argv);
 #endif
diff --git a/notmuch-config.c b/notmuch-config.c
index 2d5c297b..93482787 100644
--- a/notmuch-config.c
+++ b/notmuch-config.c
@@ -872,8 +872,15 @@ int
 notmuch_config_command (notmuch_config_t *config, int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     int ret;
+    int opt_index;
 
-    argc--; argv++; /* skip subcommand argument */
+    opt_index = notmuch_minimal_options ("config", argc, argv);
+    if (opt_index < 0)
+	return EXIT_FAILURE;
+
+    /* skip at least subcommand argument */
+    argc-= opt_index;
+    argv+= opt_index;
 
     if (argc < 1) {
 	fprintf (stderr, "Error: notmuch config requires at least one argument.\n");
diff --git a/notmuch-setup.c b/notmuch-setup.c
index 36a6171a..7dd5822a 100644
--- a/notmuch-setup.c
+++ b/notmuch-setup.c
@@ -145,6 +145,9 @@ notmuch_setup_command (notmuch_config_t *config,
 	chomp_newline (response);				\
     } while (0)
 
+    if (notmuch_minimal_options ("setup", argc, argv) < 0)
+	return EXIT_FAILURE;
+
     if (notmuch_config_is_new (config))
 	welcome_message_pre_setup ();
 
diff --git a/notmuch.c b/notmuch.c
index 3ce30b45..c528dce2 100644
--- a/notmuch.c
+++ b/notmuch.c
@@ -71,6 +71,28 @@ notmuch_process_shared_options (const char *subcommand_name) {
     }
 }
 
+/* This is suitable for subcommands that do not actually open the
+ * database.
+ */
+int notmuch_minimal_options (const char *subcommand_name,
+				  int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    int opt_index;
+
+    notmuch_opt_desc_t options[] = {
+	{ NOTMUCH_OPT_INHERIT, (void *) &notmuch_shared_options, NULL, 0, 0 },
+	{ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 }
+    };
+
+    opt_index = parse_arguments (argc, argv, options, 1);
+
+    if (opt_index < 0)
+	return -1;
+
+    /* We can't use argv here as it is sometimes NULL */
+    notmuch_process_shared_options (subcommand_name);
+    return opt_index;
+}
 
 static command_t commands[] = {
     { NULL, notmuch_command, TRUE,
@@ -250,7 +272,15 @@ _help_for (const char *topic_name)
 static int
 notmuch_help_command (unused (notmuch_config_t * config), int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-    argc--; argv++; /* Ignore "help" */
+    int opt_index;
+
+    opt_index = notmuch_minimal_options ("help", argc, argv);
+    if (opt_index < 0)
+	return EXIT_FAILURE;
+
+    /* skip at least subcommand argument */
+    argc-= opt_index;
+    argv+= opt_index;
 
     if (argc == 0) {
 	return _help_for (NULL);
diff --git a/test/random-corpus.c b/test/random-corpus.c
index 790193d2..b377eb40 100644
--- a/test/random-corpus.c
+++ b/test/random-corpus.c
@@ -114,6 +114,23 @@ random_utf8_string (void *ctx, size_t char_count)
     return buf;
 }
 
+/* stubs since we cannot link with notmuch.o */
+const notmuch_opt_desc_t notmuch_shared_options[] = {
+	{ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 }
+};
+
+void
+notmuch_process_shared_options (unused (const char *dummy))
+{
+}
+
+int
+notmuch_minimal_options (unused (const char *subcommand),
+			 unused (int argc),
+			 unused (char **argv))
+{
+    return 0;
+}
 
 int
 main (int argc, char **argv)