diff --git a/bin/main.ml b/bin/main.ml
index 5fd294e..8f8705d 100644
--- a/bin/main.ml
+++ b/bin/main.ml
@@ -229,13 +229,17 @@ let cmd_manpage_dir dir =
       ) (Sys.readdir subdir)
   ) command_sections
 
-let help_resolve cmd rest name =
+let help_resolve ?(timeout=10_000) cmd rest name =
   let resolve_one go rest name depth =
-    match run_cmd (cmd :: rest @ ["--help"]) 10_000 with
+    let text = match run_cmd (cmd :: rest @ ["--help"]) timeout with
+      | Some _ as r -> r
+      | None -> run_cmd (cmd :: rest @ ["-h"]) timeout in
+    match text with
     | None -> None
     | Some text ->
       (match parse_help text with
        | Error _ -> None
+       | Ok r when r.entries = [] && r.subcommands = [] -> None
        | Ok r when depth >= 5 -> Some (generate_extern name r)
        | Ok r ->
          let main = generate_extern name { r with subcommands = [] } in
@@ -346,17 +350,12 @@ let cmd_generate bindir mandir outdir =
                | None -> false)
             | _ -> false in
           if not native_ok then begin
-            let text = match run_cmd [path; "--help"] 200 with
-              | Some _ as r -> r
-              | None -> run_cmd [path; "-h"] 200 in
-            match text with
-            | None -> ()
-            | Some t ->
-              (match parse_help t with
-               | Ok r when r.entries <> [] ->
-                 write_file (Filename.concat outdir (filename_of_cmd name ^ ".nu"))
-                   (generate_module name r)
-               | _ -> ())
+            match help_resolve ~timeout:200 path [] name with
+            | Some content when String.length content > 0 ->
+              let m = module_name_of name in
+              let src = Printf.sprintf "module %s {\n%s}\n\nuse %s *\n" m content m in
+              write_file (Filename.concat outdir (filename_of_cmd name ^ ".nu")) src
+            | _ -> ()
           end;
           exit 0
         with _ -> exit 1)