diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3cb563608..66b1f5f69 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ dsk: asm
 	$(CADIUS) ADDFILE build/"$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/" "build/LAUNCHER.SYSTEM" >>build/log
 	rsync -aP res/PREFS.CONF build/PREFS.CONF >> build/log
 	bin/padto.sh 512 build/PREFS.CONF >>build/log
-	bin/buildhelpful.sh "build/HELPFUL" "build/helper.inc" >>build/log
+	bin/buildhelp.sh "build/HELPFUL" "build/helper.inc" >>build/log
 	$(ACME) -r build/helper.lst src/helper/helper.a >>build/log
-	for f in res/TITLE res/COVER res/HELP res/GAMES.CONF res/ATTRACT.CONF res/FX.CONF res/DFX.CONF build/PREFS.CONF res/CREDITS res/HELPTEXT build/HELPFER build/HELPFUL res/DECRUNCH res/JOYSTICK res/Finder.Data res/Finder.Root; do $(CADIUS) ADDFILE build/"$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/" "$$f" >>build/log; done
+	for f in res/TITLE res/COVER res/HELP res/GAMES.CONF res/ATTRACT.CONF res/FX.CONF res/DFX.CONF build/PREFS.CONF res/CREDITS res/HELPTEXT build/HELPER build/HELPFUL res/DECRUNCH res/JOYSTICK res/Finder.Data res/Finder.Root; do $(CADIUS) ADDFILE build/"$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/" "$$f" >>build/log; done
 	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/TITLE.HGR "06" "4000" >>build/log
 	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/TITLE.DHGR "06" "4000" >>build/log
 	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/ACTION.HGR "06" "3FF8" >>build/log
diff --git a/bin/buildhelpful.js b/bin/buildhelp.js
similarity index 82%
rename from bin/buildhelpful.js
rename to bin/buildhelp.js
index aa8a66460..407297a1d 100644
--- a/bin/buildhelpful.js
+++ b/bin/buildhelp.js
@@ -41,9 +41,7 @@ f.write(entry = a.opentextfile(s).readall().replace(/\r\n/g, "\n"))
 help_off = entry.length
 
 letter = "@" //"A" - 1
-header_low = "header_low !byte "
-header_high = "header_high !byte "
-groups = "\n; format: Pascal string, big-endian 24-bit file offset in helptext file\n"
+groups = ""
 first = true
 i = 0
 
@@ -53,8 +51,6 @@ while (i < entries.length)
   {
     letter = String.fromCharCode(letter.charCodeAt(0) + 1)
     group = "group" + letter
-    header_low += "<" + group + ", "
-    header_high += ">" + group + ", "
 
     groups += group + "\n"
     first = false
@@ -81,8 +77,6 @@ while (i < entries.length)
 }
 
 f = a.createtextfile(WScript.Arguments(1))
-f.writeline(header_low.substr(0, header_low.length - 2))
-f.writeline(header_high.substr(0, header_high.length - 2))
 f.write(groups)
 
 function format8(str)
diff --git a/bin/buildhelp.sh b/bin/buildhelp.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..4e8f691f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/buildhelp.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# run from project root directory
+
+games=`cat res/GAMES.CONF | grep "," | grep -v "^#" | cut -d"," -f2 | cut -d"=" -f1 | sort`
+cat res/GAMEHELP/STANDARD > "$1"
+for c in {A..Z}; do
+    echo -e "group$c"
+    echo "$games" | grep "^$c" | while read game; do
+        echo "!byte ${#game}"
+        echo "!text \"$game\""
+        if [ -f "res/GAMEHELP/$game" ]; then
+            offset=$(wc -c <"$1")
+            echo "!be24 $offset"
+            cat res/GAMEHELP/"$game" >> "$1"
+        else
+            echo "!be24 0"
+        fi
+    done
+done > "$2"
diff --git a/res/_FileInformation.txt b/res/_FileInformation.txt
index 634f2052a..7526215c2 100644
--- a/res/_FileInformation.txt
+++ b/res/_FileInformation.txt
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ TITLE=Type(06),AuxType(2000),Access(C3)
 HELP=Type(06),AuxType(2000),Access(C3)
 CREDITS=Type(04),AuxType(8000),Access(C3)
 HELPTEXT=Type(04),AuxType(8000),Access(C3)
+HELPFUL=Type(04),AuxType(0000),Access(C3)
 DECRUNCH=Type(06),AuxType(0200),Access(C3)
 JOYSTICK=Type(06),AuxType(0800),Access(C3)
 Finder.Data=Type(C9),AuxType(0000),Access(E7)
diff --git a/src/helper/helper.a b/src/helper/helper.a
index cf7afbc8f..5fc766ace 100644
--- a/src/helper/helper.a
+++ b/src/helper/helper.a
@@ -86,4 +86,8 @@ filename
         !text "HELPFUL"
 filename_e
 
+header_low !byte <groupA, <groupB, <groupC, <groupD, <groupE, <groupF, <groupG, <groupH, <groupI, <groupJ, <groupK, <groupL, <groupM, <groupN, <groupO, <groupP, <groupQ, <groupR, <groupS, <groupT, <groupU, <groupV, <groupW, <groupX, <groupY, <groupZ
+header_high !byte >groupA, >groupB, >groupC, >groupD, >groupE, >groupF, >groupG, >groupH, >groupI, >groupJ, >groupK, >groupL, >groupM, >groupN, >groupO, >groupP, >groupQ, >groupR, >groupS, >groupT, >groupU, >groupV, >groupW, >groupX, >groupY, >groupZ
+
+; format: Pascal string of game directory + big-endian 24-bit file offset in merged helptext file
         !source "build/helper.inc"
diff --git a/winmake.bat b/winmake.bat
index 8d84ab391..7328429ab 100644
--- a/winmake.bat
+++ b/winmake.bat
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ cscript /nologo bin\dumpcr.js "build\CREDITS"
 cscript /nologo bin\rsync.js "res\HELPTEXT" "build\" >>build\log
 cscript /nologo bin\dumpcr.js "build\HELPTEXT"
 %CADIUS% ADDFILE "build\%DISK%" "/%VOLUME%/" "build\HELPTEXT" >>build\log
-cscript /nologo bin\buildhelpful.js "build\HELPFUL" "build\helper.inc" >>build\log
+cscript /nologo bin\buildhelp.js "build\HELPFUL" "build\helper.inc" >>build\log
 %ACME% -r build\helper.lst src\helper\helper.a >>build\log
 %CADIUS% ADDFILE "build\%DISK%" "/%VOLUME%/" "build\HELPER" >>build\log
 %CADIUS% ADDFILE "build\%DISK%" "/%VOLUME%/" "build\HELPFUL" >>build\log