diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 29cec594d..607cb8514 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ 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/buildhelp.sh "res/GAMES.CONF" "build/GAMEHELP.IDX" "build/GAMEHELP.ALL" >>build/log
 	bin/buildokvs.sh "res/ATTRACT.CONF" "build/ATTRACT.IDX" >>build/log
 	bin/buildfx.sh "res/FX.CONF" "build/FX.IDX" "build/FX.ALL" "build/FX" >>build/log
 	bin/buildfx.sh "res/DFX.CONF" "build/DFX.IDX" "build/DFX.ALL" "build/FX" >>build/log
+	bin/buildhelp.sh "res/GAMES.CONF" "build/GAMEHELP.IDX" "build/GAMEHELP.ALL" "res/GAMEHELP" >>build/log
 	rm -f build/SSDIR.CONF && touch build/SSDIR.CONF >>build/log
 	for f in res/SS/*; do bin/buildokvs.sh "$$f" "build/SS/$$(basename $$f)" && echo "$$(basename $$f)" >> build/SSDIR.CONF; done >>build/log
 	bin/buildfx.sh "build/SSDIR.CONF" "build/SLIDESHOW.IDX" "build/SLIDESHOW.ALL" "build/SS" >>build/log
diff --git a/bin/buildfx.sh b/bin/buildfx.sh
index edda8cfcf..2c4b5b6e6 100755
--- a/bin/buildfx.sh
+++ b/bin/buildfx.sh
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ source=$(mktemp)
      echo "!byte ${#key}"              # OKVS key length
      echo "!text \"$key\""             # OKVS key (effect name)
      offset=$(wc -c < "$3")
-     size=$(wc -c < "$4/$key")
      echo "!be24 $offset"              # offset into merged-effects file
      echo -n "!le16 "
      # If offset+size does not cross a block boundary, use the size.
      # Otherwise, round up size to the next block boundary.
      # This padding does not get added to the file; it is just an
      # optimization to avoid a partial copy on the last block read.
+     size=$(wc -c < "$4/$key")
      if [ $(($offset / 512)) -eq $((($offset + $size) / 512)) ]; then
          echo "$size"
      else
diff --git a/bin/buildhelp.sh b/bin/buildhelp.sh
index 603e847e6..1e8d26112 100755
--- a/bin/buildhelp.sh
+++ b/bin/buildhelp.sh
@@ -6,27 +6,42 @@
 # 1 - input filename of text file containing list of games (probably GAMES.CONF)
 # 2 - output filename for index file
 # 3 - output filename for merged-gamehelp file
+# 4 - input directory of gamehelp files
 
 # make temp file with list of game filenames
 records=$(mktemp)
 grep "," < "$1" | grep -v "^#" | cut -d"," -f2 | cut -d"=" -f1 | sort > "$records"
 
 # first help text is the 'TODO' placeholder screen
-cp res/GAMEHELP/STANDARD "$3"
+cp "$4"/STANDARD "$3"
+standardsize=$(wc -c < "$3")
 
 # make temp assembly source file that represents the binary OKVS data structure
 source=$(mktemp)
 (echo "*=0"                            # dummy program counter for assembler
  echo "!le16 $(wc -l <"$records"), 0"  # OKVS header
  while read -r key; do
-     echo "!byte ${#key}+5"            # OKVS record length
+     echo "!byte ${#key}+7"            # OKVS record length
      echo "!byte ${#key}"              # OKVS key length
      echo "!text \"$key\""             # OKVS key (effect name)
-     if [ -f "res/GAMEHELP/$key" ]; then
-         echo "!be24 $(wc -c <"$3")"   # value (3-byte big-endian offset into merged-gamehelp file)
-         cat res/GAMEHELP/"$key" >> "$3"
+     if [ -f "$4/$key" ]; then
+         offset=$(wc -c < "$3")
+         echo "!be24 $offset"          # offset into merged-gamehelp file (3-byte big-endian)
+         # If offset+size does not cross a block boundary, use the size.
+         # Otherwise, round up size to the next block boundary.
+         # This padding does not get added to the file; it is just an
+         # optimization to avoid a partial copy on the last block read.
+         echo -n "!le16 "
+         size=$(wc -c < "$4/$key")
+         if [ $(($offset / 512)) -eq $((($offset + $size) / 512)) ]; then
+             echo "$size"
+         else
+             echo "$(((($offset + $size + 511) & -512) - $offset))"
+         fi
+         cat "$4/$key" >> "$3"         # add this gamehelp to the merged-gamehelp file
      else
          echo "!be24 0"                # if game has no help, reuse placeholder at offset 0
+         echo "!le16 $standardsize"    # and the size of the placeholder text
      fi
  done < "$records") > "$source"