diff --git a/src/.gitignore b/src/.gitignore
index 8ab6874..4220d68 100644
--- a/src/.gitignore
+++ b/src/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+*.new.c
+bees-usage.c
 bees-version.[ch]
-bees-version.new.c
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 90cbaad..aef8cbc 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ bees-version.c: bees.h $(BEES_OBJS:.o=.cc) Makefile
 	echo "const char *BEES_VERSION = \"$(BEES_VERSION)\";" > bees-version.new.c
 	mv -f bees-version.new.c bees-version.c
 
+bees-usage.c: bees-usage.txt Makefile
+	(echo 'const char *BEES_USAGE = '; sed -r 's/^(.*)$$/"\1\\n"/' < bees-usage.txt; echo ';') > bees-usage.new.c
+	mv -f bees-usage.new.c bees-usage.c
+
 .depends:
 	mkdir -p $@
 
@@ -41,10 +45,9 @@ $(BEES_OBJS) fiemap.o fiewalk.o: %.o: %.cc
 $(PROGRAMS): ../bin/%: %.o
 	$(CXX) $(BEES_CXXFLAGS) $(BEES_LDFLAGS) -o $@ $< $(LIBS)
 
-bees-version.o: %.o: %.c
-	$(CC) $(BEES_CFLAGS) -o $@ -c $<
+$(PROGRAMS): ../lib/libcrucible.a
 
-$(BEES): $(BEES_OBJS) bees-version.o
+$(BEES): $(BEES_OBJS) bees-version.o bees-usage.o
 	$(CXX) $(BEES_CXXFLAGS) $(BEES_LDFLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(LIBS)
 
 clean:
diff --git a/src/bees-usage.txt b/src/bees-usage.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc35bde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bees-usage.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+Usage: %s [options] fs-root-path
+Performs best-effort extent-same deduplication on btrfs.
+
+fs-root-path MUST be the root of a btrfs filesystem tree (subvol id 5).
+Other directories will be rejected.
+
+Options:
+    -h, --help            Show this help
+
+Load management options:
+    -c, --thread-count    Worker thread count (default CPU count * factor)
+    -C, --thread-factor   Worker thread factor (default 1)
+    -G, --thread-min      Minimum worker thread count (default 0)
+    -g, --loadavg-target  Target load average for worker threads (default none)
+
+Filesystem tree traversal options:
+    -m, --scan-mode       Scanning mode (0..2, default 0)
+
+Workarounds:
+    -a, --workaround-btrfs-send    Workaround for btrfs send
+                                   (ignore RO snapshots)
+
+Logging options:
+    -t, --timestamps      Show timestamps in log output (default)
+    -T, --no-timestamps   Omit timestamps in log output
+    -p, --absolute-paths  Show absolute paths (default)
+    -P, --strip-paths     Strip $CWD from beginning of all paths in the log
+    -v, --verbose         Set maximum log level (0..8, default 8)
+
+Optional environment variables:
+    BEESHOME    Path to hash table and configuration files
+                (default is .beeshome/ in the root of the filesystem).
+
+    BEESSTATUS  File to write status to (tmpfs recommended, e.g. /run).
+                No status is written if this variable is unset.
diff --git a/src/bees.cc b/src/bees.cc
index 4e17130..e570c0f 100644
--- a/src/bees.cc
+++ b/src/bees.cc
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 #include <cctype>
 #include <cmath>
+#include <cstdio>
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <memory>
@@ -35,44 +36,7 @@ int bees_log_level = 8;
 void
 do_cmd_help(char *argv[])
 {
-	// 80col 01234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789
-	cerr << "Usage: " << argv[0] << " [options] fs-root-path [fs-root-path-2...]\n"
-		"Performs best-effort extent-same deduplication on btrfs.\n"
-		"\n"
-		"fs-root-path MUST be the root of a btrfs filesystem tree (id 5).\n"
-		"Other directories will be rejected.\n"
-		"\n"
-		"Options:\n"
-		"    -h, --help            Show this help\n"
-		"\n"
-		"Load management options:\n"
-		"    -c, --thread-count    Worker thread count (default CPU count * factor)\n"
-		"    -C, --thread-factor   Worker thread factor (default " << BEES_DEFAULT_THREAD_FACTOR << ")\n"
-		"    -G, --thread-min      Minimum worker thread count (default 0)\n"
-		"    -g, --loadavg-target  Target load average for worker threads (default none)\n"
-		"\n"
-		"Filesystem tree traversal options:\n"
-		"    -m, --scan-mode       Scanning mode (0..2, default 0)\n"
-		"\n"
-		"Workarounds:\n"
-		"    -a, --workaround-btrfs-send    Workaround for btrfs send\n"
-		"\n"
-		"Logging options:\n"
-		"    -t, --timestamps      Show timestamps in log output (default)\n"
-		"    -T, --no-timestamps   Omit timestamps in log output\n"
-		"    -p, --absolute-paths  Show absolute paths (default)\n"
-		"    -P, --strip-paths     Strip $CWD from beginning of all paths in the log\n"
-		"    -v, --verbose         Set maximum log level (0..8, default 8)\n"
-		"\n"
-		"Optional environment variables:\n"
-		"    BEESHOME    Path to hash table and configuration files\n"
-		"                (default is .beeshome/ in the root of each filesystem).\n"
-		"\n"
-		"    BEESSTATUS  File to write status to (tmpfs recommended, e.g. /run).\n"
-		"                No status is written if this variable is unset.\n"
-		"\n"
-	// 80col 01234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789
-	<< endl;
+	fprintf(stderr, BEES_USAGE, argv[0]);
 }
 
 // tracing ----------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/bees.h b/src/bees.h
index 31b9bc1..1fe1238 100644
--- a/src/bees.h
+++ b/src/bees.h
@@ -866,6 +866,7 @@ public:
 
 // And now, a giant pile of extern declarations
 extern int bees_log_level;
+extern const char *BEES_USAGE;
 extern const char *BEES_VERSION;
 string pretty(double d);
 void bees_sync(int fd);