diff --git a/crates/aura-cli/tests/cli_run.rs b/crates/aura-cli/tests/cli_run.rs
index 7441788..960708a 100644
--- a/crates/aura-cli/tests/cli_run.rs
+++ b/crates/aura-cli/tests/cli_run.rs
@@ -34,3 +34,35 @@ fn no_args_prints_usage_and_exits_two() {
     let stderr = String::from_utf8(out.stderr).expect("utf-8 stderr");
     assert!(stderr.contains("usage"), "stderr was: {stderr:?}");
 }
+
+/// Property: `--help`/`-h` is the success-path help affordance, not the error
+/// path. A newcomer's reflex first command (C22 first-contact ergonomics, #20)
+/// prints the usage to stdout and exits 0; the conventional `-h` alias behaves
+/// identically. An *unknown* subcommand keeps the error path (exit 2) so the
+/// help fix does not regress bad-args handling.
+#[test]
+fn help_flag_prints_usage_to_stdout_and_exits_zero() {
+    for flag in ["--help", "-h"] {
+        let out = Command::new(BIN).arg(flag).output().expect("spawn aura --help");
+        assert_eq!(out.status.code(), Some(0), "`aura {flag}` exit: {:?}", out.status);
+        let stdout = String::from_utf8(out.stdout).expect("utf-8 stdout");
+        assert!(
+            !stdout.trim().is_empty(),
+            "`aura {flag}` should print help to stdout, got: {stdout:?}"
+        );
+        // The usage names the only subcommand a newcomer can run.
+        assert!(
+            stdout.contains("run"),
+            "`aura {flag}` help should mention the `run` subcommand, got: {stdout:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    // Negative-preservation: an unknown subcommand is still the error path.
+    let out = Command::new(BIN).arg("frobnicate").output().expect("spawn aura frobnicate");
+    assert_eq!(
+        out.status.code(),
+        Some(2),
+        "unknown subcommand must stay exit 2: {:?}",
+        out.status
+    );
+}