diff --git a/lib/actions/help.coffee b/lib/actions/help.coffee
index c57fc765..503021aa 100644
--- a/lib/actions/help.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/help.coffee
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ capitano = require('capitano')
 columnify = require('columnify')
 
 messages = require('../utils/messages')
+{ getManualSortCompareFunction } = require('../utils/helpers')
 { exitWithExpectedError } = require('../utils/patterns')
 { getOclifHelpLinePairs } = require('./help_ts')
 
@@ -42,12 +43,30 @@ indent = (text) ->
 		return '    ' + line
 	return text.join('\n')
 
-print = (usageDescriptionPairs...) ->
-	data = _.fromPairs([].concat(usageDescriptionPairs...).sort())
-	console.log indent columnify data,
+print = (usageDescriptionPairs) ->
+	console.log indent columnify _.fromPairs(usageDescriptionPairs),
 		showHeaders: false
 		minWidth: 35
 
+manuallySortedPrimaryCommands = [
+	'help',
+	'login',
+	'push',
+	'logs',
+	'ssh',
+	'apps',
+	'app',
+	'devices',
+	'device',
+	'tunnel',
+	'preload',
+	'build',
+	'deploy',
+	'join',
+	'leave',
+	'local scan',
+]
+
 general = (params, options, done) ->
 	console.log('Usage: balena [COMMAND] [OPTIONS]\n')
 	console.log(messages.reachingOut)
@@ -63,17 +82,21 @@ general = (params, options, done) ->
 			return 'primary'
 		return 'secondary'
 
-	print(parse(groupedCommands.primary))
+	print parse(groupedCommands.primary).sort(getManualSortCompareFunction(
+		manuallySortedPrimaryCommands,
+		([signature, description], manualItem) ->
+			signature == manualItem or signature.startsWith("#{manualItem} ")
+	))
 
 	if options.verbose
 		console.log('\nAdditional commands:\n')
-		print(parse(groupedCommands.secondary), getOclifHelpLinePairs())
+		print parse(groupedCommands.secondary).concat(getOclifHelpLinePairs()).sort()
 	else
 		console.log('\nRun `balena help --verbose` to list additional commands')
 
 	if not _.isEmpty(capitano.state.globalOptions)
 		console.log('\nGlobal Options:\n')
-		print(parse(capitano.state.globalOptions))
+		print parse(capitano.state.globalOptions).sort()
 
 	return done()
 
@@ -93,7 +116,7 @@ command = (params, options, done) ->
 
 		if not _.isEmpty(command.options)
 			console.log('\nOptions:\n')
-			print(parse(command.options))
+			print parse(command.options).sort()
 
 		return done()
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/helpers.ts b/lib/utils/helpers.ts
index 7d0d96b7..beab4ba5 100644
--- a/lib/utils/helpers.ts
+++ b/lib/utils/helpers.ts
@@ -234,15 +234,15 @@ export function retry<T>(
  *     compare(a, b) function will compare a and b using the standard '<' and
  *     '>' Javascript operators.
  *   - If only a or only b are found in the manuallySortedArray, the returned
- *     compare(a, b) function will consider the found element as being
- *     "smaller than" the not-found element (i.e. found elements appeare before
+ *     compare(a, b) function will treat the element that was found as being
+ *     "smaller than" the not-found element (i.e. found elements appear before
  *     not-found elements in sorted order).
  *
- * The equalityFunc() argument is a function used to compare the array items
- * against the manuallySortedArray. For example, if equalityFunc was (a, x) =>
- * a.startsWith(x), where a is an item being sorted and x is an item in the
- * manuallySortedArray, then the manuallySortedArray could contain prefix
- * substrings to guide the sorting.
+ * The equalityFunc(a, x) argument is a function used to compare the items
+ * being sorted against the items in the manuallySortedArray. For example, if
+ * equalityFunc was (a, x) => a.startsWith(x), where a is an item being sorted
+ * and x is an item in the manuallySortedArray, then the manuallySortedArray
+ * could contain prefix substrings to guide the sorting.
  *
  * @param manuallySortedArray A pre-sorted array to guide the sorting
  * @param equalityFunc An optional function used to compare the items being