diff --git a/share/functions/__fish_print_help.fish b/share/functions/__fish_print_help.fish
index 788e4314c..066dcd352 100644
--- a/share/functions/__fish_print_help.fish
+++ b/share/functions/__fish_print_help.fish
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ function __fish_print_help --description "Print help message for the specified f
 
     # Do nothing if the file does not exist
     if not test -e "$__fish_data_dir/man/man1/$item.1" -o -e "$__fish_data_dir/man/man1/$item.1.gz"
-        return
+        return 2
     end
 
     # Render help output, save output into the variable 'help'
diff --git a/src/builtin.cpp b/src/builtin.cpp
index bd31ebe2d..da8bdeb18 100644
--- a/src/builtin.cpp
+++ b/src/builtin.cpp
@@ -155,7 +155,6 @@ int parse_help_only_cmd_opts(struct help_only_cmd_opts_t &opts, int *optind, int
 /// Process and print help for the specified builtin or function.
 void builtin_print_help(parser_t &parser, const io_streams_t &streams, const wchar_t *name,
                         wcstring *error_message) {
-    UNUSED(streams);
     // This won't ever work if no_exec is set.
     if (no_exec()) return;
     const wcstring name_esc = escape_string(name, ESCAPE_ALL);
@@ -166,8 +165,10 @@ void builtin_print_help(parser_t &parser, const io_streams_t &streams, const wch
         // If it's an error, redirect the output of __fish_print_help to stderr
         ios.push_back(std::make_shared<io_fd_t>(STDOUT_FILENO, STDERR_FILENO));
     }
-    parser.eval(cmd, ios);
-    // ignore the exit status of __fish_print_help
+    auto res = parser.eval(cmd, ios);
+    if (res.status.exit_code() == 2) {
+        streams.err.append_format(BUILTIN_ERR_MISSING_HELP, name_esc.c_str());
+    }
 }
 
 /// Perform error reporting for encounter with unknown option.
diff --git a/src/builtin.h b/src/builtin.h
index 88e01769a..0d7831c25 100644
--- a/src/builtin.h
+++ b/src/builtin.h
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ enum { COMMAND_NOT_BUILTIN, BUILTIN_REGULAR, BUILTIN_FUNCTION };
 /// Error message on missing argument.
 #define BUILTIN_ERR_MISSING _(L"%ls: Expected argument for option %ls\n")
 
+/// Error message on missing man page.
+#define BUILTIN_ERR_MISSING_HELP \
+    _(L"fish: Missing man page for '%ls'. Did you install the documentation?\n")
+
 /// Error message on invalid combination of options.
 #define BUILTIN_ERR_COMBO _(L"%ls: Invalid combination of options\n")