diff --git a/src/resolve/resolvconf-compat.c b/src/resolve/resolvconf-compat.c
index cacd92c664..8a07124573 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolvconf-compat.c
+++ b/src/resolve/resolvconf-compat.c
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ int resolvconf_parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 OPTION_NAMESPACE("resolvconf"): {}
 
                 OPTION_COMMON_HELP:
-                        return command_print_help_full("resolvconf");
+                        return command_print_help_full("resolvconf", /* footer_ansi_seq= */ NULL);
 
                 OPTION_COMMON_VERSION:
                         return version();
diff --git a/src/resolve/resolvectl.c b/src/resolve/resolvectl.c
index 48b4e19a60..f2d5946ae6 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolvectl.c
+++ b/src/resolve/resolvectl.c
@@ -3498,7 +3498,7 @@ static int native_parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[], char ***remaining_args) {
                 OPTION_NAMESPACE("resolvectl"): {}
 
                 OPTION_COMMON_HELP:
-                        return command_print_help_full("resolvectl");
+                        return command_print_help_full("resolvectl", /* footer_ansi_seq= */ NULL);
 
                 OPTION_COMMON_VERSION:
                         return version();
diff --git a/src/run/run.c b/src/run/run.c
index 9b14048d56..6aa58f8b5c 100644
--- a/src/run/run.c
+++ b/src/run/run.c
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 OPTION_NAMESPACE("systemd-run"): {}
 
                 OPTION_COMMON_HELP:
-                        return command_print_help_full("systemd-run");
+                        return command_print_help_full("systemd-run", /* footer_ansi_seq= */ NULL);
 
                 OPTION_COMMON_VERSION:
                         return version();
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ static int parse_argv_sudo_mode(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 OPTION_NAMESPACE("run0"): {}
 
                 OPTION_COMMON_HELP:
-                        return command_print_help_full("run0");
+                        return command_print_help_full("run0", /* footer_ansi_seq= */ NULL);
 
                 OPTION('V', "version", NULL, "Show package version"):
                         return version();
diff --git a/src/shared/verbs.c b/src/shared/verbs.c
index f84612ceb3..f4985fc775 100644
--- a/src/shared/verbs.c
+++ b/src/shared/verbs.c
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ static bool verbs_array_has_verbs(const Verb verbs[], const Verb verbs_end[]) {
         return false;
 }
 
-static int print_wrapped(const char *text, bool abstract) {
+static int print_wrapped(const char *text, const char *ansi_seq) {
 
         /* Print the text wrapped at spaces to the specified width. Newlines embedded in the text
          * are preserved and each line is wrapped independently, so explicit line breaks (e.g.
@@ -456,10 +456,9 @@ static int print_wrapped(const char *text, bool abstract) {
         putchar('\n');
 
         STRV_FOREACH(line, lines2)
-                if (abstract)
-                        printf("%s%s%s%s\n",
-                               ansi_highlight(),
-                               ansi_add_italics(),
+                if (ansi_seq)
+                        printf("%s%s%s\n",
+                               ansi_seq,
                                *line,
                                ansi_normal());
                 else
@@ -473,7 +472,8 @@ int _command_print_help_full(
                 const Verb verbs_end[],
                 const Option options[],
                 const Option options_end[],
-                const char *name) {
+                const char *name,
+                const char *footer_ansi_seq) {
         int r;
 
         const Verb *cmdverb = verbs_get_command(verbs, verbs_end, name);
@@ -498,7 +498,8 @@ int _command_print_help_full(
                 help_cmdline(have_verbs ? "[OPTION…] COMMAND …" : "[OPTION…]");
         }
 
-        r = print_wrapped(cmd->abstract, /* abstract= */ true);
+        const char *seq = strjoina(ansi_highlight(), ansi_add_italics());
+        r = print_wrapped(cmd->abstract, seq);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -506,7 +507,7 @@ int _command_print_help_full(
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to print verb&option help: %m");
 
-        r = print_wrapped(cmd->footer, /* abstract= */ false);
+        r = print_wrapped(cmd->footer, footer_ansi_seq);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
diff --git a/src/shared/verbs.h b/src/shared/verbs.h
index 5a5e31e23b..8c9e7baaf2 100644
--- a/src/shared/verbs.h
+++ b/src/shared/verbs.h
@@ -143,16 +143,17 @@ int _command_print_help_full(
                 const Verb verbs_end[],
                 const Option options[],
                 const Option options_end[],
-                const char *name);
-#define command_print_help_full(name)                                   \
+                const char *name,
+                const char *footer_ansi_seq);
+#define command_print_help_full(name, footer_ansi_seq)                  \
         _command_print_help_full(                                       \
                 __start_SYSTEMD_VERBS, __stop_SYSTEMD_VERBS,            \
                 __start_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS, __stop_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS,        \
-                name)
-#define command_print_help() command_print_help_full(/* name= */ NULL)
+                name, footer_ansi_seq)
+#define command_print_help() command_print_help_full(/* name= */ NULL, /* footer_ansi_seq= */ NULL)
 
 static inline int verb_help_auto(int argc, char **argv, uintptr_t data, void *userdata) {
-        return command_print_help_full((const char*) data);
+        return command_print_help_full((const char*) data, /* footer_ansi_seq= */ NULL);
 }
 
 /* Print a machine-readable description of the program's commands, verbs, and options in the format
diff --git a/src/systemctl/systemctl.c b/src/systemctl/systemctl.c
index 9d70999545..659de527d3 100644
--- a/src/systemctl/systemctl.c
+++ b/src/systemctl/systemctl.c
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ static int systemctl_parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[], int log_level_shift, cha
                 OPTION_NAMESPACE("systemctl"): {}
 
                 OPTION_COMMON_HELP:
-                        return command_print_help_full("systemctl");
+                        return command_print_help_full("systemctl", /* footer_ansi_seq= */ NULL);
 
                 OPTION_COMMON_VERSION:
                         return version();