diff --git a/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli.test-support.ts b/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli.test-support.ts
index c8d58154f1ce..f96e63705649 100644
--- a/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli.test-support.ts
+++ b/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli.test-support.ts
@@ -20,14 +20,7 @@ export function createBrowserProgram(params?: { withGatewayUrl?: boolean }): {
   if (params?.withGatewayUrl) {
     browser.option("--url <url>", "Gateway WebSocket URL");
   }
-  const parentOpts = (cmd: Command): BrowserParentOpts => {
-    for (let current: Command | null | undefined = cmd; current; current = current.parent) {
-      if (current.name() === "browser") {
-        return current.opts() as BrowserParentOpts;
-      }
-    }
-    return cmd.parent?.opts?.() as BrowserParentOpts;
-  };
+  const parentOpts = (cmd: Command): BrowserParentOpts => cmd.optsWithGlobals<BrowserParentOpts>();
   return { program, browser, parentOpts };
 }
 
diff --git a/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli.ts b/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli.ts
index fc71ba928874..dfa86160ae09 100644
--- a/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli.ts
+++ b/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli.ts
@@ -240,12 +240,7 @@ function resolveBrowserLazySubcommand(argv: string[]): string | null {
 }
 
 function resolveBrowserParentOpts(cmd: Command): BrowserParentOpts {
-  for (let current: Command | null | undefined = cmd; current; current = current.parent) {
-    if (current.name() === "browser") {
-      return current.opts() as BrowserParentOpts;
-    }
-  }
-  return cmd.parent?.opts?.() as BrowserParentOpts;
+  return cmd.optsWithGlobals<BrowserParentOpts>();
 }
 
 function registerLazyBrowserCommands(
diff --git a/src/cli/program/help.ts b/src/cli/program/help.ts
index 593bfd66654c..f19913a7a922 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/help.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/help.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,23 @@ const EXAMPLES = [
   ],
 ] as const;
 
+export function formatProgramHelpOutput(str: string): string {
+  // Commander emits plain section labels; decorate them after command-specific help renders.
+  let output = str;
+  const isRootHelp = new RegExp(
+    `^Usage:\\s+${CLI_NAME_PATTERN}\\s+\\[options\\]\\s+\\[command\\]\\s*$`,
+    "m",
+  ).test(output);
+  if (isRootHelp && /^Commands:/m.test(output)) {
+    output = output.replace(/^Commands:/m, `Commands:\n  ${theme.muted(ROOT_COMMANDS_HINT)}`);
+  }
+
+  return output
+    .replace(/^Usage:/gm, theme.heading("Usage:"))
+    .replace(/^Options:/gm, theme.heading("Options:"))
+    .replace(/^Commands:/gm, theme.heading("Commands:"));
+}
+
 export function configureProgramHelp(
   program: Command,
   ctx: ProgramContext,
@@ -92,29 +109,12 @@ export function configureProgramHelp(
     },
   });
 
-  const formatHelpOutput = (str: string) => {
-    // Commander emits plain section labels; decorate them after command-specific help renders.
-    let output = str;
-    const isRootHelp = new RegExp(
-      `^Usage:\\s+${CLI_NAME_PATTERN}\\s+\\[options\\]\\s+\\[command\\]\\s*$`,
-      "m",
-    ).test(output);
-    if (isRootHelp && /^Commands:/m.test(output)) {
-      output = output.replace(/^Commands:/m, `Commands:\n  ${theme.muted(ROOT_COMMANDS_HINT)}`);
-    }
-
-    return output
-      .replace(/^Usage:/gm, theme.heading("Usage:"))
-      .replace(/^Options:/gm, theme.heading("Options:"))
-      .replace(/^Commands:/gm, theme.heading("Commands:"));
-  };
-
   program.configureOutput({
     writeOut: (str) => {
-      process.stdout.write(formatHelpOutput(str));
+      process.stdout.write(formatProgramHelpOutput(str));
     },
     writeErr: (str) => {
-      process.stderr.write(formatHelpOutput(str));
+      process.stderr.write(formatProgramHelpOutput(str));
     },
     outputError: (str, write) => write(formatCliParseErrorOutput(str, { argv: process.argv })),
   });
diff --git a/src/cli/program/preaction.ts b/src/cli/program/preaction.ts
index ec9aefa3a7e2..e593896a2884 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/preaction.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/preaction.ts
@@ -45,14 +45,6 @@ function shouldAllowInvalidConfigForAction(actionCommand: Command, commandPath:
   );
 }
 
-function getRootCommand(command: Command): Command {
-  let current = command;
-  while (current.parent) {
-    current = current.parent;
-  }
-  return current;
-}
-
 function getActionCommandPath(actionCommand: Command): string[] {
   const commandPath: string[] = [];
   let current: Command | null = actionCommand;
@@ -64,11 +56,10 @@ function getActionCommandPath(actionCommand: Command): string[] {
 }
 
 function getCliLogLevel(actionCommand: Command): LogLevel | undefined {
-  const root = getRootCommand(actionCommand);
-  if (root.getOptionValueSource("logLevel") !== "cli") {
+  if (actionCommand.getOptionValueSourceWithGlobals("logLevel") !== "cli") {
     return undefined;
   }
-  const logLevel = root.getOptionValue("logLevel");
+  const logLevel = actionCommand.optsWithGlobals<{ logLevel?: unknown }>().logLevel;
   return typeof logLevel === "string" ? (logLevel as LogLevel) : undefined;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cli/program/root-help.ts b/src/cli/program/root-help.ts
index 69c9c143c67a..b59b503fd2d5 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/root-help.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/root-help.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
   collectUniqueCommandDescriptors,
 } from "./command-descriptor-utils.js";
 import { getCoreCliCommandDescriptors } from "./core-command-descriptors.js";
-import { configureProgramHelp } from "./help.js";
+import { configureProgramHelp, formatProgramHelpOutput } from "./help.js";
 import { getSubCliEntries } from "./subcli-descriptors.js";
 
 /** Options for rendering root help without fully registering the live CLI. */
@@ -60,17 +60,8 @@ async function buildRootHelpProgram(renderOptions?: RootHelpRenderOptions): Prom
 export async function renderRootHelpText(renderOptions?: RootHelpRenderOptions): Promise<string> {
   const program = await buildRootHelpProgram(renderOptions);
   let output = "";
-  const originalWrite = process.stdout.write.bind(process.stdout);
-  const captureWrite: typeof process.stdout.write = ((chunk: string | Uint8Array) => {
-    output += String(chunk);
-    return true;
-  }) as typeof process.stdout.write;
-  process.stdout.write = captureWrite;
-  try {
-    program.outputHelp();
-  } finally {
-    process.stdout.write = originalWrite;
-  }
+  program.configureOutput({ writeOut: (chunk) => (output += formatProgramHelpOutput(chunk)) });
+  program.outputHelp();
   return output;
 }