diff --git a/eo/src/es/make_es.h b/eo/src/es/make_es.h
index b1a8801a5..540609741 100644
--- a/eo/src/es/make_es.h
+++ b/eo/src/es/make_es.h
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ void run_ea(eoAlgo<eoEsFull<eoMinimizingFitness> >& _ga, eoPop<eoEsFull<eoMinimi
 
 // end of parameter input (+ .status + help)
 // that one is not templatized, but is here for completeness
-void make_help(eoParser & _parser);
+void make_help(eoParser & _parser, bool exit_after = true);
 
 /** @} */
 /** @} */
diff --git a/eo/src/es/make_real.h b/eo/src/es/make_real.h
index 0c54b6c39..7a5ba03a9 100644
--- a/eo/src/es/make_real.h
+++ b/eo/src/es/make_real.h
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ void run_ea(eoAlgo<eoReal<eoMinimizingFitness> >& _ga, eoPop<eoReal<eoMinimizing
 // end of parameter input (+ .status + help)
 // that one is not templatized
 // Because of that, the source is in src/utils dir
-void make_help(eoParser & _parser);
+void make_help(eoParser & _parser, bool exit_after = true);
 
 /** @} */
 #endif
diff --git a/eo/src/ga/make_ga.h b/eo/src/ga/make_ga.h
index 6feacb6e2..660462477 100644
--- a/eo/src/ga/make_ga.h
+++ b/eo/src/ga/make_ga.h
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ void run_ea(eoAlgo<eoBit<eoMinimizingFitness> >& _ga, eoPop<eoBit<eoMinimizingFi
 // end of parameter input (+ .status + help)
 // that one is not templatized
 // Because of that, the source is in src/utils dir
-void make_help(eoParser & _parser);
+void make_help(eoParser & _parser, bool exit_after = true);
 
 /** @} */
 #endif
diff --git a/eo/src/utils/checkpointing b/eo/src/utils/checkpointing
index 68c0c8856..f630c3744 100644
--- a/eo/src/utils/checkpointing
+++ b/eo/src/utils/checkpointing
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 #include "eoGenCounter.h"
 
 // and make_help - any better suggestion to include it?
-void make_help(eoParser & _parser);
+void make_help(eoParser & _parser, bool exit_after = true);
 
 #endif // !_CHECKPOINTING_
 
diff --git a/eo/src/utils/make_help.cpp b/eo/src/utils/make_help.cpp
index fd2c5efb3..6fb797eea 100644
--- a/eo/src/utils/make_help.cpp
+++ b/eo/src/utils/make_help.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ using namespace std;
  * It is declared in all make_xxx.h files in representation-dependent dirs
  * but it is NOT representation-dependent itself - that's why it's in utils
  */
-void make_help(eoParser & _parser)
+void make_help(eoParser & _parser, bool exit_after)
 {
     // name of the "status" file where all actual parameter values will be saved
     string str_status = _parser.ProgramName() + ".status"; // default value
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ void make_help(eoParser & _parser)
         _parser.printHelp(cout);
         cout << "You can use an edited copy of file " << statusParam.value()
              << " as parameter file" << endl;
-        exit(1);
+        if(exit_after) {
+            exit(0);
+        }
       }
 }