diff --git a/news/4433.feature b/news/4433.feature
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..29b16a168f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/4433.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Global options are not shown for subcommands unless explicitly requested with
+`--verbose`.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/cli/base_command.py b/src/pip/_internal/cli/base_command.py
index dac4b053d09..d8296723fbc 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/cli/base_command.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/cli/base_command.py
@@ -63,11 +63,11 @@ def __init__(self, isolated=False):
         self.cmd_opts = optparse.OptionGroup(self.parser, optgroup_name)
 
         # Add the general options
-        gen_opts = cmdoptions.make_option_group(
+        self.gen_opts = cmdoptions.make_option_group(
             cmdoptions.general_group,
             self.parser,
         )
-        self.parser.add_option_group(gen_opts)
+        self.parser.add_option_group(self.gen_opts)
 
     def _build_session(self, options, retries=None, timeout=None):
         session = PipSession(
@@ -109,6 +109,30 @@ def parse_args(self, args):
         # factored out for testability
         return self.parser.parse_args(args)
 
+    def print_help(self, verbose=False):
+        """
+        Process 'help <command>' and '<command> --help' to hide global
+        options unless --verbose flag is specified.
+
+        'pip --help' is handled separately by pip.__init__.parseopt()
+        """
+        if verbose:
+            self.parser.print_help()
+        else:
+            # remove General Options group and restore after print
+            saveepy = self.parser.epilog
+            saveogr = self.parser.option_groups  # it is a list
+            self.parser.epilog = ""
+            if len(saveogr) > 1:
+                # need newline for commands with own options
+                self.parser.epilog = "\n"
+            self.parser.epilog += "Add '-v' flag to show general "\
+                                 "options.\n"
+            self.parser.option_groups.remove(self.gen_opts)
+            self.parser.print_help()
+            self.parser.epilog = saveepy
+            self.parser.option_groups = saveogr
+
     def main(self, args):
         options, args = self.parse_args(args)
 
@@ -121,6 +145,10 @@ def main(self, args):
             user_log_file=options.log,
         )
 
+        if options.help:
+            self.print_help(options.verbose)
+            sys.exit(0)
+
         # TODO: Try to get these passing down from the command?
         #       without resorting to os.environ to hold these.
         #       This also affects isolated builds and it should.
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/cli/cmdoptions.py b/src/pip/_internal/cli/cmdoptions.py
index 3033cd4b5e6..64216fd9806 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/cli/cmdoptions.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/cli/cmdoptions.py
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ def check_dist_restriction(options, check_target=False):
     Option,
     '-h', '--help',
     dest='help',
-    action='help',
+    action='store_true',
     help='Show help.',
 )  # type: Any
 
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/commands/help.py b/src/pip/_internal/commands/help.py
index 49a81cbb074..347c5f82f3b 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/commands/help.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/commands/help.py
@@ -32,6 +32,6 @@ def run(self, options, args):
             raise CommandError(' - '.join(msg))
 
         command = commands_dict[cmd_name]()
-        command.parser.print_help()
+        command.print_help(options.verbose)
 
         return SUCCESS