diff --git a/.surface-breaking b/.surface-breaking
index 4ca0e78c5..579aa7a82 100644
--- a/.surface-breaking
+++ b/.surface-breaking
@@ -1513,3 +1513,61 @@ ARG basecamp folders move 00 <id|url>
 ARG basecamp vault move 00 <id|url>
 ARG basecamp vaults move 00 <id|url>
 ARG basecamp tools move 00 <id>
+FLAG basecamp cards column copy --card-table type=string
+FLAG basecamp cards copy --card-table type=string
+FLAG basecamp checkin question copy --questionnaire type=string
+FLAG basecamp checkin question move --questionnaire type=string
+FLAG basecamp checkins question copy --questionnaire type=string
+FLAG basecamp checkins question move --questionnaire type=string
+FLAG basecamp docs copy --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp docs copy --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp docs move --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp docs move --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp documents copy --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp documents copy --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp documents move --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp documents move --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp file copy --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp file copy --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp file move --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp file move --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp files copy --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp files copy --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp files move --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp files move --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp folders copy --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp folders copy --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp folders move --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp folders move --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp forwards copy --inbox type=string
+FLAG basecamp forwards move --inbox type=string
+FLAG basecamp messages copy --message-board type=string
+FLAG basecamp messages move --message-board type=string
+FLAG basecamp msgs copy --message-board type=string
+FLAG basecamp msgs move --message-board type=string
+FLAG basecamp schedule copy --schedule type=string
+FLAG basecamp schedule move --schedule type=string
+FLAG basecamp tlgroup copy --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp tlgroup move --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp tlgroup position --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp tlgroups copy --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp tlgroups move --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp tlgroups position --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp todolistgroup copy --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp todolistgroup move --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp todolistgroup position --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp todolistgroups copy --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp todolistgroups move --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp todolistgroups position --list type=string
+FLAG basecamp uploads copy --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp uploads copy --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp uploads move --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp uploads move --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp vault copy --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp vault copy --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp vault move --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp vault move --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp vaults copy --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp vaults copy --vault type=string
+FLAG basecamp vaults move --folder type=string
+FLAG basecamp vaults move --vault type=string
diff --git a/internal/cli/help.go b/internal/cli/help.go
index 5890d78a2..05bae0159 100644
--- a/internal/cli/help.go
+++ b/internal/cli/help.go
@@ -411,6 +411,9 @@ func parentScopedFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) *pflag.FlagSet {
 		if rootFlag != nil && rootFlag == f {
 			return // root-level — stays in INHERITED FLAGS
 		}
+		if commands.FilingIgnores(cmd, f) {
+			return
+		}
 		ps.AddFlag(f)
 	})
 	return ps
diff --git a/internal/commands/filing.go b/internal/commands/filing.go
index 533272971..67efb00e1 100644
--- a/internal/commands/filing.go
+++ b/internal/commands/filing.go
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@ func guardFilingFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, reads ...string) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Annotations[AnnotationFilingReads] = strings.Join(reads, " ")
 	run := cmd.RunE
 	cmd.RunE = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-		if err := refuseUnreadContainerFlags(cmd, reads); err != nil {
+		if err := refuseUnreadContainerFlags(cmd); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		return run(cmd, args)
@@ -660,10 +660,10 @@ func guardFilingFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, reads ...string) *cobra.Command {
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func refuseUnreadContainerFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, reads []string) error {
+func refuseUnreadContainerFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	var unread *pflag.Flag
 	cmd.InheritedFlags().VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
-		if unread == nil && f.Changed && isContainerFlag(cmd, f) && !slices.Contains(reads, f.Name) {
+		if unread == nil && f.Changed && FilingIgnores(cmd, f) {
 			unread = f
 		}
 	})
@@ -672,11 +672,19 @@ func refuseUnreadContainerFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, reads []string) error {
 	}
 	hint := fmt.Sprintf("%s takes no destination; drop --%s", cmd.CommandPath(), unread.Name)
 	if dests := destinationFlags(cmd); len(dests) > 0 {
-		hint = fmt.Sprintf("Name where it goes with %s (see %s --help)", strings.Join(dests, " or "), cmd.CommandPath())
+		hint = fmt.Sprintf("Drop --%s; to send it somewhere else, name where it goes with %s (see %s --help)", unread.Name, strings.Join(dests, " or "), cmd.CommandPath())
 	}
 	return output.ErrUsageHint(fmt.Sprintf("%s does not read --%s, so it would ignore it", cmd.CommandPath(), unread.Name), hint)
 }
 
+// FilingIgnores reports whether cmd moves or copies recordings and refuses the
+// inherited flag f as a container flag it never reads. Help leaves such flags
+// out, so it never offers one the command would refuse.
+func FilingIgnores(cmd *cobra.Command, f *pflag.Flag) bool {
+	reads, guarded := cmd.Annotations[AnnotationFilingReads]
+	return guarded && isContainerFlag(cmd, f) && !slices.Contains(strings.Fields(reads), f.Name)
+}
+
 func isContainerFlag(cmd *cobra.Command, f *pflag.Flag) bool {
 	switch f.Name {
 	case "project", "in":
diff --git a/internal/commands/filing_guard_test.go b/internal/commands/filing_guard_test.go
index 73df77173..63d8be9d3 100644
--- a/internal/commands/filing_guard_test.go
+++ b/internal/commands/filing_guard_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
+	"regexp"
 	"slices"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
@@ -117,6 +118,32 @@ func TestFilingCommandsRefuseContainerFlagsTheyDoNotRead(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Positive(t, rows)
 }
 
+// Help is how people and agents pick flags, so it must not offer one the
+// command refuses: messages copy --help said --message-board was "required if
+// project has multiple", and every copy that followed it failed.
+func TestFilingCommandHelpOffersOnlyTheContainerFlagsItReads(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("BASECAMP_NO_KEYRING", "1")
+	hidden := 0
+	for path, reads := range filingReads {
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		root := buildRootWithAllCommands()
+		root.SetOut(&buf)
+		root.SetArgs(append(strings.Fields(path)[1:], "--help"))
+		require.NoError(t, root.Execute())
+		help := buf.String()
+		for _, flag := range inheritedContainerFlags(t, path) {
+			offered := regexp.MustCompile(`(?m)^\s+(-\w, )?--` + regexp.QuoteMeta(flag) + `\s`).MatchString(help)
+			if slices.Contains(reads, flag) {
+				assert.True(t, offered, "%s --help leaves out --%s, which it reads", path, flag)
+				continue
+			}
+			hidden++
+			assert.False(t, offered, "%s --help offers --%s, which it refuses", path, flag)
+		}
+	}
+	assert.Positive(t, hidden)
+}
+
 func TestTodosCopyRefusesTheTodolistFlagItWouldIgnore(t *testing.T) {
 	for name, args := range map[string][]string{
 		"after the command":  {"todos", "copy", "456", "--todolist", "901"},