diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tools/__init__.py b/lib/galaxy/tools/__init__.py
index e7d99183efa..59d2ab1d95b 100755
--- a/lib/galaxy/tools/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tools/__init__.py
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ JOB_RESOURCE_CONDITIONAL_XML = """<conditional name="__job_resource">
     </when>
 </conditional>"""
 
+HELP_UNINITIALIZED = threading.Lock()
+
 
 class ToolNotFoundException( Exception ):
     pass
@@ -1680,43 +1682,9 @@ class Tool( object, Dictifiable ):
         This implementation supports multiple pages.
         """
         # TODO: Allow raw HTML or an external link.
-        self.help = None
-        self.help_by_page = list()
-        help_header = ""
-        help_footer = ""
-        if hasattr( tool_source, 'root' ) and tool_source.root.find( 'help' ) is not None:
-            self.help = tool_source.root.find( 'help' )
-            if self.repository_id and self.help.text.find( '.. image:: ' ) >= 0:
-                # Handle tool help image display for tools that are contained in repositories in the tool shed or installed into Galaxy.
-                try:
-                    self.help.text = suc.set_image_paths( self.app, self.repository_id, self.help.text )
-                except Exception, e:
-                    log.exception( "Exception in parse_help, so images may not be properly displayed:\n%s" % str( e ) )
-            help_pages = self.help.findall( "page" )
-            help_header = self.help.text
-            try:
-                self.help = Template( rst_to_html(self.help.text), input_encoding='utf-8',
-                                      output_encoding='utf-8', default_filters=[ 'decode.utf8' ],
-                                      encoding_errors='replace' )
-            except:
-                log.exception( "error in help for tool %s" % self.name )
-            # Multiple help page case
-            if help_pages:
-                for help_page in help_pages:
-                    self.help_by_page.append( help_page.text )
-                    help_footer = help_footer + help_page.tail
-        # Each page has to rendered all-together because of backreferences allowed by rst
-        try:
-            self.help_by_page = [ Template( rst_to_html( help_header + x + help_footer ),
-                                            input_encoding='utf-8', output_encoding='utf-8',
-                                            default_filters=[ 'decode.utf8' ],
-                                            encoding_errors='replace' )
-                                  for x in self.help_by_page ]
-        except:
-            log.exception( "error in multi-page help for tool %s" % self.name )
-        # Pad out help pages to match npages ... could this be done better?
-        while len( self.help_by_page ) < self.npages:
-            self.help_by_page.append( self.help )
+        self.__help = HELP_UNINITIALIZED
+        self.__help_by_page = HELP_UNINITIALIZED
+        self.__help_source = tool_source
 
     def parse_outputs( self, tool_source ):
         """
@@ -1891,6 +1859,67 @@ class Tool( object, Dictifiable ):
                 self.repository_owner = tool_shed_repository.owner
                 self.installed_changeset_revision = tool_shed_repository.installed_changeset_revision
 
+    @property
+    def help(self):
+        if self.__help is HELP_UNINITIALIZED:
+            self.__ensure_help()
+        return self.__help
+
+    @property
+    def help_by_page(self):
+        if self.__help_by_page is HELP_UNINITIALIZED:
+            self.__ensure_help()
+        return self.__help_by_page
+
+    def __ensure_help(self):
+        with HELP_UNINITIALIZED:
+            if self.__help is HELP_UNINITIALIZED:
+                self.__inititalize_help()
+
+    def __inititalize_help(self):
+        tool_source = self.__help_source
+        self.__help = None
+        self.__help_by_page = []
+        help_header = ""
+        help_footer = ""
+        help_text = tool_source.parse_help()
+        if help_text is not None:
+            if self.repository_id and help_text.find( '.. image:: ' ) >= 0:
+                # Handle tool help image display for tools that are contained in repositories in the tool shed or installed into Galaxy.
+                try:
+                    help_text = suc.set_image_paths( self.app, self.repository_id, help_text )
+                except Exception, e:
+                    log.exception( "Exception in parse_help, so images may not be properly displayed:\n%s" % str( e ) )
+            try:
+                self.__help = Template( rst_to_html(help_text), input_encoding='utf-8',
+                                        output_encoding='utf-8', default_filters=[ 'decode.utf8' ],
+                                        encoding_errors='replace' )
+            except:
+                log.exception( "error in help for tool %s" % self.name )
+
+            # Handle deprecated multi-page help text in XML case.
+            if hasattr(tool_source, "root"):
+                help_elem = tool_source.root.find("help")
+                help_header = help_text
+                help_pages = help_elem.findall( "page" )
+                # Multiple help page case
+                if help_pages:
+                    for help_page in help_pages:
+                        self.__help_by_page.append( help_page.text )
+                        help_footer = help_footer + help_page.tail
+                # Each page has to rendered all-together because of backreferences allowed by rst
+                try:
+                    self.__help_by_page = [ Template( rst_to_html( help_header + x + help_footer ),
+                                                    input_encoding='utf-8', output_encoding='utf-8',
+                                                    default_filters=[ 'decode.utf8' ],
+                                                    encoding_errors='replace' )
+                                            for x in self.__help_by_page ]
+                except:
+                    log.exception( "error in multi-page help for tool %s" % self.name )
+        # Pad out help pages to match npages ... could this be done better?
+        while len( self.__help_by_page ) < self.npages:
+            self.__help_by_page.append( self.__help )
+
     def check_workflow_compatible( self, tool_source ):
         """
         Determine if a tool can be used in workflows. External tools and the
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/interface.py b/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/interface.py
index c9e858ff463..494e03ab7c5 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/interface.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/interface.py
@@ -140,6 +140,12 @@ class ToolSource(object):
         """
         return [], []
 
+    @abstractmethod
+    def parse_help(self):
+        """ Return RST definition of help text for tool or None if the tool
+        doesn't define help text.
+        """
+
     def parse_tests_to_dict(self):
         return {'tests': []}
 
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/xml.py b/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/xml.py
index f6354ea3444..b394b25dc84 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/xml.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/xml.py
@@ -162,6 +162,10 @@ class XmlToolSource(ToolSource):
         parser = StdioParser(self.root)
         return parser.stdio_exit_codes, parser.stdio_regexes
 
+    def parse_help(self):
+        help_elem = self.root.find( 'help' )
+        return help_elem.text if help_elem is not None else None
+
     def parse_tests_to_dict(self):
         tests_elem = self.root.find("tests")
         tests = []
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/yaml.py b/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/yaml.py
index 5b0b993b7cb..3bd7519d3d3 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/yaml.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tools/parser/yaml.py
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ class YamlToolSource(ToolSource):
         exit_code_lower.error_level = StdioErrorLevel.FATAL
         return [exit_code_lower, exit_code_high], []
 
+    def parse_help(self):
+        return self.root_dict.get("help", None)
+
     def parse_outputs(self, tool):
         outputs = self.root_dict.get("outputs", {})
         output_defs = []
diff --git a/test/unit/tools/test_parsing.py b/test/unit/tools/test_parsing.py
index 02a36322cea..7fd1102339d 100644
--- a/test/unit/tools/test_parsing.py
+++ b/test/unit/tools/test_parsing.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ TOOL_XML_1 = """
     <stdio>
         <exit_code range="1:" level="fatal" />
     </stdio>
+    <help>This is HELP TEXT1!!!</help>
     <tests>
         <test>
             <param name="foo" value="5" />
@@ -75,6 +76,9 @@ inputs:
         type: data
       - name: nestsample
         type: text
+help:
+|
+    This is HELP TEXT2!!!
 tests:
    - inputs:
        foo: 5
@@ -173,6 +177,10 @@ class XmlLoaderTestCase(BaseLoaderTestCase):
         assert exit[0].range_start == 1
         assert isinf(exit[0].range_end)
 
+    def test_help(self):
+        help_text = self._tool_source.parse_help()
+        assert help_text.strip() == "This is HELP TEXT1!!!"
+
     def test_tests(self):
         tests_dict = self._tool_source.parse_tests_to_dict()
         tests = tests_dict["tests"]
@@ -278,6 +286,10 @@ class YamlLoaderTestCase(BaseLoaderTestCase):
         assert exit[1].range_start == 1
         assert isinf(exit[1].range_end)
 
+    def test_help(self):
+        help_text = self._tool_source.parse_help()
+        assert help_text.strip() == "This is HELP TEXT2!!!"
+
     def test_inputs(self):
         input_pages = self._tool_source.parse_input_pages()
         assert input_pages.inputs_defined