diff --git a/lib/command.ts b/lib/command.ts
index 81a7b50e5..8cf3c2db0 100644
--- a/lib/command.ts
+++ b/lib/command.ts
@@ -238,6 +238,10 @@ export function command(
       // up a yargs chain and possibly returns it.
       const builderOutput = builder(yargs.reset(parsed.aliases));
       const innerYargs = isYargsInstance(builderOutput) ? builderOutput : yargs;
+      // A null command indicates we are running the default command,
+      // if this is the case, we should show the root usage instructions
+      // rather than the usage instructions for the nested default command:
+      if (!command) innerYargs.getUsageInstance().unfreeze();
       if (shouldUpdateUsage(innerYargs)) {
         innerYargs
           .getUsageInstance()
@@ -261,6 +265,10 @@ export function command(
       // as a short hand, an object can instead be provided, specifying
       // the options that a command takes.
       const innerYargs = yargs.reset(parsed.aliases);
+      // A null command indicates we are running the default command,
+      // if this is the case, we should show the root usage instructions
+      // rather than the usage instructions for the nested default command:
+      if (!command) innerYargs.getUsageInstance().unfreeze();
       if (shouldUpdateUsage(innerYargs)) {
         innerYargs
           .getUsageInstance()
diff --git a/lib/usage.ts b/lib/usage.ts
index d436f209f..93f982fa0 100644
--- a/lib/usage.ts
+++ b/lib/usage.ts
@@ -231,7 +231,12 @@ export function usage(yargs: YargsInstance, y18n: Y18N, shim: PlatformShim) {
 
     // your application's commands, i.e., non-option
     // arguments populated in '_'.
-    if (commands.length) {
+    //
+    // If there's only a single command, and it's the default command
+    // (represented by commands[0][2]) don't show command stanza:
+    //
+    // TODO(@bcoe): why isnt commands[0][2] an object with a named property?
+    if (commands.length > 1 || (commands.length === 1 && !commands[0][2])) {
       ui.div(__('Commands:'));
 
       const context = yargs.getContext();
@@ -703,7 +708,10 @@ export function usage(yargs: YargsInstance, y18n: Y18N, shim: PlatformShim) {
   };
   self.unfreeze = function unfreeze() {
     const frozen = frozens.pop();
-    assertNotStrictEqual(frozen, undefined, shim);
+    // In the case of running a defaultCommand, we reset
+    // usage early to ensure we receive the top level instructions.
+    // unfreezing again should just be a noop:
+    if (!frozen) return;
     ({
       failMessage,
       failureOutput,
diff --git a/lib/yargs-factory.ts b/lib/yargs-factory.ts
index 57d129505..f41c9c8b3 100644
--- a/lib/yargs-factory.ts
+++ b/lib/yargs-factory.ts
@@ -934,12 +934,11 @@ function Yargs(
       [args, shortCircuit, _parseFn],
       arguments.length
     );
-    freeze();
+    freeze(); // Push current state of parser onto stack.
     if (typeof args === 'undefined') {
       const argv = self._parseArgs(processArgs);
       const tmpParsed = self.parsed;
-      unfreeze();
-      // TODO: remove this compatibility hack when we release yargs@15.x:
+      unfreeze(); // Pop the stack.
       self.parsed = tmpParsed;
       return argv;
     }
@@ -967,7 +966,7 @@ function Yargs(
     const parsed = self._parseArgs(args, !!shortCircuit);
     completion!.setParsed(self.parsed as DetailedArguments);
     if (parseFn) parseFn(exitError, parsed, output);
-    unfreeze();
+    unfreeze(); // Pop the stack.
 
     return parsed;
   };
@@ -1472,7 +1471,9 @@ function Yargs(
   };
 
   Object.defineProperty(self, 'argv', {
-    get: () => self._parseArgs(processArgs),
+    get: () => {
+      return self.parse();
+    },
     enumerable: true,
   });
 
@@ -1483,7 +1484,7 @@ function Yargs(
     commandIndex = 0,
     helpOnly = false
   ) {
-    let skipValidation = !!calledFromCommand;
+    let skipValidation = !!calledFromCommand || helpOnly;
     args = args || processArgs;
 
     options.__ = y18n.__;
@@ -1550,10 +1551,8 @@ function Yargs(
 
       const handlerKeys = command.getCommands();
       const requestCompletions = completion!.completionKey in argv;
-      const skipRecommendation = argv[helpOpt!] || requestCompletions;
-      const skipDefaultCommand =
-        skipRecommendation &&
-        (handlerKeys.length > 1 || handlerKeys[0] !== '$0');
+      const skipRecommendation =
+        argv[helpOpt!] || requestCompletions || helpOnly;
 
       if (argv._.length) {
         if (handlerKeys.length) {
@@ -1584,7 +1583,7 @@ function Yargs(
           }
 
           // run the default command, if defined
-          if (command.hasDefaultCommand() && !skipDefaultCommand) {
+          if (command.hasDefaultCommand() && !skipRecommendation) {
             const innerArgv = command.runCommand(
               null,
               self,
@@ -1617,7 +1616,7 @@ function Yargs(
           self.showCompletionScript();
           self.exit(0);
         }
-      } else if (command.hasDefaultCommand() && !skipDefaultCommand) {
+      } else if (command.hasDefaultCommand() && !skipRecommendation) {
         const innerArgv = command.runCommand(null, self, parsed, 0, helpOnly);
         return self._postProcess(
           innerArgv,
diff --git a/test/usage.cjs b/test/usage.cjs
index 355455bbb..f09b88c41 100644
--- a/test/usage.cjs
+++ b/test/usage.cjs
@@ -4261,4 +4261,181 @@ describe('usage tests', () => {
         '  --small    Packet size',
       ]);
   });
+
+  // Refs: https://github.com/yargs/yargs/pull/1826
+  describe('usage for default command', () => {
+    describe('default only', () => {
+      const expected = [
+        'usage',
+        '',
+        'Default command description',
+        '',
+        'Options:',
+        '  --help     Show help                                                 [boolean]',
+        '  --version  Show version number                                       [boolean]',
+      ];
+
+      it('should contain the expected output for --help', () => {
+        const r = checkUsage(() =>
+          yargs('--help')
+            .scriptName('usage')
+            .command('*', 'Default command description')
+            .parse()
+        );
+
+        r.logs[0].split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+
+      it('should contain the expected output for showhelp', () => {
+        const r = checkUsage(() => {
+          const y = yargs()
+            .scriptName('usage')
+            .command('*', 'Default command description');
+          y.showHelp('log');
+        });
+        r.logs[0].split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+
+      it('should contain the expected output for getHelp', async () => {
+        const y = yargs()
+          .scriptName('usage')
+          .command('*', 'Default command description');
+        const help = await y.getHelp();
+        help.split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+
+      it('should contain the expected output for getHelp when called from within handler', async () => {
+        let help = '';
+        const y = yargs()
+          .scriptName('usage')
+          .command('*', 'Default command description', {}, async () => {
+            help = await y.getHelp();
+          });
+        await y.parse();
+        help.split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+
+      it('should contain the expected output for showHelp when called from within handler', () => {
+        const r = checkUsage(() =>
+          yargs()
+            .scriptName('usage')
+            .command('*', 'Default command description', {}, () =>
+              yargs.showHelp('log')
+            )
+            .parse('')
+        );
+        r.logs[0].split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+
+      it('should contain the expected output for showHelp, when exception occurs', () => {
+        const r = checkUsage(() =>
+          yargs()
+            .scriptName('usage')
+            .command('*', 'Default command description', {}, () =>
+              yargs.showHelp('log')
+            )
+            .check(() => {
+              return false;
+            })
+            .parse('')
+        );
+        r.errors[0].split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('multiple', () => {
+      const expected = [
+        'Hello, world!',
+        '',
+        'Commands:',
+        '  usage      Default command description                               [default]',
+        '  usage foo  Foo command description',
+        '',
+        'Options:',
+        '  --help     Show help                                                 [boolean]',
+        '  --version  Show version number                                       [boolean]',
+      ];
+      it('should contain the expected output for --help', () => {
+        const r = checkUsage(() =>
+          yargs('--help')
+            .scriptName('usage')
+            .usage('Hello, world!')
+            .commands([
+              {command: '*', desc: 'Default command description'},
+              {command: 'foo', desc: 'Foo command description'},
+            ])
+            .parse()
+        );
+        r.logs[0].split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+
+      it('should contain the expected output for showHelp', () => {
+        const r = checkUsage(() => {
+          yargs()
+            .scriptName('usage')
+            .usage('Hello, world!')
+            .commands([
+              {command: '*', desc: 'Default command description'},
+              {command: 'foo', desc: 'Foo command description'},
+            ])
+            .parse();
+          yargs.showHelp('log');
+        });
+        r.logs[0].split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+
+      it('should contain the expected output for showHelp when called from within handler', () => {
+        const r = checkUsage(
+          () =>
+            yargs()
+              .scriptName('usage')
+              .usage('Hello, world!')
+              .commands([
+                {
+                  command: '*',
+                  desc: 'Default command description',
+                  handler: _ => yargs.showHelp('log'),
+                },
+                {command: 'foo', desc: 'Foo command description'},
+              ]).argv
+        );
+        r.logs[0].split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+
+      it('should contain the expected output for getHelp', async () => {
+        const y = yargs()
+          .scriptName('usage')
+          .usage('Hello, world!')
+          .commands([
+            {
+              command: '*',
+              desc: 'Default command description',
+              handler: () => {},
+            },
+            {command: 'foo', desc: 'Foo command description'},
+          ]);
+        const help = await y.getHelp();
+        help.split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+
+      it('should contain the expected output for getHelp when called from within handler', async () => {
+        let help = '';
+        const y = yargs()
+          .scriptName('usage')
+          .usage('Hello, world!')
+          .commands([
+            {
+              command: '*',
+              desc: 'Default command description',
+              handler: async () => {
+                help = await y.getHelp();
+              },
+            },
+            {command: 'foo', desc: 'Foo command description'},
+          ]);
+        await y.argv;
+        help.split('\n').should.deep.equal(expected);
+      });
+    });
+  });
 });