diff --git a/cobra_test.go b/cobra_test.go
index 629865c2..90e88982 100644
--- a/cobra_test.go
+++ b/cobra_test.go
@@ -11,11 +11,14 @@ var _ = fmt.Println
 
 var tp, te, tt, t1 []string
 var flagb1, flagb2, flagb3, flagbr bool
-var flags1, flags2, flags3 string
+var flags1, flags2a, flags2b, flags3 string
 var flagi1, flagi2, flagi3, flagir int
 var globalFlag1 bool
 var flagEcho, rootcalled bool
 
+const strtwoParentHelp = "help message for parent flag strtwo"
+const strtwoChildHelp = "help message for child flag strtwo"
+
 var cmdPrint = &Command{
 	Use:   "print [string to print]",
 	Short: "Print anything to the screen",
@@ -72,11 +75,12 @@ func flagInit() {
 	cmdRootNoRun.ResetFlags()
 	cmdRootSameName.ResetFlags()
 	cmdRootWithRun.ResetFlags()
+	cmdRootNoRun.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&flags2a, "strtwo", "t", "two", strtwoParentHelp)
 	cmdEcho.Flags().IntVarP(&flagi1, "intone", "i", 123, "help message for flag intone")
 	cmdTimes.Flags().IntVarP(&flagi2, "inttwo", "j", 234, "help message for flag inttwo")
 	cmdPrint.Flags().IntVarP(&flagi3, "intthree", "i", 345, "help message for flag intthree")
 	cmdEcho.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&flags1, "strone", "s", "one", "help message for flag strone")
-	cmdTimes.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&flags2, "strtwo", "t", "two", "help message for flag strtwo")
+	cmdTimes.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&flags2b, "strtwo", "t", "2", strtwoChildHelp)
 	cmdPrint.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&flags3, "strthree", "s", "three", "help message for flag strthree")
 	cmdEcho.Flags().BoolVarP(&flagb1, "boolone", "b", true, "help message for flag boolone")
 	cmdTimes.Flags().BoolVarP(&flagb2, "booltwo", "c", false, "help message for flag booltwo")
@@ -381,6 +385,17 @@ func TestChildCommandFlags(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Wrong error message displayed, \n %s", r.Output)
 	}
 
+	// Testing with persistent flag overwritten by child
+	noRRSetupTest("echo times --strtwo=child one two")
+
+	if flags2b != "child" {
+		t.Errorf("flag value should be child, %s given", flags2b)
+	}
+
+	if flags2a != "two" {
+		t.Errorf("unset flag should have default value, expecting two, given %s", flags2a)
+	}
+
 	// Testing flag with invalid input
 	r = noRRSetupTest("echo -i10E")
 
@@ -437,6 +452,13 @@ func TestHelpCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	checkResultContains(t, r, cmdTimes.Long)
 }
 
+func TestChildCommandHelp(t *testing.T) {
+	c := noRRSetupTest("print --help")
+	checkResultContains(t, c, strtwoParentHelp)
+	r := noRRSetupTest("echo times --help")
+	checkResultContains(t, r, strtwoChildHelp)
+}
+
 func TestRunnableRootCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	fullSetupTest("")
 
@@ -486,6 +508,26 @@ func TestRootHelp(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+func TestFlagAccess(t *testing.T) {
+	initialize()
+
+	local := cmdTimes.LocalFlags()
+	inherited := cmdTimes.InheritedFlags()
+
+	for _, f := range []string{"inttwo", "strtwo", "booltwo"} {
+		if local.Lookup(f) == nil {
+			t.Errorf("LocalFlags expected to contain %s, Got: nil", f)
+		}
+	}
+	if inherited.Lookup("strone") == nil {
+		t.Errorf("InheritedFlags expected to contain strone, Got: nil")
+	}
+	if inherited.Lookup("strtwo") != nil {
+		t.Errorf("InheritedFlags shouldn not contain overwritten flag strtwo")
+
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRootNoCommandHelp(t *testing.T) {
 	x := rootOnlySetupTest("--help")
 
diff --git a/command.go b/command.go
index 6ac3ea70..fa9b9e5e 100644
--- a/command.go
+++ b/command.go
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ type Command struct {
 	flags *flag.FlagSet
 	// Set of flags childrens of this command will inherit
 	pflags *flag.FlagSet
+	// Flags that are declared specifically by this command (not inherited).
+	lflags *flag.FlagSet
 	// Run runs the command.
 	// The args are the arguments after the command name.
 	Run func(cmd *Command, args []string)
@@ -218,8 +220,8 @@ Available Commands: {{range .Commands}}{{if .Runnable}}
 {{end}}
 {{ if .HasLocalFlags}}Flags:
 {{.LocalFlags.FlagUsages}}{{end}}
-{{ if .HasAnyPersistentFlags}}Global Flags:
-{{.AllPersistentFlags.FlagUsages}}{{end}}{{if .HasParent}}{{if and (gt .Commands 0) (gt .Parent.Commands 1) }}
+{{ if .HasInheritedFlags}}Global Flags:
+{{.InheritedFlags.FlagUsages}}{{end}}{{if .HasParent}}{{if and (gt .Commands 0) (gt .Parent.Commands 1) }}
 Additional help topics: {{if gt .Commands 0 }}{{range .Commands}}{{if not .Runnable}} {{rpad .CommandPath .CommandPathPadding}} {{.Short}}{{end}}{{end}}{{end}}{{if gt .Parent.Commands 1 }}{{range .Parent.Commands}}{{if .Runnable}}{{if not (eq .Name $cmd.Name) }}{{end}}
   {{rpad .CommandPath .CommandPathPadding}} {{.Short}}{{end}}{{end}}{{end}}{{end}}
 {{end}}{{ if .HasSubCommands }}
@@ -726,14 +728,9 @@ func (c *Command) LocalFlags() *flag.FlagSet {
 	c.mergePersistentFlags()
 
 	local := flag.NewFlagSet(c.Name(), flag.ContinueOnError)
-	allPersistent := c.AllPersistentFlags()
-
-	c.Flags().VisitAll(func(f *flag.Flag) {
-		if allPersistent.Lookup(f.Name) == nil {
-			local.AddFlag(f)
-		}
+	c.lflags.VisitAll(func(f *flag.Flag) {
+		local.AddFlag(f)
 	})
-
 	return local
 }
 
@@ -741,44 +738,34 @@ func (c *Command) LocalFlags() *flag.FlagSet {
 func (c *Command) InheritedFlags() *flag.FlagSet {
 	c.mergePersistentFlags()
 
-	local := flag.NewFlagSet(c.Name(), flag.ContinueOnError)
+	inherited := flag.NewFlagSet(c.Name(), flag.ContinueOnError)
+	local := c.LocalFlags()
 
-        var rmerge func(x *Command)
+	var rmerge func(x *Command)
 
-        rmerge = func(x *Command) {
-                if x.HasPersistentFlags() {
-                        x.PersistentFlags().VisitAll(func(f *flag.Flag) {
-                                if local.Lookup(f.Name) == nil {
-                                        local.AddFlag(f)
-                                }
-                        })
-                }
-                if x.HasParent() {
-                        rmerge(x.parent)
-                }
-        }
+	rmerge = func(x *Command) {
+		if x.HasPersistentFlags() {
+			x.PersistentFlags().VisitAll(func(f *flag.Flag) {
+				if inherited.Lookup(f.Name) == nil && local.Lookup(f.Name) == nil {
+					inherited.AddFlag(f)
+				}
+			})
+		}
+		if x.HasParent() {
+			rmerge(x.parent)
+		}
+	}
 
 	if c.HasParent() {
 		rmerge(c.parent)
 	}
 
-	return local
+	return inherited
 }
 
 // All Flags which were not inherited from parent commands
 func (c *Command) NonInheritedFlags() *flag.FlagSet {
-	c.mergePersistentFlags()
-
-	local := flag.NewFlagSet(c.Name(), flag.ContinueOnError)
-	inheritedFlags := c.InheritedFlags()
-
-	c.Flags().VisitAll(func(f *flag.Flag) {
-		if inheritedFlags.Lookup(f.Name) == nil {
-			local.AddFlag(f)
-		}
-	})
-
-	return local
+	return c.LocalFlags()
 }
 
 // Get the Persistent FlagSet specifically set in the current command
@@ -793,29 +780,6 @@ func (c *Command) PersistentFlags() *flag.FlagSet {
 	return c.pflags
 }
 
-// Get the Persistent FlagSet traversing the Command hierarchy
-func (c *Command) AllPersistentFlags() *flag.FlagSet {
-	allPersistent := flag.NewFlagSet(c.Name(), flag.ContinueOnError)
-
-	var visit func(x *Command)
-	visit = func(x *Command) {
-		if x.HasPersistentFlags() {
-			x.PersistentFlags().VisitAll(func(f *flag.Flag) {
-				if allPersistent.Lookup(f.Name) == nil {
-					allPersistent.AddFlag(f)
-				}
-			})
-		}
-		if x.HasParent() {
-			visit(x.parent)
-		}
-	}
-
-	visit(c)
-
-	return allPersistent
-}
-
 // For use in testing
 func (c *Command) ResetFlags() {
 	c.flagErrorBuf = new(bytes.Buffer)
@@ -836,16 +800,15 @@ func (c *Command) HasPersistentFlags() bool {
 	return c.PersistentFlags().HasFlags()
 }
 
-// Does the command hierarchy contain persistent flags
-func (c *Command) HasAnyPersistentFlags() bool {
-	return c.AllPersistentFlags().HasFlags()
-}
-
 // Does the command has flags specifically declared locally
 func (c *Command) HasLocalFlags() bool {
 	return c.LocalFlags().HasFlags()
 }
 
+func (c *Command) HasInheritedFlags() bool {
+	return c.InheritedFlags().HasFlags()
+}
+
 // Climbs up the command tree looking for matching flag
 func (c *Command) Flag(name string) (flag *flag.Flag) {
 	flag = c.Flags().Lookup(name)
@@ -892,6 +855,19 @@ func (c *Command) Parent() *Command {
 func (c *Command) mergePersistentFlags() {
 	var rmerge func(x *Command)
 
+	// Save the set of local flags
+	if c.lflags == nil {
+		c.lflags = flag.NewFlagSet(c.Name(), flag.ContinueOnError)
+		if c.flagErrorBuf == nil {
+			c.flagErrorBuf = new(bytes.Buffer)
+		}
+		c.lflags.SetOutput(c.flagErrorBuf)
+		addtolocal := func(f *flag.Flag) {
+			c.lflags.AddFlag(f)
+		}
+		c.Flags().VisitAll(addtolocal)
+		c.PersistentFlags().VisitAll(addtolocal)
+	}
 	rmerge = func(x *Command) {
 		if x.HasPersistentFlags() {
 			x.PersistentFlags().VisitAll(func(f *flag.Flag) {