diff --git a/src/cli/qr-terminal.ts b/src/cli/qr-terminal.ts
index bdf3cf4..7237581 100644
--- a/src/cli/qr-terminal.ts
+++ b/src/cli/qr-terminal.ts
@@ -19,10 +19,40 @@ import { generateQRMatrix } from '../core/qr/qr_encode';
 import { packetize } from '../core/sender/packetizer';
 import { scheduleFrames } from '../core/sender/scheduler';
 import { QR_VERSION, ECC_LEVEL } from '../core/protocol/constants';
-import { clearScreen, hideCursor, showCursor, renderToTerminal, moveCursorUp } from './terminal_raster';
+import {
+  enterAltBuffer,
+  exitAltBuffer,
+  clearScreen,
+  hideCursor,
+  showCursor,
+  renderToTerminal,
+  moveCursorUp,
+} from './terminal_raster';
 
 const FPS_MS = 100;
 
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// Help text
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+const HELP_TEXT = `
+QR Terminal Display – encode text or a file into a looping QR-code sequence.
+
+Usage:
+  qr-terminal [file]           read from file
+  echo "text" | qr-terminal    read from stdin
+
+Controls:
+  q, Q         quit
+  Ctrl-C       quit
+
+The app uses the same V10-M QR protocol as the web transfer demo.
+`;
+
+function showHelp(): void {
+  console.log(HELP_TEXT.trim());
+}
+
 // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // Argument parsing
 // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -62,6 +92,12 @@ function buildFrames(data: Uint8Array): Uint8Array[] {
 // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 function main() {
+  const args = process.argv.slice(2);
+  if (args.includes('-h') || args.includes('--help')) {
+    showHelp();
+    process.exit(0);
+  }
+
   let data: Uint8Array;
   try {
     data = readInput();
@@ -114,7 +150,6 @@ function main() {
     }
 
     if (firstDraw) {
-      clearScreen();
       firstDraw = false;
     } else {
       // Move cursor back to the first QR line so we overwrite in-place
@@ -128,15 +163,19 @@ function main() {
   function cleanup() {
     running = false;
     clearInterval(interval);
-    clearScreen();
+    exitAltBuffer();
     showCursor();
     if (ttyFd !== null) {
       try { closeSync(ttyFd); } catch {}
     }
-    process.stdout.write('QR terminal display stopped.\n');
+    console.log('QR terminal display stopped.');
     process.exit(0);
   }
 
+  // Switch to alternate buffer and clear it before drawing
+  enterAltBuffer();
+  clearScreen();
+
   // Keyboard handling — try /dev/tty first so it works even when stdin is a pipe
   let ttyFd: number | null = null;
   try {
diff --git a/src/cli/terminal_raster.ts b/src/cli/terminal_raster.ts
index bad2fa6..a6f7214 100644
--- a/src/cli/terminal_raster.ts
+++ b/src/cli/terminal_raster.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,20 @@ export function renderToTerminal(matrix: boolean[][], quietZone: number = 4): st
   return lines;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Enter the alternate screen buffer (preserves normal buffer on exit).
+ */
+export function enterAltBuffer(): void {
+  process.stdout.write('\x1b[?1049h');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Exit the alternate screen buffer and restore the normal buffer.
+ */
+export function exitAltBuffer(): void {
+  process.stdout.write('\x1b[?1049l');
+}
+
 /**
  * Clear the terminal screen and move cursor to home position.
  */
diff --git a/src/tests/cli_rendering.test.ts b/src/tests/cli_rendering.test.ts
index 9ee63e0..cb054de 100644
--- a/src/tests/cli_rendering.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/cli_rendering.test.ts
@@ -148,15 +148,41 @@ describe('Terminal Rasterizer', () => {
 });
 
 describe('CLI Screen Helpers', () => {
-  it('should produce escape sequences', async () => {
+  it('should expose clearScreen', async () => {
     const { clearScreen } = await import('@/cli/terminal_raster');
     expect(typeof clearScreen).toBe('function');
   });
 
-  it('should produce cursor-up sequence', async () => {
+  it('should expose moveCursorUp', async () => {
     const { moveCursorUp } = await import('@/cli/terminal_raster');
     expect(typeof moveCursorUp).toBe('function');
   });
+
+  it('should expose alt-buffer helpers', async () => {
+    const { enterAltBuffer, exitAltBuffer } = await import('@/cli/terminal_raster');
+    expect(typeof enterAltBuffer).toBe('function');
+    expect(typeof exitAltBuffer).toBe('function');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('CLI Help Flag', () => {
+  it('should not throw when help text is constructed', () => {
+    const helpText = `
+QR Terminal Display – encode text or a file into a looping QR-code sequence.
+
+Usage:
+  qr-terminal [file]           read from file
+  echo "text" | qr-terminal    read from stdin
+
+Controls:
+  q, Q         quit
+  Ctrl-C       quit
+
+The app uses the same V10-M QR protocol as the web transfer demo.
+`;
+    expect(helpText).toContain('Usage:');
+    expect(helpText).toContain('quit');
+  });
 });
 
 describe('CLI Encoder Pipeline', () => {