diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 76ddd8b43a..516a3ad198 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -42,9 +42,8 @@ def main(args=sys.argv):
 
     parser = option_parser()
     command.add_all_options(parser)
-    lines = parser.usage.splitlines()
-    lines[0] = 'Usage: python setup.py %s [options]'%args[1]
-    parser.set_usage('\n'.join(lines))
+    parser.set_usage('Usage: python setup.py %s [options]\n\n'%args[1]+\
+            command.description)
 
     opts, args = parser.parse_args(args)
     command.run_all(opts)
diff --git a/setup/commands.py b/setup/commands.py
index a05d158e01..1d71d4753e 100644
--- a/setup/commands.py
+++ b/setup/commands.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ __all__ = [
         'build',
         'gui',
         'develop',
-        'clean'
+        'clean', 'clean_backups',
         ]
 
 import os, shutil
@@ -32,6 +32,22 @@ develop = Develop()
 from setup.gui import GUI
 gui = GUI()
 
+class CleanBackups(Command):
+
+    description='Delete all backup files in the calibre source tree'
+
+    def clean(self):
+        return self.run(None)
+
+    def run(self, opts=None):
+        for root, _, files in os.walk(self.d(self.SRC)):
+            for name in files:
+                for t in ('.pyc', '.pyo', '~', '.swp', '.swo'):
+                    if name.endswith(t):
+                        os.remove(os.path.join(root, name))
+
+clean_backups = CleanBackups()
+
 class Clean(Command):
 
     description='''Delete all computer generated files in the source tree'''
@@ -55,13 +71,6 @@ class Clean(Command):
             cmd.clean()
 
     def clean(self):
-        for root, _, files in os.walk(self.d(self.SRC)):
-            for name in files:
-                for t in ('.pyc', '.pyo', '~', '.swp', '.swo'):
-                    if name.endswith(t):
-                        os.remove(os.path.join(root, name))
-                        break
-
         for dir in ('dist', os.path.join('src', 'calibre.egg-info')):
             shutil.rmtree(dir, ignore_errors=True)
 
diff --git a/setup/extensions.py b/setup/extensions.py
index 25b4979022..1be58a5839 100644
--- a/setup/extensions.py
+++ b/setup/extensions.py
@@ -157,9 +157,7 @@ if iswindows:
 
 class Build(Command):
 
-    def add_options(self, parser):
-        parser.set_usage(parser.usage + textwrap.dedent('''
-
+    description = textwrap.dedent('''\
         calibre depends on several python extensions written in C/C++.
         This command will compile them. You can influence the compile
         process by several environment variables, listed below:
@@ -179,9 +177,11 @@ class Build(Command):
            PODOFO_LIB_DIR - podofo library files
 
            QMAKE          - Path to qmake
-           VS90COMNTOOLS  - Location of Microsoft Visual Studio 9 Tools
+           VS90COMNTOOLS  - Location of Microsoft Visual Studio 9 Tools (windows only)
 
-        '''))
+        ''')
+
+    def add_options(self, parser):
         choices = [e.name for e in extensions]+['all']
         parser.add_option('-1', '--only', choices=choices, default='all',
                 help=('Build only the named extension. Available: '+
diff --git a/setup/install.py b/setup/install.py
index 540de730e6..bf726899c0 100644
--- a/setup/install.py
+++ b/setup/install.py
@@ -30,21 +30,18 @@ sys.exit({func!s}())
 
 class Develop(Command):
 
-    description = 'Setup a development environment'
+    description = textwrap.dedent('''\
+            Setup a development environment for calibre.
+            This allows you to run calibre directly from the source tree.
+            Binaries will be installed in <prefix>/bin where <prefix> is
+            the prefix of your python installation. This can be controlled
+            via the --prefix option.
+            ''')
     MODE = 0755
 
     sub_commands = ['build', 'translations']
 
     def add_options(self, parser):
-        parser.set_usage(textwrap.dedent('''\
-                ***
-
-                Setup a development environment for calibre.
-                This allows you to run calibre directly from the source tree.
-                Binaries will be installed in <prefix>/bin where <prefix> is
-                the prefix of your python installation. This can be controlled
-                via the --prefix option.
-                '''))
         parser.add_option('--prefix',
             help='Binaries will be installed in <prefix>/bin')