diff --git a/includes/theme.inc b/includes/theme.inc
index 16c378dc5230a379aaf2b604841c95235a885e39..a65f8b7137463053bfbcca2c956a71ed7610b697 100644
--- a/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/includes/theme.inc
@@ -25,20 +25,6 @@
  * @} End of "Content markers".
  */
 
-/**
- * Hook Help - returns theme specific help and information.
- *
- * @param section defines the @a section of the help to be returned.
- *
- * @return a string containing the help output.
- */
-function theme_help($section) {
-  switch ($section) {
-    case 'admin/themes#description':
-      return t('The base theme');
-  }
-}
-
 /**
  * Initialize the theme system by loading the theme.
  *
@@ -395,11 +381,9 @@ function theme_page($content) {
    $output .= $tabs;
   }
 
-  if ($help = menu_get_active_help()) {
-    $output .= '<small>'. $help .'</small><hr />';
-  }
+  $output .= theme('help');
 
-  $output .= theme_status_messages();
+  $output .= theme('status_messages');
 
   $output .= "\n<!-- begin content -->\n";
   $output .= $content;
@@ -488,6 +472,17 @@ function theme_breadcrumb($breadcrumb) {
   return '<div class="breadcrumb">'. implode($breadcrumb, ' &raquo; ') .'</div>';
 }
 
+/**
+ * Return a themed help message.
+ *
+ * @return a string containing the helptext for the current page.
+ */
+function theme_help() {
+  if ($help = menu_get_active_help()) {
+    return '<div class="help">'. $help .'</div>';
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Return a themed node.
  *
diff --git a/themes/bluemarine/xtemplate.xtmpl b/themes/bluemarine/xtemplate.xtmpl
index 1c2c69b7e4e8f3e55b585939dd35f9d0724041c3..47f4bae19079415f1fd4a9d05129156ccd6cf724 100644
--- a/themes/bluemarine/xtemplate.xtmpl
+++ b/themes/bluemarine/xtemplate.xtmpl
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
         <!-- END: tabs -->
         <!-- END: title -->
         <!-- BEGIN: help -->
-        <div id="help">{help}</div>
+        {help}
         <!-- END: help -->
         <!-- BEGIN: message -->
         {message}
diff --git a/themes/chameleon/chameleon.theme b/themes/chameleon/chameleon.theme
index 86c774c10c9430d26b4f1761cde745aa31f0580b..9f73c1fbd0947965946241550ec90e398535c6c9 100644
--- a/themes/chameleon/chameleon.theme
+++ b/themes/chameleon/chameleon.theme
@@ -74,11 +74,9 @@ function chameleon_page($content) {
     $output .= $tabs;
   }
 
-  if ($help = menu_get_active_help()) {
-    $output .= "<div id=\"help\">$help</div><hr />";
-  }
+  $output .= theme('help');
 
-  $output .= theme_status_messages();
+  $output .= theme('status_messages');
 
   $output .= "\n<!-- begin content -->\n";
   $output .= $content;
@@ -140,7 +138,6 @@ function chameleon_node($node, $main = 0, $page = 0) {
 }
 
 function chameleon_comment($comment, $link = "") {
-
   $submitted = array(t('By %author at %date', array('%author' => format_name($comment), '%date' => format_date($comment->timestamp. 'small'))));
   $links = array($link);
 
@@ -152,4 +149,11 @@ function chameleon_comment($comment, $link = "") {
 
   return $output;
 }
+
+function chameleon_help() {
+  if ($help = menu_get_active_help()) {
+    return '<div class="help">'. $help .'</div><hr />';
+  }
+}
+
 ?>
diff --git a/themes/engines/xtemplate/xtemplate.engine b/themes/engines/xtemplate/xtemplate.engine
index c7bb12d18328d2f56ddc54fd120dafd30a2ab0a5..cab654f5e7069fc3abc2e9ec40c2ddb3d55ce4e9 100644
--- a/themes/engines/xtemplate/xtemplate.engine
+++ b/themes/engines/xtemplate/xtemplate.engine
@@ -150,12 +150,12 @@ function xtemplate_page($content) {
     $xtemplate->template->parse("header.title");
   }
 
-  if ($help = menu_get_active_help()) {
+  if ($help = theme('help')) {
     $xtemplate->template->assign("help", $help);
     $xtemplate->template->parse("header.help");
   }
 
-  if ($message = theme_status_messages()) {
+  if ($message = theme('status_messages')) {
     $xtemplate->template->assign("message", $message);
     $xtemplate->template->parse("header.message");
   }
diff --git a/themes/pushbutton/xtemplate.xtmpl b/themes/pushbutton/xtemplate.xtmpl
index 1126b0798ec19d625e91c6e2caa642b6268836b1..ff8be80deab136e416a55e99fe2292277a3bf58a 100644
--- a/themes/pushbutton/xtemplate.xtmpl
+++ b/themes/pushbutton/xtemplate.xtmpl
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@
         <!-- END: tabs -->
 
         <!-- END: title -->
-          <!-- BEGIN: help -->
-        <div id="help">{help}</div>
+        <!-- BEGIN: help -->
+        {help}
         <!-- END: help -->
         <!-- BEGIN: message -->
         {message}