diff --git a/mercurial/help.py b/mercurial/help.py
--- a/mercurial/help.py
+++ b/mercurial/help.py
@@ -1155,6 +1155,6 @@
     # to look for, or we could have simply failed to found "foo.bar"
     # because bar isn't a section of foo
     if section and not (blocks and name):
-        raise error.Abort(_(b"help section not found: %s") % fullname)
+        raise error.InputError(_(b"help section not found: %s") % fullname)
 
     return minirst.formatplain(blocks, textwidth)
diff --git a/tests/test-help.t b/tests/test-help.t
--- a/tests/test-help.t
+++ b/tests/test-help.t
@@ -1479,7 +1479,7 @@
 
   $ hg help config.annotate.git
   abort: help section not found: config.annotate.git
-  [255]
+  [10]
 
   $ hg help config.update.check
       "commands.update.check"
@@ -1509,7 +1509,7 @@
 
   $ hg help config.ommands.update.check
   abort: help section not found: config.ommands.update.check
-  [255]
+  [10]
 
 Unrelated trailing paragraphs shouldn't be included
 
@@ -1869,11 +1869,11 @@
   
   $ hg help glossary.mcguffin
   abort: help section not found: glossary.mcguffin
-  [255]
+  [10]
 
   $ hg help glossary.mc.guffin
   abort: help section not found: glossary.mc.guffin
-  [255]
+  [10]
 
   $ hg help template.files
       files         List of strings. All files modified, added, or removed by