diff --git a/MANIFEST b/MANIFEST
index 0f09a20c..c055a5f0 100644
--- a/MANIFEST
+++ b/MANIFEST
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ testcases/files/testcase04.log
 setup.py
 setup.cfg
 version.py
+protocol.py
 config/jail.conf
 config/filter.d/postfix.conf
 config/filter.d/vsftpd.conf
diff --git a/fail2ban-client b/fail2ban-client
index 4735a234..dff6aedd 100755
--- a/fail2ban-client
+++ b/fail2ban-client
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ from version import version
 from client.csocket import CSocket
 from client.configurator import Configurator
 from client.beautifier import Beautifier
+from protocol import printFormatted
 
 # Gets the instance of the logger.
 logSys = logging.getLogger("fail2ban.client")
@@ -91,22 +92,10 @@ class Fail2banClient:
 		print "    -V, --version           print the version"
 		print
 		print "Command:"
-		print "    start                   start the server and the jails"
-		print "    reload                  reload the configuration"
-		print "    stop                    stop all jails and terminate the server"
-		print "    status                  get the current status"
-		print
-		print "    set loglevel <LEVEL>    set loglevel to <LEVEL>"
-		print "    get loglevel            get loglevel"
-		print "    set logtarget <TARGET>  set log target to <TARGET>"
-		print "    get logtarget           get log target"
-		print
-		print "    add <JAIL> [BACKEND]    create <JAIL> using [BACKEND]"
-		print "    set <JAIL> <CMD>        set the <CMD> value for <JAIL>"
-		print "    get <JAIL> <CMD>        get the <CMD> value for <JAIL>"
-		print "    start <JAIL>            start <JAIL>"
-		print "    stop <JAIL>             stop <JAIL>. The jail is removed"
-		print "    status <JAIL>           get the current status of <JAIL>"
+		
+		# Prints the protocol
+		printFormatted()
+		
 		print
 		print "Report bugs to <lostcontrol@users.sourceforge.net>"
 	
diff --git a/protocol.py b/protocol.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..daf36e6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protocol.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# This file is part of Fail2Ban.
+#
+# Fail2Ban is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# Fail2Ban is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with Fail2Ban; if not, write to the Free Software
+# Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+
+# Author: Cyril Jaquier
+# 
+# $Revision: 456 $
+
+__author__ = "Cyril Jaquier"
+__version__ = "$Revision: 456 $"
+__date__ = "$Date: 2006-11-12 11:56:40 +0100 (Sun, 12 Nov 2006) $"
+__copyright__ = "Copyright (c) 2004 Cyril Jaquier"
+__license__ = "GPL"
+
+import textwrap
+
+##
+# Describes the protocol used to communicate with the server.
+
+protocol = [
+["start", "starts the server and the jails"],
+["reload", "reloads the configuration"],
+["stop", "stops all jails and terminate the server"],
+["status", "gets the current status of the server"],
+["ping", "tests if the server is alive"],
+['', ''],
+["set loglevel <LEVEL>", "sets logging level to <LEVEL>"],
+["get loglevel", "gets the logging level"],
+["set logtarget <TARGET>", "sets logging target to <TARGET>"],
+["get logtarget", "gets logging target"],
+['', ''],
+["add <JAIL> <BACKEND>", "creates <JAIL> using <BACKEND>"],
+["set <JAIL> <CMD>", "sets the <CMD> value for <JAIL>"],
+["get <JAIL> <CMD>", "gets the <CMD> value for <JAIL>"],
+['', ''],
+["start <JAIL>", "starts <JAIL>"],
+["stop <JAIL>", "stops <JAIL>. The jail is removed"],
+["status <JAIL>", "gets the current status of <JAIL>"]
+]
+
+##
+# Prints the protocol in a "man" format. This is used for the
+# "-h" output of fail2ban-client.
+
+def printFormatted():
+	INDENT=4
+	FIRST=30
+	WIDTH=75
+	for command in [' ' * INDENT + m[0] +
+					"\n".join(textwrap.wrap(m[1], WIDTH - INDENT,
+					initial_indent=' ' * (FIRST - len(m[0])),
+					subsequent_indent=' ' * (FIRST + INDENT)))
+					for m in protocol]:
+		print command
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index b9896166..04009636 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -54,7 +54,10 @@ setup(
 					'fail2ban-server',
 					'fail2ban-regex'
 				],
-	py_modules =	['version'],
+	py_modules =	[
+						'version',
+						'protocol'
+					],
 	packages =	[
 					'client',
 					'server'