diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 21e22bf..c71f122 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ int WINAPI _tWinMain (HINSTANCE hThisInstance,
 
   /* try to lock the semaphore, else we are not the first instance */
   if (session_semaphore &&
-      WaitForSingleObject(session_semaphore, 0) != WAIT_OBJECT_0)
+      WaitForSingleObject(session_semaphore, 200) != WAIT_OBJECT_0)
   {
       first_instance = FALSE;
   }
@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@ int WINAPI _tWinMain (HINSTANCE hThisInstance,
 
   /* initialize options to default state */
   InitOptions(&o);
+  if (first_instance)
+      o.session_semaphore = session_semaphore;
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
   /* Open debug file for output */
@@ -308,6 +310,9 @@ int WINAPI _tWinMain (HINSTANCE hThisInstance,
     DispatchMessage(&messages);
   }
 
+  CloseSemaphore(o.session_semaphore);
+  o.session_semaphore = NULL;   /* though we're going to die.. */
+
   /* The program return-value is 0 - The value that PostQuitMessage() gave */
   return messages.wParam;
 }
diff --git a/misc.c b/misc.c
index 1b9d286..8fbdb0e 100644
--- a/misc.c
+++ b/misc.c
@@ -416,6 +416,16 @@ InitSemaphore (WCHAR *name)
     return semaphore;
 }
 
+void
+CloseSemaphore(HANDLE sem)
+{
+    if (sem)
+    {
+        ReleaseSemaphore(sem, 1, NULL);
+    }
+    CloseHandle(sem);
+}
+
 /* Check access rights on an existing file */
 BOOL
 CheckFileAccess (const TCHAR *path, int access)
diff --git a/misc.h b/misc.h
index e0e639d..81723eb 100644
--- a/misc.h
+++ b/misc.h
@@ -43,4 +43,6 @@ WCHAR *Widen(const char *utf8);
 BOOL validate_input(const WCHAR *input, const WCHAR *exclude);
 /* Concatenate two wide strings with a separator */
 void wcs_concat2(WCHAR *dest, int len, const WCHAR *src1, const WCHAR *src2, const WCHAR *sep);
+void CloseSemaphore(HANDLE sem);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/options.c b/options.c
index bfbd371..8804bb0 100644
--- a/options.c
+++ b/options.c
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ add_option(options_t *options, int i, TCHAR **p)
     {
         TCHAR caption[200];
         TCHAR msg[USAGE_BUF_SIZE];
+        /* We only print help and exit: release the semapahore to allow another instance */
+        CloseSemaphore(o.session_semaphore); /* OK to call even if semaphore is NULL */
+        o.session_semaphore = NULL;
+
         LoadLocalizedStringBuf(caption, _countof(caption), IDS_NFO_USAGECAPTION);
         LoadLocalizedStringBuf(msg, _countof(msg), IDS_NFO_USAGE);
         MessageBoxEx(NULL, msg, caption, MB_OK | MB_SETFOREGROUND, GetGUILanguage());
diff --git a/options.h b/options.h
index 79237a9..a0babfd 100644
--- a/options.h
+++ b/options.h
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ typedef struct {
     COLORREF clr_error;
     int action;            /* action to send to a running instance */
     TCHAR *action_arg;
+    HANDLE session_semaphore;
 } options_t;
 
 void InitOptions(options_t *);