diff --git a/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh b/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh
index 151471b..d14a80e 100755
--- a/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh
+++ b/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh
@@ -1,54 +1,28 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # Self-check for orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh.
-#
-# The pinned USAGE string is gone. Pinning the help text byte for byte meant
-# every flag added to the healthcheck turned this file red for a reason that
-# had nothing to do with the flag. The usage assertions now check shape: --help
-# must print a Usage: line, must document every long flag the script actually
-# parses, and must exit 0 from any argument position.
 
 HC="$(dirname "$0")/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh"
 OK='OK - all healthchecks passed'
+USAGE="$(printf 'Usage: orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh [--quiet]\n\nHealthcheck script for Orchestra E2E tests.\nExits 0 with a success message if all checks pass.\n  --quiet  Suppress the success message; still exits 0.')"
 fails=0
 
-fail() {
-  printf 'FAIL: %s\n' "$1"
-  fails=$((fails + 1))
-}
-
-exact() { # exact <expected-stdout> <label> [args...]
+check() { # check <expected-stdout> <label> [args...]
   local want=$1 label=$2 got status
   shift 2
   got=$(bash "$HC" "$@" 2>/dev/null)
   status=$?
   if [ "$got" != "$want" ] || [ "$status" -ne 0 ]; then
-    fail "$label (exit=$status, got: $got)"
+    printf 'FAIL: %s (exit=%s)\n---got---\n%s\n---want---\n%s\n' "$label" "$status" "$got" "$want"
+    fails=$((fails + 1))
   fi
 }
 
-usage_shape() { # usage_shape <label> [args...]
-  local label=$1 got status flag
-  shift
-  got=$(bash "$HC" "$@" 2>/dev/null)
-  status=$?
-  [ "$status" -eq 0 ] || fail "$label: exit=$status"
-  case "$got" in
-    Usage:*) ;;
-    *) fail "$label: no Usage: line" ;;
-  esac
-  for flag in $(grep -o -- '--[a-z][a-z-]*' "$HC" | sort -u); do
-    case "$got" in
-      *"$flag"*) ;;
-      *) fail "$label: $flag is parsed but undocumented" ;;
-    esac
-  done
-}
-
-exact "$OK" 'no args'
-exact '' '--quiet' --quiet
-usage_shape '--help' --help
-usage_shape '--help --quiet' --help --quiet
-usage_shape '--quiet --help' --quiet --help
+check "$OK" 'no args'
+check '' '--quiet' --quiet
+check "$USAGE" '--help' --help
+check "$USAGE" '--help --quiet' --help --quiet
+check "$USAGE" '--quiet --help' --quiet --help
+check "$OK" 'unknown flag ignored' --bogus
 
 [ "$fails" -eq 0 ] || exit 1
 printf 'all checks passed\n'