diff --git a/cmd/docker/cloud.go b/cmd/docker/cloud.go
index f2a127bb4219..72a37bd44d5b 100644
--- a/cmd/docker/cloud.go
+++ b/cmd/docker/cloud.go
@@ -199,7 +199,17 @@ func cloudHelpRequest(rootCmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (bool, error) {
 	if err != nil || cmd == rootCmd || pluginmanager.IsPluginCommand(cmd) {
 		// Plugin flags are opaque. Only recognize help immediately after the
 		// plugin name; deeper help is available through "docker help PLUGIN".
-		return len(args) > 1 && (args[1] == "--help" || args[1] == "-h" || args[1] == "--help=true"), nil
+		return len(args) > 1 && isHelpFlag(args[1]), nil
+	}
+
+	// "build", "bake", "builder", and "image build" are builtin commands that
+	// processAliases may still rewrite into a call to the builder plugin
+	// (buildx) after cloud resolution runs, so their flag set here is only the
+	// legacy builder's and does not reflect what will actually parse the
+	// remaining args. Treat them like a plugin command above: only recognize
+	// help immediately after the resolved command path.
+	if _, _, _, forwarded := forwardBuilder(builderDefaultPlugin, args, args); forwarded {
+		return len(remaining) > 0 && isHelpFlag(remaining[0]), nil
 	}
 
 	cmd.InitDefaultHelpFlag()
@@ -226,6 +236,12 @@ func cloudHelpRequest(rootCmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (bool, error) {
 	return help, nil
 }
 
+// isHelpFlag reports whether arg requests help, in any of the forms pflag
+// accepts for a boolean flag.
+func isHelpFlag(arg string) bool {
+	return arg == "--help" || arg == "-h" || arg == "--help=true"
+}
+
 // cloudPluginArgs only rewrites the global prefix, leaving subcommand arguments
 // untouched. Parsing also distinguishes --cloud from another flag's value.
 func cloudPluginArgs(cmd *cobra.Command, osArgs []string, contextName string) ([]string, error) {
diff --git a/cmd/docker/cloud_test.go b/cmd/docker/cloud_test.go
index f1ce8a60a840..9f6b1ab463d5 100644
--- a/cmd/docker/cloud_test.go
+++ b/cmd/docker/cloud_test.go
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ func TestCloudHelpRequest(t *testing.T) {
 		{name: "container help", args: []string{"run", "alpine", "--help"}},
 		{name: "flag value", args: []string{"run", "--name", "--help", "alpine"}},
 		{name: "help disabled", args: []string{"run", "--help=false", "alpine"}},
+		{name: "build help", args: []string{"build", "--help"}, help: true},
+		{name: "build buildkit-only flag", args: []string{"build", "--secret", "id=s,src=./s", "."}},
+		{name: "image build buildkit-only flag", args: []string{"image", "build", "--push", "."}},
+		{name: "builder build buildkit-only flag", args: []string{"builder", "build", "--ssh", "default", "."}},
+		{name: "bake help", args: []string{"bake", "--help"}, help: true},
 	} {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			dockerCli, err := command.NewDockerCli()