diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 97c346ec5a..806f18776f 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   hooks:
   - id: yapf
     language: system
-    files: '^(aiida/control/)'
+    files: '^(aiida/control/)|(aiida/cmdline/tests)'
 
 - repo: git://github.com/guykisel/prospector-mirror
   sha: b27f281eb9398fc8504415d7fbdabf119ea8c5e1
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@
   - id: prospector
     language: system
     exclude: '^(tests/)|(examples/)'
-    files: '^(aiida/control/)'
+    files: '^(aiida/control/)|(aiida/cmdline/tests)'
 
diff --git a/aiida/cmdline/commands/devel.py b/aiida/cmdline/commands/devel.py
index 3c6bd2881e..158fa0aa36 100644
--- a/aiida/cmdline/commands/devel.py
+++ b/aiida/cmdline/commands/devel.py
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ class Devel(VerdiCommandWithSubcommands):
         'aiida.common',
         'aiida.tests.work',
         'aiida.utils',
-        'aiida.control'
+        'aiida.control',
+        'aiida.cmdline.tests'
     ]
 
     _dbrawprefix = "db"
diff --git a/aiida/cmdline/tests/__init__.py b/aiida/cmdline/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/aiida/cmdline/tests/common.py b/aiida/cmdline/tests/common.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..647094f9af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aiida/cmdline/tests/common.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+"""Common code to be used in cli testing"""
+import sys
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+from StringIO import StringIO
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def captured_output():
+    new_out, new_err = StringIO(), StringIO()
+    old_out, old_err = sys.stdout, sys.stderr
+    try:
+        sys.stdout, sys.stderr = new_out, new_err
+        yield sys.stdout, sys.stderr
+    finally:
+        sys.stdout, sys.stderr = old_out, old_err
diff --git a/aiida/cmdline/tests/test_verdi_help.py b/aiida/cmdline/tests/test_verdi_help.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b46ec95a99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aiida/cmdline/tests/test_verdi_help.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+"""Bug regression tests for ``verdi help``"""
+import unittest
+
+from aiida.cmdline.verdilib import Help, Import
+
+from .common import captured_output
+
+
+class VerdiHelpTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Make sure fixed bugs stay fixed"""
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.help_cmd = Help()
+
+    def test_verdi_help_full_string(self):
+        """
+        Prevent regression of bug #700
+
+        ``verdi help`` was printing only the first letter of the docstring
+        of non-click commands
+        """
+        self.assertFalse(
+            hasattr(Import, '_ctx'),
+            'This test must use a non-click verdi subcommand')
+        fail_msg = ('Has the docstring for ``verdi import`` changed? '
+                    'If not, this is a regression of #700')
+        with captured_output() as (out, _):
+            try:
+                self.help_cmd.run()
+            except SystemExit:
+                pass
+            finally:
+                output = [l.strip() for l in out.getvalue().split('\n')]
+                self.assertIn('* import        Import nodes and group of nodes',
+                              output, fail_msg)
diff --git a/aiida/cmdline/verdilib.py b/aiida/cmdline/verdilib.py
index b1af3d6082..2351d29292 100644
--- a/aiida/cmdline/verdilib.py
+++ b/aiida/cmdline/verdilib.py
@@ -982,7 +982,7 @@ def exec_from_cmdline(argv):
             help_msg += "\n"
             # resilient_parsing suppresses interactive prompts
             help_msg += cmd._ctx(args=[], resilient_parsing=True).get_help()
-            help_msg = help_msg.split('\n')  # need list of lines
+        help_msg = help_msg.split('\n')  # need list of lines
 
         lines = [l.strip() for l in help_msg]
         empty_lines = [bool(l) for l in lines]