diff --git a/cmd/packages.go b/cmd/packages.go
index 248f78f7b..8d3d0028f 100644
--- a/cmd/packages.go
+++ b/cmd/packages.go
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ const (
 
 var (
 	packagesPresenterOpt packages.PresenterOption
-	packagesArgs         = cobra.MaximumNArgs(1)
 	packagesCmd          = &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "packages [SOURCE]",
 		Short: "Generate a package SBOM",
@@ -58,18 +57,10 @@ var (
 			"appName": internal.ApplicationName,
 			"command": "packages",
 		}),
-		Args:          packagesArgs,
+		Args:          validateInputArgs,
 		SilenceUsage:  true,
 		SilenceErrors: true,
 		PreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			if len(args) == 0 {
-				err := cmd.Help()
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-				return fmt.Errorf("an image/directory argument is required")
-			}
-
 			// set the presenter
 			presenterOption := packages.ParsePresenterOption(appConfig.Output)
 			if presenterOption == packages.UnknownPresenterOption {
@@ -194,6 +185,18 @@ func bindPackagesConfigOptions(flags *pflag.FlagSet) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func validateInputArgs(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	if len(args) == 0 {
+		// in the case that no arguments are given we want to show the help text and return with a non-0 return code.
+		if err := cmd.Help(); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to display help: %w", err)
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("an image/directory argument is required")
+	}
+
+	return cobra.MaximumNArgs(1)(cmd, args)
+}
+
 func packagesExec(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// could be an image or a directory, with or without a scheme
 	userInput := args[0]
diff --git a/cmd/power_user.go b/cmd/power_user.go
index 3b1eacff5..85126f737 100644
--- a/cmd/power_user.go
+++ b/cmd/power_user.go
@@ -35,19 +35,11 @@ var powerUserCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		"appName": internal.ApplicationName,
 		"command": "power-user",
 	}),
-	Args:          cobra.MaximumNArgs(1),
+	Args:          validateInputArgs,
 	Hidden:        true,
 	SilenceUsage:  true,
 	SilenceErrors: true,
 	PreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-		if len(args) == 0 {
-			err := cmd.Help()
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			return fmt.Errorf("an image/directory argument is required")
-		}
-
 		if appConfig.Dev.ProfileCPU && appConfig.Dev.ProfileMem {
 			return fmt.Errorf("cannot profile CPU and memory simultaneously")
 		}
diff --git a/test/cli/trait_assertions_test.go b/test/cli/trait_assertions_test.go
index 465149999..90728aae1 100644
--- a/test/cli/trait_assertions_test.go
+++ b/test/cli/trait_assertions_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 type traitAssertion func(tb testing.TB, stdout, stderr string, rc int)
 
 func assertJsonReport(tb testing.TB, stdout, _ string, _ int) {
+	tb.Helper()
 	var data interface{}
 
 	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(stdout), &data); err != nil {
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ func assertJsonReport(tb testing.TB, stdout, _ string, _ int) {
 }
 
 func assertTableReport(tb testing.TB, stdout, _ string, _ int) {
+	tb.Helper()
 	if !strings.Contains(stdout, "NAME") || !strings.Contains(stdout, "VERSION") || !strings.Contains(stdout, "TYPE") {
 		tb.Errorf("expected to find a table report, but did not")
 	}
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ func assertTableReport(tb testing.TB, stdout, _ string, _ int) {
 
 func assertScope(scope source.Scope) traitAssertion {
 	return func(tb testing.TB, stdout, stderr string, rc int) {
+		tb.Helper()
 		// we can only verify source with the json report
 		assertJsonReport(tb, stdout, stderr, rc)
 
@@ -44,6 +47,7 @@ func assertLoggingLevel(level string) traitAssertion {
 	//  "[0012] DEBUG"
 	logPattern := regexp.MustCompile(`(?m)^\[\d\d\d\d\]\s+` + strings.ToUpper(level))
 	return func(tb testing.TB, _, stderr string, _ int) {
+		tb.Helper()
 		if !logPattern.MatchString(stripansi.Strip(stderr)) {
 			tb.Errorf("output did not indicate the %q logging level", level)
 		}
@@ -52,6 +56,7 @@ func assertLoggingLevel(level string) traitAssertion {
 
 func assertNotInOutput(data string) traitAssertion {
 	return func(tb testing.TB, stdout, stderr string, _ int) {
+		tb.Helper()
 		if strings.Contains(stripansi.Strip(stderr), data) {
 			tb.Errorf("data=%q was found in stderr, but should not have been there", data)
 		}
@@ -63,6 +68,7 @@ func assertNotInOutput(data string) traitAssertion {
 
 func assertInOutput(data string) traitAssertion {
 	return func(tb testing.TB, stdout, stderr string, _ int) {
+		tb.Helper()
 		if !strings.Contains(stripansi.Strip(stderr), data) && !strings.Contains(stripansi.Strip(stdout), data) {
 			tb.Errorf("data=%q was NOT found in any output, but should have been there", data)
 		}
@@ -70,12 +76,14 @@ func assertInOutput(data string) traitAssertion {
 }
 
 func assertFailingReturnCode(tb testing.TB, _, _ string, rc int) {
+	tb.Helper()
 	if rc == 0 {
 		tb.Errorf("expected a failure but got rc=%d", rc)
 	}
 }
 
 func assertSuccessfulReturnCode(tb testing.TB, _, _ string, rc int) {
+	tb.Helper()
 	if rc != 0 {
 		tb.Errorf("expected no failure but got rc=%d", rc)
 	}
diff --git a/test/cli/utils_test.go b/test/cli/utils_test.go
index b52302833..550377dd3 100644
--- a/test/cli/utils_test.go
+++ b/test/cli/utils_test.go
@@ -50,23 +50,20 @@ func runSyftInDocker(t testing.TB, env map[string]string, image string, args ...
 
 func runSyft(t testing.TB, env map[string]string, args ...string) (*exec.Cmd, string, string) {
 	cmd := getSyftCommand(t, args...)
-	if env != nil {
-		env["SYFT_CHECK_FOR_APP_UPDATE"] = "false"
+	if env == nil {
+		env = make(map[string]string)
 	}
+
+	// we should not have tests reaching out for app update checks
+	env["SYFT_CHECK_FOR_APP_UPDATE"] = "false"
+
 	stdout, stderr := runCommand(cmd, env)
 	return cmd, stdout, stderr
 }
 
 func runCommand(cmd *exec.Cmd, env map[string]string) (string, string) {
 	if env != nil {
-		var envList []string
-		for key, val := range env {
-			if key == "" {
-				continue
-			}
-			envList = append(envList, fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", key, val))
-		}
-		cmd.Env = envList
+		cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), envMapToSlice(env)...)
 	}
 	var stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
 	cmd.Stdout = &stdout
@@ -78,6 +75,16 @@ func runCommand(cmd *exec.Cmd, env map[string]string) (string, string) {
 	return stdout.String(), stderr.String()
 }
 
+func envMapToSlice(env map[string]string) (envList []string) {
+	for key, val := range env {
+		if key == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		envList = append(envList, fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", key, val))
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 func getSyftCommand(t testing.TB, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 	return exec.Command(getSyftBinaryLocation(t), args...)
 }