diff --git a/app.go b/app.go
index 2f992d0..6884920 100644
--- a/app.go
+++ b/app.go
@@ -164,6 +164,9 @@ func (a *App) Run(arguments []string) (err error) {
 	if a.Before != nil {
 		err := a.Before(context)
 		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintln(a.Writer, err)
+			fmt.Fprintln(a.Writer)
+			ShowAppHelp(context)
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/app_test.go b/app_test.go
index 59fa75a..9a09405 100644
--- a/app_test.go
+++ b/app_test.go
@@ -942,6 +942,11 @@ func TestApp_Run_SubcommandDoesNotOverwriteErrorFromBefore(t *testing.T) {
 	app := NewApp()
 	app.Commands = []Command{
 		Command{
+			Subcommands: []Command{
+				Command{
+					Name: "sub",
+				},
+			},
 			Name:   "bar",
 			Before: func(c *Context) error { return fmt.Errorf("before error") },
 			After:  func(c *Context) error { return fmt.Errorf("after error") },
diff --git a/command.go b/command.go
index 824e77b..e42178e 100644
--- a/command.go
+++ b/command.go
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ func (c Command) FullName() string {
 }
 
 // Invokes the command given the context, parses ctx.Args() to generate command-specific flags
-func (c Command) Run(ctx *Context) error {
-	if len(c.Subcommands) > 0 || c.Before != nil || c.After != nil {
+func (c Command) Run(ctx *Context) (err error) {
+	if len(c.Subcommands) > 0 {
 		return c.startApp(ctx)
 	}
 
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ func (c Command) Run(ctx *Context) error {
 	set := flagSet(c.Name, c.Flags)
 	set.SetOutput(ioutil.Discard)
 
-	var err error
 	if !c.SkipFlagParsing {
 		firstFlagIndex := -1
 		terminatorIndex := -1
@@ -133,6 +132,30 @@ func (c Command) Run(ctx *Context) error {
 	if checkCommandHelp(context, c.Name) {
 		return nil
 	}
+
+	if c.After != nil {
+		defer func() {
+			afterErr := c.After(context)
+			if afterErr != nil {
+				if err != nil {
+					err = NewMultiError(err, afterErr)
+				} else {
+					err = afterErr
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+
+	if c.Before != nil {
+		err := c.Before(context)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintln(ctx.App.Writer, err)
+			fmt.Fprintln(ctx.App.Writer)
+			ShowCommandHelp(ctx, c.Name)
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	context.Command = c
 	c.Action(context)
 	return nil
diff --git a/command_test.go b/command_test.go
index ac10652..50bd875 100644
--- a/command_test.go
+++ b/command_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"flag"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"testing"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 func TestCommandFlagParsing(t *testing.T) {
@@ -43,3 +45,26 @@ func TestCommandFlagParsing(t *testing.T) {
 		expect(t, []string(context.Args()), c.testArgs)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCommand_Run_DoesNotOverwriteErrorFromBefore(t *testing.T) {
+	app := NewApp()
+	app.Commands = []Command{
+		Command{
+			Name:   "bar",
+			Before: func(c *Context) error { return fmt.Errorf("before error") },
+			After:  func(c *Context) error { return fmt.Errorf("after error") },
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := app.Run([]string{"foo", "bar"})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected to receive error from Run, got none")
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "before error") {
+		t.Errorf("expected text of error from Before method, but got none in \"%v\"", err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "after error") {
+		t.Errorf("expected text of error from After method, but got none in \"%v\"", err)
+	}
+}