diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9495823ce1a..3882a4451ac 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ Easier to catch changes:
   - `#[clap(value_parser)]` and `#[clap(action)]` are now redundant
 - *(derive)* `subcommand_required(true).arg_required_else_help(true)` is set instead of `SubcommandRequiredElseHelp` to give more meaningful errors when subcommands are missing and to reduce redundancy (#3280)
 - *(derive)* Remove `arg_enum` attribute in favor of `value_enum` to match the new name (we didn't have support in v3 to mark it deprecated) (#4127)
+- *(derive)* `next_help_heading` can now leak out of a `#[clap(flatten)]`, like all other command settings
 - *(parser)* Assert when the CLI looksup an unknown args when external subcommand support is enabled to help catch bugs (#3703)
 - *(assert)* Sometimes `Arg::default_missing_value` didn't require `num_args(0..=N)`, now it does (#4023)
 - *(assert)* Leading dashes in `Arg::long` are no longer allowed (#3691)
diff --git a/clap_derive/src/derives/args.rs b/clap_derive/src/derives/args.rs
index 02cb052351b..c136d21d16d 100644
--- a/clap_derive/src/derives/args.rs
+++ b/clap_derive/src/derives/args.rs
@@ -194,26 +194,21 @@ pub fn gen_augment(
             }
             Kind::Flatten => {
                 let ty = &field.ty;
-                let old_heading_var = format_ident!("__clap_old_heading");
                 let next_help_heading = item.next_help_heading();
                 let next_display_order = item.next_display_order();
                 if override_required {
                     Some(quote_spanned! { kind.span()=>
-                        let #old_heading_var = #app_var.get_next_help_heading().map(|s| clap::builder::Str::from(s.to_owned()));
                         let #app_var = #app_var
                             #next_help_heading
                             #next_display_order;
                         let #app_var = <#ty as clap::Args>::augment_args_for_update(#app_var);
-                        let #app_var = #app_var.next_help_heading(clap::builder::Resettable::from(#old_heading_var));
                     })
                 } else {
                     Some(quote_spanned! { kind.span()=>
-                        let #old_heading_var = #app_var.get_next_help_heading().map(|s| clap::builder::Str::from(s.to_owned()));
                         let #app_var = #app_var
                             #next_help_heading
                             #next_display_order;
                         let #app_var = <#ty as clap::Args>::augment_args(#app_var);
-                        let #app_var = #app_var.next_help_heading(clap::builder::Resettable::from(#old_heading_var));
                     })
                 }
             }
diff --git a/clap_derive/src/derives/subcommand.rs b/clap_derive/src/derives/subcommand.rs
index d55b669fc8f..1989e82fded 100644
--- a/clap_derive/src/derives/subcommand.rs
+++ b/clap_derive/src/derives/subcommand.rs
@@ -181,28 +181,23 @@ fn gen_augment(
                         } else {
                             quote!()
                         };
-                        let old_heading_var = format_ident!("__clap_old_heading");
                         let next_help_heading = item.next_help_heading();
                         let next_display_order = item.next_display_order();
                         let subcommand = if override_required {
                             quote! {
                                 #deprecations
-                                let #old_heading_var = #app_var.get_next_help_heading().map(|s| clap::builder::Str::from(s.to_owned()));
                                 let #app_var = #app_var
                                     #next_help_heading
                                     #next_display_order;
                                 let #app_var = <#ty as clap::Subcommand>::augment_subcommands_for_update(#app_var);
-                                let #app_var = #app_var.next_help_heading(clap::builder::Resettable::from(#old_heading_var));
                             }
                         } else {
                             quote! {
                                 #deprecations
-                                let #old_heading_var = #app_var.get_next_help_heading().map(|s| clap::builder::Str::from(s.to_owned()));
                                 let #app_var = #app_var
                                     #next_help_heading
                                     #next_display_order;
                                 let #app_var = <#ty as clap::Subcommand>::augment_subcommands(#app_var);
-                                let #app_var = #app_var.next_help_heading(clap::builder::Resettable::from(#old_heading_var));
                             }
                         };
                         Some(subcommand)
diff --git a/tests/derive/help.rs b/tests/derive/help.rs
index dc925d74ce1..65861e4ac03 100644
--- a/tests/derive/help.rs
+++ b/tests/derive/help.rs
@@ -131,11 +131,11 @@ fn app_help_heading_flattened() {
         .unwrap();
     assert_eq!(should_be_in_section_b.get_help_heading(), Some("HEADING B"));
 
-    let should_be_in_default_section = cmd
+    let should_be_in_section_b = cmd
         .get_arguments()
         .find(|a| a.get_id() == "should_be_in_default_section")
         .unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(should_be_in_default_section.get_help_heading(), None);
+    assert_eq!(should_be_in_section_b.get_help_heading(), Some("HEADING B"));
 
     let sub_a_two = cmd.find_subcommand("sub-a-two").unwrap();