diff --git a/lib/command.js b/lib/command.js
index e4b5d1699..a3c705050 100644
--- a/lib/command.js
+++ b/lib/command.js
@@ -21,10 +21,21 @@ class Command extends EventEmitter {
 
   constructor(name) {
     super();
+    /** @type {boolean} */
+    this._implicitlyCreated = false;
+
     /** @type {Command[]} */
     this.commands = [];
     /** @type {Option[]} */
     this.options = [];
+    /** @type {Command[]} */
+    this.parents = [];
+    /**
+     * Last added parent command,
+     * or parent command in last parse call.
+     *
+     * @type {Command | null}
+     */
     this.parent = null;
     this._allowUnknownOption = false;
     this._allowExcessArguments = true;
@@ -109,6 +120,19 @@ class Command extends EventEmitter {
     return this;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @returns {Command[]}
+   * @api private
+   */
+
+  _getCommandAndAncestors() {
+    const result = [];
+    for (let command = this; command; command = command.parent) {
+      result.push(command);
+    }
+    return result;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Define a command.
    *
@@ -145,6 +169,7 @@ class Command extends EventEmitter {
     const [, name, args] = nameAndArgs.match(/([^ ]+) *(.*)/);
 
     const cmd = this.createCommand(name);
+    cmd._implicitlyCreated = true;
     if (desc) {
       cmd.description(desc);
       cmd._executableHandler = true;
@@ -154,6 +179,7 @@ class Command extends EventEmitter {
     cmd._executableFile = opts.executableFile || null; // Custom name for executable file, set missing to null to match constructor
     if (args) cmd.arguments(args);
     this.commands.push(cmd);
+    cmd.parents.push(this);
     cmd.parent = this;
     cmd.copyInheritedSettings(this);
 
@@ -271,6 +297,7 @@ class Command extends EventEmitter {
     if (opts.noHelp || opts.hidden) cmd._hidden = true; // modifying passed command due to existing implementation
 
     this.commands.push(cmd);
+    cmd.parents.push(this);
     cmd.parent = this;
     cmd._checkForBrokenPassThrough();
 
@@ -746,7 +773,9 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
    */
 
   _checkForBrokenPassThrough() {
-    if (this.parent && this._passThroughOptions && !this.parent._enablePositionalOptions) {
+    if (this._passThroughOptions && this.parents.some(
+      (parent) => !parent._enablePositionalOptions
+    )) {
       throw new Error(`passThroughOptions cannot be used for '${this._name}' without turning on enablePositionalOptions for parent command(s)`);
     }
   }
@@ -835,7 +864,7 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
   getOptionValueSourceWithGlobals(key) {
     // global overwrites local, like optsWithGlobals
     let source;
-    getCommandAndParents(this).forEach((cmd) => {
+    this._getCommandAndAncestors().forEach((cmd) => {
       if (cmd.getOptionValueSource(key) !== undefined) {
         source = cmd.getOptionValueSource(key);
       }
@@ -897,6 +926,26 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
     return userArgs;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @param {boolean} async
+   * @param {Function} userArgsCallback
+   * @param {string[]} [argv]
+   * @param {Object} [parseOptions]
+   * @param {string} [parseOptions.from]
+   * @return {Command|Promise}
+   * @api private
+   */
+
+  _parseSubroutine(async, userArgsCallback, argv, parseOptions) {
+    const methodName = async ? 'parseAsync' : 'parse';
+    if (this._implicitlyCreated) {
+      console.warn(`Called .${methodName}() on subcommand '${this._name}' added with .command()
+- meant to call on the top-level command?`);
+    }
+    const userArgs = this._prepareUserArgs(argv, parseOptions);
+    return userArgsCallback(userArgs);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Parse `argv`, setting options and invoking commands when defined.
    *
@@ -915,10 +964,10 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
    */
 
   parse(argv, parseOptions) {
-    const userArgs = this._prepareUserArgs(argv, parseOptions);
-    this._parseCommand([], userArgs);
-
-    return this;
+    return this._parseSubroutine(false, (userArgs) => {
+      this._parseCommand([], userArgs);
+      return this;
+    }, argv, parseOptions);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -941,10 +990,10 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
    */
 
   async parseAsync(argv, parseOptions) {
-    const userArgs = this._prepareUserArgs(argv, parseOptions);
-    await this._parseCommand([], userArgs);
-
-    return this;
+    return this._parseSubroutine(true, async(userArgs) => {
+      await this._parseCommand([], userArgs);
+      return this;
+    }, argv, parseOptions);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1088,7 +1137,7 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
       if (subCommand._executableHandler) {
         this._executeSubCommand(subCommand, operands.concat(unknown));
       } else {
-        return subCommand._parseCommand(operands, unknown);
+        return subCommand._parseCommand(operands, unknown, this);
       }
     });
     return hookResult;
@@ -1218,7 +1267,7 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
   _chainOrCallHooks(promise, event) {
     let result = promise;
     const hooks = [];
-    getCommandAndParents(this)
+    this._getCommandAndAncestors()
       .reverse()
       .filter(cmd => cmd._lifeCycleHooks[event] !== undefined)
       .forEach(hookedCommand => {
@@ -1266,7 +1315,9 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
    * @api private
    */
 
-  _parseCommand(operands, unknown) {
+  _parseCommand(operands, unknown, parent) {
+    this.parent = parent ?? null;
+
     const parsed = this.parseOptions(unknown);
     this._parseOptionsEnv(); // after cli, so parseArg not called on both cli and env
     this._parseOptionsImplied();
@@ -1308,18 +1359,18 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
       let actionResult;
       actionResult = this._chainOrCallHooks(actionResult, 'preAction');
       actionResult = this._chainOrCall(actionResult, () => this._actionHandler(this.processedArgs));
-      if (this.parent) {
+      if (parent) {
         actionResult = this._chainOrCall(actionResult, () => {
-          this.parent.emit(commandEvent, operands, unknown); // legacy
+          parent.emit(commandEvent, operands, unknown); // legacy
         });
       }
       actionResult = this._chainOrCallHooks(actionResult, 'postAction');
       return actionResult;
     }
-    if (this.parent && this.parent.listenerCount(commandEvent)) {
+    if (parent?.listenerCount(commandEvent)) {
       checkForUnknownOptions();
       this._processArguments();
-      this.parent.emit(commandEvent, operands, unknown); // legacy
+      parent.emit(commandEvent, operands, unknown); // legacy
     } else if (operands.length) {
       if (this._findCommand('*')) { // legacy default command
         return this._dispatchSubcommand('*', operands, unknown);
@@ -1375,13 +1426,13 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
 
   _checkForMissingMandatoryOptions() {
     // Walk up hierarchy so can call in subcommand after checking for displaying help.
-    for (let cmd = this; cmd; cmd = cmd.parent) {
+    this._getCommandAndAncestors().forEach((cmd) => {
       cmd.options.forEach((anOption) => {
         if (anOption.mandatory && (cmd.getOptionValue(anOption.attributeName()) === undefined)) {
           cmd.missingMandatoryOptionValue(anOption);
         }
       });
-    }
+    });
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1422,9 +1473,9 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
    */
   _checkForConflictingOptions() {
     // Walk up hierarchy so can call in subcommand after checking for displaying help.
-    for (let cmd = this; cmd; cmd = cmd.parent) {
+    this._getCommandAndAncestors().forEach((cmd) => {
       cmd._checkForConflictingLocalOptions();
-    }
+    });
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1587,7 +1638,7 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
    */
   optsWithGlobals() {
     // globals overwrite locals
-    return getCommandAndParents(this).reduce(
+    return this._getCommandAndAncestors().reduce(
       (combinedOptions, cmd) => Object.assign(combinedOptions, cmd.opts()),
       {}
     );
@@ -2032,7 +2083,7 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
     }
     const context = this._getHelpContext(contextOptions);
 
-    getCommandAndParents(this).reverse().forEach(command => command.emit('beforeAllHelp', context));
+    this._getCommandAndAncestors().reverse().forEach(command => command.emit('beforeAllHelp', context));
     this.emit('beforeHelp', context);
 
     let helpInformation = this.helpInformation(context);
@@ -2046,7 +2097,7 @@ Expecting one of '${allowedValues.join("', '")}'`);
 
     this.emit(this._helpLongFlag); // deprecated
     this.emit('afterHelp', context);
-    getCommandAndParents(this).forEach(command => command.emit('afterAllHelp', context));
+    this._getCommandAndAncestors().forEach(command => command.emit('afterAllHelp', context));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -2189,18 +2240,4 @@ function incrementNodeInspectorPort(args) {
   });
 }
 
-/**
- * @param {Command} startCommand
- * @returns {Command[]}
- * @api private
- */
-
-function getCommandAndParents(startCommand) {
-  const result = [];
-  for (let command = startCommand; command; command = command.parent) {
-    result.push(command);
-  }
-  return result;
-}
-
 exports.Command = Command;
diff --git a/lib/help.js b/lib/help.js
index 14e0fb9f3..560801bd3 100644
--- a/lib/help.js
+++ b/lib/help.js
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ class Help {
     if (!this.showGlobalOptions) return [];
 
     const globalOptions = [];
-    for (let parentCmd = cmd.parent; parentCmd; parentCmd = parentCmd.parent) {
-      const visibleOptions = parentCmd.options.filter((option) => !option.hidden);
+    for (let ancestorCmd = cmd.parent; ancestorCmd; ancestorCmd = ancestorCmd.parent) {
+      const visibleOptions = ancestorCmd.options.filter((option) => !option.hidden);
       globalOptions.push(...visibleOptions);
     }
     if (this.sortOptions) {
@@ -240,11 +240,11 @@ class Help {
     if (cmd._aliases[0]) {
       cmdName = cmdName + '|' + cmd._aliases[0];
     }
-    let parentCmdNames = '';
-    for (let parentCmd = cmd.parent; parentCmd; parentCmd = parentCmd.parent) {
-      parentCmdNames = parentCmd.name() + ' ' + parentCmdNames;
+    let ancestorCmdNames = '';
+    for (let ancestorCmd = cmd.parent; ancestorCmd; ancestorCmd = ancestorCmd.parent) {
+      ancestorCmdNames = ancestorCmd.name() + ' ' + ancestorCmdNames;
     }
-    return parentCmdNames + cmdName + ' ' + cmd.usage();
+    return ancestorCmdNames + cmdName + ' ' + cmd.usage();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/tests/command.addCommand.test.js b/tests/command.addCommand.test.js
index f8f86b682..09e94c3c5 100644
--- a/tests/command.addCommand.test.js
+++ b/tests/command.addCommand.test.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ test('when commands added using .addCommand and .command then internals similar'
   expect(cmd2.parent).toBe(program2);
 
   for (const key of Object.keys(cmd1)) {
+    if (key === '_implicitlyCreated') continue; // expected to differ
     switch (typeof cmd1[key]) {
       case 'string':
       case 'boolean':
diff --git a/typings/index.d.ts b/typings/index.d.ts
index 695c3bd25..8faa66798 100644
--- a/typings/index.d.ts
+++ b/typings/index.d.ts
@@ -281,6 +281,11 @@ export class Command {
   processedArgs: any[];
   readonly commands: readonly Command[];
   readonly options: readonly Option[];
+  parents: Command[];
+  /**
+   * Last added parent command,
+   * or parent command in last parse call.
+   */
   parent: Command | null;
 
   constructor(name?: string);
diff --git a/typings/index.test-d.ts b/typings/index.test-d.ts
index 734036fad..d3639b530 100644
--- a/typings/index.test-d.ts
+++ b/typings/index.test-d.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ expectType<string[]>(program.args);
 expectType<any[]>(program.processedArgs);
 expectType<readonly commander.Command[]>(program.commands);
 expectType<readonly commander.Option[]>(program.options);
+expectType<commander.Command[]>(program.parents);
 expectType<commander.Command | null>(program.parent);
 
 // version