diff --git a/auto_cli/parsing.py b/auto_cli/parsing.py
index 3368be4..215fd41 100644
--- a/auto_cli/parsing.py
+++ b/auto_cli/parsing.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import argparse
 import inspect
-from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
+import re
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, NamedTuple, Optional, Tuple, Union
 
 from .types import Command
 from .utils import _print_and_quit
@@ -31,7 +32,8 @@ def add_param_transformer(self, param_name: str, transform: Callable) -> None:
 def create_parser(command: Command) -> ArgumentParser:
     """Create a parser for the given command"""
     function = command.function
-    parser = ArgumentParser(description=f"{command.name}: {function.__doc__}")
+    function_doc = _parse_function_doc(function)
+    parser = ArgumentParser(description=f"{command.name}: {function_doc.description}")
     signature = inspect.signature(function)
     parameters = dict(signature.parameters)
     argspec = inspect.getfullargspec(function)
@@ -51,7 +53,9 @@ def create_parser(command: Command) -> ArgumentParser:
             **_get_type_params(annotation, param_name, function),
         }
 
-        parser.add_argument(f"--{param_name}", **kwargs)
+        parser.add_argument(
+            f"--{param_name}", help=function_doc.param_docs.get(param_name), **kwargs
+        )
         if kwargs.get("nargs", "+") != "+":  # is_tuple: TODO(joris): refactor
             parser.add_param_transformer(param_name, tuple)
         # TODO(joris): parse documentation of param for help
@@ -112,3 +116,42 @@ def _fail(message: str) -> None:
         return {"action": "store_true", "default": False, "required": False}
 
     return {"type": annotation}
+
+
+class _FunctionDoc(NamedTuple):
+    description: str
+    param_docs: Dict[str, str]
+
+
+def _parse_function_doc(function: Callable) -> _FunctionDoc:
+    """Parse function documentation which adheres to the Sphinx standard
+    https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/restructuredtext/domains.html#info-field-lists
+    """
+    if not hasattr(function, "__doc__"):
+        return _FunctionDoc("", {})
+
+    doc = function.__doc__
+    if not ":param" in doc:
+        # Doesn't conform to our standard, so the whole __doc__ is just
+        # the description of the function
+        return _FunctionDoc(doc, {})
+
+    # Now that we now doc conforms to our standard, we can parse out the
+    # parameter descriptions
+
+    params_docs = {}
+    for line in doc.splitlines():
+        line = line.strip()
+        if line.startswith(":param"):
+            line = line.lstrip(":param")
+            before, _, description = line.partition(":")
+            param_name = before.strip().split(" ")[-1]
+            params_docs[param_name] = description.strip()
+
+    fn_description, _, _ = doc.partition(":param")
+    fn_description = _normalize_whitespace(fn_description.strip())
+    return _FunctionDoc(fn_description, params_docs)
+
+
+def _normalize_whitespace(text: str) -> str:
+    return re.sub(r"\s+", " ", text)
diff --git a/auto_cli/tests/test_parsing.py b/auto_cli/tests/test_parsing.py
index 76c1344..47a173c 100644
--- a/auto_cli/tests/test_parsing.py
+++ b/auto_cli/tests/test_parsing.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from typing import List, Tuple
 
-from auto_cli.parsing import create_parser
+from auto_cli.parsing import _parse_function_doc, create_parser
 from auto_cli.types import Command
 
 
@@ -67,3 +67,18 @@ def func_to_test(a: int, b):
     parser = create_parser(command)
     args = parser.parse(["--a", "4", "--b", "5"])
     assert args == {"a": 4, "b": 5}
+
+
+def test_parse_function_doc() -> None:
+    def func_to_test(a: int, b: str) -> int:
+        """This is a function
+        which does some interesting things
+
+        :param int a: the number that is returned
+        :param b: ignored
+        """
+        return a
+
+    docs = _parse_function_doc(func_to_test)
+    assert docs.description == "This is a function which does some interesting things"
+    assert docs.param_docs == {"a": "the number that is returned", "b": "ignored"}