diff --git a/generate-help.awk b/generate-help.awk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a003df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/generate-help.awk
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env -S awk -f
+##-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-##
+## generate-help.awk
+##
+# Makefile help generator
+# https://github.com/andrewjstryker/makefile-helper
+##
+## As we use this file as the source for generating embeded files, there
+## a couple quirks:
+##  1. Prefix lines with '##' to avoid passing them into the embedded version.
+##  2. End non-comment lines with semicolons or closing braces to prevent the
+##     AWK interpretter from becoming confused.
+#
+##
+## ANSI color codes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code
+##
+##-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-##
+
+BEGIN {
+        # split fields from colon to either #> or #!, just on #>, or ?=
+        FS = "(:.*#[>!]|#>|?=)";
+
+        # track if any targets require special privileges
+        special = 0;
+
+        # track environment variables
+        env_counter = 0;
+        env_section = 0;
+
+        # string formats, collected here for easier editing
+        normal_fmt       = "\t\033[36m%-15s\033[0m %s\n";
+        special_fmt      = "\t\033[31m%-15s\033[0m %s\n";
+        continuation_fmt = "\t%17s%s\n";
+        env_var_val      = "\033[37m%-15s \033[93m%-15s\033[0m";
+        env_var_fmt      = "\t%-25s %s\n";
+}
+
+# TODO: this swallows env variables that hold URLs
+# environment variables
+/^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+\s\?=.*#>/ {
+        env_counter += 1;
+        env_vars[env_counter] = sprintf(env_var_fmt,
+                sprintf(env_var_val, $1, $2),
+                $3);
+        env_section = 1;
+        next;
+}
+
+# continuation message within an environment variable block
+env_section && /^\t#[>!]/ {
+        env_counter += 1;
+        env_vars[env_counter] = sprintf(continuation_fmt,
+               " ",
+               gensub(/^\t#[>!] ?(.*)/, "\\1", "g", $0));
+        next;
+}
+
+# reset environment flag
+{
+        env_section = 0;
+}
+
+# full length help message
+/^#>/ {
+        printf("%s\n", gensub(/^#> ?(.*)/, "\\1", "g", $0));
+        next;
+}
+
+# continuation messages
+/^\t#[>!]/ {
+        printf(continuation_fmt,
+               " ",
+               gensub(/^\t#[>!] ?(.*)/, "\\1", "g", $0));
+        next;
+}
+
+# targets that might require elevated priveleges
+/^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+\s*:.*#!/ {
+        printf(special_fmt, $1, $2);
+        special = 1;
+        next;
+}
+
+# normal targets
+/^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+\s*:.*#>/ {
+        printf(normal_fmt, $1, $2);
+        next;
+}
+
+# allow users to control the location of environment variables
+/^#env_vars:/ {
+        print_env();
+}
+
+END {
+        print_env();
+
+        if (special) {
+                printf("\nTargets in \033[31mred\033[0m ");
+                printf("might require special priveleges.\n");
+        }
+}
+
+function print_env() {
+        if (env_counter) {
+                printf("\nThis Makefile respects the following environment ");
+                printf("variables, shown with their values:\n\n");
+                for (i = 1; i <= env_counter; ++i) printf("%s", env_vars[i]);
+
+                # reset the counter to prevent duplication
+                env_counter = 0;
+        }
+}
+
+## vim: et sts=8