diff --git a/test/functional/feature_help.py b/test/functional/feature_help.py
index d38275a9c..1adafc21a 100755
--- a/test/functional/feature_help.py
+++ b/test/functional/feature_help.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 # Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
 # file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
 """Verify that starting bitcoin with -h works as expected."""
-import subprocess
 
 from test_framework.test_framework import BitcoinTestFramework
 from test_framework.util import assert_equal
@@ -17,35 +16,15 @@ class HelpTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
         self.add_nodes(self.num_nodes)
         # Don't start the node
 
-    def run_test(self):
-        self.log.info("Start bitcoin with -h for help text")
-        self.nodes[0].start(extra_args=['-h'], stderr=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
-        # Node should exit immediately and output help to stdout.
+    def get_node_output(self, *, ret_code_expected):
         ret_code = self.nodes[0].process.wait(timeout=1)
-        assert_equal(ret_code, 0)
-        output = self.nodes[0].process.stdout.read()
-        assert b'Options' in output
-        self.log.info("Help text received: {} (...)".format(output[0:60]))
-        self.nodes[0].running = False
-
-        self.log.info("Start bitcoin with -version for version information")
-        self.nodes[0].start(extra_args=['-version'], stderr=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
-        # Node should exit immediately and output version to stdout.
-        ret_code = self.nodes[0].process.wait(timeout=1)
-        assert_equal(ret_code, 0)
-        output = self.nodes[0].process.stdout.read()
-        assert b'version' in output
-        self.log.info("Version text received: {} (...)".format(output[0:60]))
-
-        # Test that arguments not in the help results in an error
-        self.log.info("Start bitcoind with -fakearg to make sure it does not start")
-        self.nodes[0].start(extra_args=['-fakearg'], stderr=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
-        # Node should exit immediately and output an error to stderr
-        ret_code = self.nodes[0].process.wait(timeout=1)
-        assert_equal(ret_code, 1)
-        output = self.nodes[0].process.stderr.read()
-        assert b'Error parsing command line arguments' in output
-        self.log.info("Error message received: {} (...)".format(output[0:60]))
+        assert_equal(ret_code, ret_code_expected)
+        self.nodes[0].stdout.seek(0)
+        self.nodes[0].stderr.seek(0)
+        out = self.nodes[0].stdout.read()
+        err = self.nodes[0].stderr.read()
+        self.nodes[0].stdout.close()
+        self.nodes[0].stderr.close()
 
         # Clean up TestNode state
         self.nodes[0].running = False
@@ -53,5 +32,31 @@ class HelpTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
         self.nodes[0].rpc_connected = False
         self.nodes[0].rpc = None
 
+        return out, err
+
+    def run_test(self):
+        self.log.info("Start bitcoin with -h for help text")
+        self.nodes[0].start(extra_args=['-h'])
+        # Node should exit immediately and output help to stdout.
+        output, _ = self.get_node_output(ret_code_expected=0)
+        assert b'Options' in output
+        self.log.info("Help text received: {} (...)".format(output[0:60]))
+
+        self.log.info("Start bitcoin with -version for version information")
+        self.nodes[0].start(extra_args=['-version'])
+        # Node should exit immediately and output version to stdout.
+        output, _ = self.get_node_output(ret_code_expected=0)
+        assert b'version' in output
+        self.log.info("Version text received: {} (...)".format(output[0:60]))
+
+        # Test that arguments not in the help results in an error
+        self.log.info("Start bitcoind with -fakearg to make sure it does not start")
+        self.nodes[0].start(extra_args=['-fakearg'])
+        # Node should exit immediately and output an error to stderr
+        _, output = self.get_node_output(ret_code_expected=1)
+        assert b'Error parsing command line arguments' in output
+        self.log.info("Error message received: {} (...)".format(output[0:60]))
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     HelpTest().main()
diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
index 81ca156f8..7bf5f5f0d 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class TestNode():
             assert self.rpc_connected and self.rpc is not None, self._node_msg("Error: no RPC connection")
             return getattr(self.rpc, name)
 
-    def start(self, extra_args=None, stdout=None, stderr=None, *args, **kwargs):
+    def start(self, extra_args=None, *, stdout=None, stderr=None, **kwargs):
         """Start the node."""
         if extra_args is None:
             extra_args = self.extra_args
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class TestNode():
         # add environment variable LIBC_FATAL_STDERR_=1 so that libc errors are written to stderr and not the terminal
         subp_env = dict(os.environ, LIBC_FATAL_STDERR_="1")
 
-        self.process = subprocess.Popen(self.args + extra_args, env=subp_env, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr, *args, **kwargs)
+        self.process = subprocess.Popen(self.args + extra_args, env=subp_env, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr, **kwargs)
 
         self.running = True
         self.log.debug("bitcoind started, waiting for RPC to come up")