diff --git a/kitty/cli.py b/kitty/cli.py
index 126f62524..9cbac5a15 100644
--- a/kitty/cli.py
+++ b/kitty/cli.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from .cli_stub import CLIOptions
 from .conf.utils import resolve_config
 from .constants import (
     appname, clear_handled_signals, config_dir, defconf, is_macos, str_version,
-    website_url
+    website_url, default_pager_for_help
 )
 from .fast_data_types import wcswidth
 from .options.types import Options as KittyOpts
@@ -474,12 +474,16 @@ class PrintHelpForSeq:
         text = '\n'.join(blocks) + '\n\n' + version()
         if print_help_for_seq.allow_pager and sys.stdout.isatty():
             import subprocess
-            p = subprocess.Popen(['less', '-iRXF'], stdin=subprocess.PIPE, preexec_fn=clear_handled_signals)
             try:
-                p.communicate(text.encode('utf-8'))
-            except KeyboardInterrupt:
-                raise SystemExit(1)
-            raise SystemExit(p.wait())
+                p = subprocess.Popen(default_pager_for_help, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, preexec_fn=clear_handled_signals)
+            except FileNotFoundError:
+                print(text)
+            else:
+                try:
+                    p.communicate(text.encode('utf-8'))
+                except KeyboardInterrupt:
+                    raise SystemExit(1)
+                raise SystemExit(p.wait())
         else:
             print(text)
 
diff --git a/kitty/constants.py b/kitty/constants.py
index 2edcc3a0e..658bbb41b 100644
--- a/kitty/constants.py
+++ b/kitty/constants.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ is_freebsd: bool = 'freebsd' in _plat
 is_running_from_develop: bool = False
 RC_ENCRYPTION_PROTOCOL_VERSION = '1'
 website_base_url = 'https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/'
+default_pager_for_help = ('less', '-iRXF')
 if getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):
     extensions_dir: str = getattr(sys, 'kitty_run_data')['extensions_dir']