diff --git a/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-rules b/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-rules
index 9553b547c..50eb66d37 100644
--- a/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-rules
+++ b/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-rules
@@ -331,12 +331,10 @@ def main():
     print_err('You must run this script as root')
     sys.exit(1)
 
+  apply_help='After updating rule configuration, apply the idstools state.'
+
   main_parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
-  main_parser.add_argument('--apply', 
-                           action='store_const',
-                           const=True,
-                           required=False,
-                           help="After updating rule configuration, apply the idstools state.")
+  main_parser.add_argument('--apply', action='store_const', const=True, required=False, help=apply_help)
 
   subcommand_desc = textwrap.dedent(
     """\
@@ -357,10 +355,12 @@ def main():
   disabled_add = disabled_sub.add_parser('add')
   disabled_add.set_defaults(func=add_rem_disabled)
   disabled_add.add_argument('sid_pattern', metavar='SID|REGEX', help=sid_or_regex_help)
+  disabled_add.add_argument('--apply', action='store_const', const=True, required=False, help=apply_help)
 
   disabled_rem = disabled_sub.add_parser('remove')
   disabled_rem.set_defaults(func=add_rem_disabled, remove=True)
   disabled_rem.add_argument('sid_pattern', metavar='SID|REGEX', help=sid_or_regex_help)
+  disabled_rem.add_argument('--apply', action='store_const', const=True, required=False, help=apply_help)
 
   disabled_list = disabled_sub.add_parser('list')
   disabled_list.set_defaults(func=list_disabled_rules)
@@ -373,10 +373,12 @@ def main():
   enabled_add = enabled_sub.add_parser('add')
   enabled_add.set_defaults(func=add_rem_enabled)
   enabled_add.add_argument('sid_pattern', metavar='SID|REGEX', help=sid_or_regex_help)
+  enabled_add.add_argument('--apply', action='store_const', const=True, required=False, help=apply_help)
 
   enabled_rem = enabled_sub.add_parser('remove')
   enabled_rem.set_defaults(func=add_rem_enabled, remove=True)
   enabled_rem.add_argument('sid_pattern', metavar='SID|REGEX', help=sid_or_regex_help)
+  enabled_rem.add_argument('--apply', action='store_const', const=True, required=False, help=apply_help)
 
   enabled_list = enabled_sub.add_parser('list')
   enabled_list.set_defaults(func=list_enabled_rules)
@@ -394,12 +396,14 @@ def main():
   modify_add.add_argument('sid_pattern', metavar='SID|REGEX', help=sid_or_regex_help)
   modify_add.add_argument('search_term', metavar='SEARCH_TERM', help=search_term_help)
   modify_add.add_argument('replace_term', metavar='REPLACE_TERM', help=replace_term_help)
+  modify_add.add_argument('--apply', action='store_const', const=True, required=False, help=apply_help)
 
   modify_rem = modify_sub.add_parser('remove')
   modify_rem.set_defaults(func=add_rem_modify, remove=True)
   modify_rem.add_argument('sid_pattern', metavar='SID', help=sid_or_regex_help)
   modify_rem.add_argument('search_term', metavar='SEARCH_TERM', help=search_term_help)
   modify_rem.add_argument('replace_term', metavar='REPLACE_TERM', help=replace_term_help)
+  modify_rem.add_argument('--apply', action='store_const', const=True, required=False, help=apply_help)
 
   modify_list = modify_sub.add_parser('list')
   modify_list.set_defaults(func=list_modified_rules)