diff --git a/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py b/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
index 25f156f8b20..e9f7d3cf29c 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
@@ -998,6 +998,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.hook.pytest_addoption.call_historic(
             kwargs=dict(parser=self._parser, pluginmanager=self.pluginmanager)
         )
+        self.args_source = Config.ArgsSource.ARGS
 
         if TYPE_CHECKING:
             from _pytest.cacheprovider import Cache
@@ -1368,7 +1369,7 @@ def parse(self, args: List[str], addopts: bool = True) -> None:
             self.args = args
             self.args_source = source
         except PrintHelp:
-            pass
+            self.args = []
 
     def issue_config_time_warning(self, warning: Warning, stacklevel: int) -> None:
         """Issue and handle a warning during the "configure" stage.
diff --git a/src/_pytest/main.py b/src/_pytest/main.py
index 8bbc1eec14b..61fb7eaa4e3 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/main.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/main.py
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ def perform_collect(  # noqa: F811
         and ``session.items`` is empty.
         """
         if args is None:
-            args = self.config.args if hasattr(self.config, "args") else ()
+            args = self.config.args
 
         self.trace("perform_collect", self, args)
         self.trace.root.indent += 1
diff --git a/src/_pytest/terminal.py b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
index 34bc9719eee..d60ad7513fa 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/terminal.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
@@ -737,10 +737,7 @@ def pytest_report_header(self, config: Config) -> List[str]:
 
         if config.inipath:
             line += ", configfile: " + bestrelpath(config.rootpath, config.inipath)
-        if (
-            hasattr(config, "args_source")
-            and config.args_source == Config.ArgsSource.TESTPATHS
-        ):
+        if config.args_source == Config.ArgsSource.TESTPATHS:
             testpaths: List[str] = config.getini("testpaths")
             line += ", testpaths: {}".format(", ".join(testpaths))