diff --git a/applications/pctaddnoise/pctaddnoise.py b/applications/pctaddnoise/pctaddnoise.py
index 0b347699..b512caff 100644
--- a/applications/pctaddnoise/pctaddnoise.py
+++ b/applications/pctaddnoise/pctaddnoise.py
@@ -58,9 +58,6 @@ def build_parser():
         type=float,
     )
     parser.add_argument("--seed", help="Random seed", type=int)
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--verbose", "-v", help="Verbose execution", default=False, action="store_true"
-    )
     return parser
 
 
diff --git a/applications/pctargumentparser.py b/applications/pctargumentparser.py
index 0fb099e8..8d40e5ce 100644
--- a/applications/pctargumentparser.py
+++ b/applications/pctargumentparser.py
@@ -1,131 +1,25 @@
-import argparse
-import itk
-from itk import PCT as pct
-import inspect
-from typing import Optional
-import difflib
-import re
+from itk import pctConfig
+from itk.rtkargumentparser import RTKArgumentParser
 
-__all__ = ["PCTArgumentParser"]
-
-
-class PCTHelpFormatter(argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter):
-    def _format_usage(self, usage, actions, groups, prefix=None):
-        if prefix is None:
-            prefix = pct.__version__ + "\n\nusage: "
-        return super()._format_usage(usage, actions, groups, prefix)
+"""PCT application argument parser.
 
+``PCTArgumentParser`` reuses :class:`RTKArgumentParser` and only overrides
+the version string so that ``--version`` reports PCT's version.
+"""
 
-class PCTArgumentParser(argparse.ArgumentParser):
-    def __init__(self, description=None, **kwargs):
-        super().__init__(description=description, **kwargs)
-        self.formatter_class = PCTHelpFormatter
-        # allow negative numeric tokens to be treated as values, not options. This mirrors CPython behavior in python 3.14
-        self._negative_number_matcher = re.compile(r"-\.?\d")
-        self.add_argument("-V", "--version", action="version", version=pct.__version__)
-
-    def build_signature(self) -> inspect.Signature:
-        """Build a compact Python signature: only required kwargs + **kwargs."""
-        required_params = []
-        for action in self._actions:
-            name = getattr(action, "dest", None)
-            if not name or name in ("help", "version"):
-                continue
-            if getattr(action, "required", False):
-                required_params.append(
-                    inspect.Parameter(name=name, kind=inspect.Parameter.KEYWORD_ONLY)
-                )
-        # Add catch-all for the many optional CLI options to keep help inline
-        var_kw = inspect.Parameter("kwargs", kind=inspect.Parameter.VAR_KEYWORD)
-        return inspect.Signature(required_params + [var_kw])
+__all__ = ["PCTArgumentParser"]
 
-    def build_usage_examples(self, app_name: Optional[str] = None) -> str:
-        """Return a Usage examples block for Python help()."""
-        name = app_name or self.prog
-        # Collect required destinations
-        req = [
-            a.dest
-            for a in self._actions
-            if getattr(a, "required", False)
-            and a.dest
-            and a.dest not in ("help", "version")
-        ]
-        shell = f"{name}(\"{' '.join([f'--{d} {d.upper()}' for d in req])}\")"
-        py = f"{name}({', '.join([f'{d}={d.upper()}' for d in req])})"
-        return "Usage:\n" f"    • Shell-style: {shell}\n" f"    • Python API:  {py}\n\n"
 
-    def apply_signature(self, func):
-        """Apply the built signature to a callable and return it."""
-        func.__signature__ = self.build_signature()
-        return func
+class PCTArgumentParser(RTKArgumentParser):
+    """Argument parser for PCT Python applications.
 
-    def parse_args(self, args=None, namespace=None):
-        """Parse args with optional single-token comma list support for multi-value options.
-        Supported forms:
-          --opt A B C      (space separated)
-          --opt A,B,C      (single token, comma separated)
-        """
-        neutralized = {}
-        for action in self._actions:
-            dest = getattr(action, "dest", None)
-            if not dest or dest in ("help", "version"):
-                continue
-            nargs = getattr(action, "nargs", None)
-            if nargs != "+":
-                continue
-            t = getattr(action, "type", None)
-            if t and t is not str:
-                neutralized[dest] = t
-                action.type = str
-        namespace = super().parse_args(args, namespace)
-        for action in self._actions:
-            dest = getattr(action, "dest", None)
-            if dest not in neutralized:
-                continue
-            caster = neutralized[dest]
-            val = getattr(namespace, dest, None)
-            if isinstance(val, list):
-                # Case 1: user supplied a single token containing commas (e.g. "1,2,3").
-                # Split on commas, strip whitespace, drop empty pieces, then cast each element.
-                if len(val) == 1 and isinstance(val[0], str) and "," in val[0]:
-                    pieces = [s for s in (p.strip() for p in val[0].split(",")) if s]
-                    setattr(namespace, dest, [caster(p) for p in pieces])
-                else:
-                    # Case 2: normal space-separated form (e.g. "1 2 3"). Just cast every token.
-                    setattr(namespace, dest, [caster(tk) for tk in val])
-            action.type = neutralized[dest]
-        return namespace
+    Reuses ``RTKArgumentParser`` and only overrides the version string so that
+    ``--version`` reports PCT's version.
+    """
 
-    def parse_kwargs(self, func_name: Optional[str] = None, **kwargs):
-        """Convert Python kwargs to argv and parse them.
-        Lists/tuples for multi-value options are serialized as a single comma token."""
-        actions = {
-            a.dest: a
-            for a in self._actions
-            if a.dest and a.dest not in ("help", "version")
-        }
-        for key in kwargs:
-            if key not in actions:
-                matches = difflib.get_close_matches(
-                    key, actions.keys(), n=3, cutoff=0.5
-                )
-                name = func_name or self.prog or "function"
-                msg = f"{name}() got an unexpected keyword argument '{key}'"
-                if matches:
-                    msg += f"\nDid you mean: {', '.join(matches)}?"
-                else:
-                    msg += f"\nValid arguments are: {', '.join(sorted(actions.keys()))}"
-                raise TypeError(msg)
-        argv = []
-        for key, val in kwargs.items():
-            action = actions[key]
-            opt_strings = list(action.option_strings)
-            flag = next((o for o in opt_strings if o.startswith("--")), opt_strings[0])
-            if isinstance(val, bool):
-                if val:
-                    argv.append(flag)
-            elif isinstance(val, (list, tuple)):
-                argv += [flag, ",".join(map(str, val))]
-            else:
-                argv += [flag, str(val)]
-        return self.parse_args(argv)
+    def __init__(self, description=None, version=None, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(
+            description=description,
+            version=version or pctConfig.PCT_GLOBAL_VERSION_STRING,
+            **kwargs,
+        )
diff --git a/applications/pctbinning/pctbinning.py b/applications/pctbinning/pctbinning.py
index 08dbf0d7..6b09a072 100644
--- a/applications/pctbinning/pctbinning.py
+++ b/applications/pctbinning/pctbinning.py
@@ -39,10 +39,6 @@ def build_parser():
         help="Particle used for imaging (proton or alpha)",
         default="proton",
     )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "-v", "--verbose", help="Verbose execution", action="store_true", default=False
-    )
-
     parser.add_argument(
         "-s", "--source", help="Source position", type=float, default=0.0
     )
diff --git a/applications/pctdoublelut/pctdoublelut.py b/applications/pctdoublelut/pctdoublelut.py
index 1ed7189c..7947f6cc 100644
--- a/applications/pctdoublelut/pctdoublelut.py
+++ b/applications/pctdoublelut/pctdoublelut.py
@@ -54,12 +54,6 @@ def build_parser():
         type=float,
     )
     parser.add_argument("--seed", help="Seed for random number generator", type=int)
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--verbose",
-        "-v",
-        help="Verbose execution",
-        action="store_true",
-    )
 
     return parser
 
diff --git a/applications/pctfdk/pctfdk.py b/applications/pctfdk/pctfdk.py
index 23a3075e..681cd221 100644
--- a/applications/pctfdk/pctfdk.py
+++ b/applications/pctfdk/pctfdk.py
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@ def build_parser():
         description="Reconstruct a 3D volume from a sequence of projections [Feldkamp, David, Kress, 1984]."
     )
     # General
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--verbose", "-v", help="Verbose execution", action="store_true"
-    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--geometry", "-g", help="XML geometry file name", type=str, required=True
     )
diff --git a/applications/pctlomalinda/pctlomalinda.py b/applications/pctlomalinda/pctlomalinda.py
index fbb679da..7111bbe2 100644
--- a/applications/pctlomalinda/pctlomalinda.py
+++ b/applications/pctlomalinda/pctlomalinda.py
@@ -32,9 +32,6 @@ def build_parser():
     parser.add_argument(
         "--max-run", help="Maximum run (exclusive)", default=1e6, type=int
     )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--verbose", "-v", help="Verbose execution", default=False, action="store_true"
-    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--ps", help="Name of tree in input phase space", default="PhaseSpace"
     )
diff --git a/applications/pctpairprotons/pctpairprotons.py b/applications/pctpairprotons/pctpairprotons.py
index d9259168..d3af49c6 100644
--- a/applications/pctpairprotons/pctpairprotons.py
+++ b/applications/pctpairprotons/pctpairprotons.py
@@ -54,9 +54,6 @@ def build_parser():
         default=False,
         action="store_true",
     )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--verbose", "-v", help="Verbose execution", default=False, action="store_true"
-    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--psin", help="Name of tree in input phase space", default="PhaseSpace"
     )
diff --git a/applications/pctweplfit/pctweplfit.py b/applications/pctweplfit/pctweplfit.py
index c4b8595e..8aeeff1d 100644
--- a/applications/pctweplfit/pctweplfit.py
+++ b/applications/pctweplfit/pctweplfit.py
@@ -493,13 +493,6 @@ def build_parser():
         action="store_true",
     )
     parser.add_argument("--seed", help="Seed for random number generator", type=int)
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--verbose",
-        "-v",
-        help="Verbose execution",
-        action="store_true",
-    )
-
     return parser
 
 
diff --git a/test/pct_argumentparser_test.py b/test/pct_argumentparser_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c3ca65fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/pct_argumentparser_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import pytest
+import itk
+from itk import PCT as pct
+from itk import RTK as rtk
+
+
+@pytest.fixture()
+def parser():
+    p = pct.PCTArgumentParser()
+    p.add_argument("--string-single", type=str, required=True)
+    p.add_argument("--number-single", type=int, required=True)
+    p.add_argument("--string-many", type=str, nargs="+", required=True)
+    p.add_argument("--number-many", type=int, nargs="+", required=True)
+    return p
+
+
+def assert_args(args):
+    assert args.string_single == "a"
+    assert args.number_single == 1
+    assert args.string_many == ["a", "b", "c"]
+    assert args.number_many == [1, 2, 3]
+
+
+def test_parser_inherits_from_rtk():
+    assert issubclass(pct.PCTArgumentParser, rtk.RTKArgumentParser)
+
+
+def test_version_flag_uses_pct_version(parser):
+    assert parser._version == pct.__version__
+
+
+def test_verbose_flag_inherited(parser):
+    args = parser.parse_args(
+        [
+            "--string-single",
+            "a",
+            "--number-single",
+            "1",
+            "--string-many",
+            "a,b,c",
+            "--number-many",
+            "1,2,3",
+            "-v",
+        ]
+    )
+    assert args.verbose is True
+    assert_args(args)
+
+
+def test_pctargumentparser_cli(parser):
+    args = parser.parse_args(
+        [
+            "--string-single",
+            "a",
+            "--number-single",
+            "1",
+            "--string-many",
+            "a,b,c",
+            "--number-many",
+            "1,2,3",
+        ]
+    )
+    assert_args(args)
+
+
+def test_pctargumentparser_cli_commas(parser):
+    args = parser.parse_args(
+        [
+            "--string-single",
+            "a",
+            "--number-single",
+            "1",
+            "--string-many",
+            "a",
+            "b",
+            "c",
+            "--number-many",
+            "1",
+            "2",
+            "3",
+        ]
+    )
+    assert_args(args)
+
+
+def test_pctargumentparser_python(parser):
+    args = parser.parse_kwargs(
+        string_single="a",
+        number_single=1,
+        string_many=["a", "b", "c"],
+        number_many=[1, 2, 3],
+    )
+    assert_args(args)
+
+
+def test_pctargumentparser_python_commas(parser):
+    args = parser.parse_kwargs(
+        string_single="a", number_single=1, string_many="a,b,c", number_many="1,2,3"
+    )
+    assert_args(args)