diff --git a/Doc/library/argparse.rst b/Doc/library/argparse.rst
index 53ecc97d5659f4..09982854948f95 100644
--- a/Doc/library/argparse.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/argparse.rst
@@ -343,6 +343,9 @@ The default message can be overridden with the ``usage=`` keyword argument::
 The ``%(prog)s`` format specifier is available to fill in the program name in
 your usage messages.
 
+When you specify custom usage, always specify also prog_ and usage_
+arguments to :meth:`subparsers <_SubParsersAction.add_parser>`.
+
 
 .. _description:
 
diff --git a/Lib/argparse.py b/Lib/argparse.py
index 690b2a9db9481b..d559ab5e7ed495 100644
--- a/Lib/argparse.py
+++ b/Lib/argparse.py
@@ -1813,11 +1813,14 @@ def add_subparsers(self, **kwargs):
         # prog defaults to the usage message of this parser, skipping
         # optional arguments and with no "usage:" prefix
         if kwargs.get('prog') is None:
-            formatter = self._get_formatter()
-            positionals = self._get_positional_actions()
-            groups = self._mutually_exclusive_groups
-            formatter.add_usage(self.usage, positionals, groups, '')
-            kwargs['prog'] = formatter.format_help().strip()
+            if self.usage is None:
+                formatter = self._get_formatter()
+                positionals = self._get_positional_actions()
+                groups = self._mutually_exclusive_groups
+                formatter.add_usage(self.usage, positionals, groups, '')
+                kwargs['prog'] = formatter.format_help().strip()
+            else:
+                kwargs['prog'] = '...'
 
         # create the parsers action and add it to the positionals list
         parsers_class = self._pop_action_class(kwargs, 'parsers')
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_argparse.py b/Lib/test/test_argparse.py
index ef05a6fefcffcc..865fb77d997f1d 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_argparse.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_argparse.py
@@ -2203,16 +2203,17 @@ def assertArgumentParserError(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.assertRaises(ArgumentParserError, *args, **kwargs)
 
     def _get_parser(self, subparser_help=False, prefix_chars=None,
-                    aliases=False):
+                    aliases=False, usage=None):
         # create a parser with a subparsers argument
         if prefix_chars:
             parser = ErrorRaisingArgumentParser(
-                prog='PROG', description='main description', prefix_chars=prefix_chars)
+                prog='PROG', description='main description', usage=usage,
+                prefix_chars=prefix_chars)
             parser.add_argument(
                 prefix_chars[0] * 2 + 'foo', action='store_true', help='foo help')
         else:
             parser = ErrorRaisingArgumentParser(
-                prog='PROG', description='main description')
+                prog='PROG', description='main description', usage=usage)
             parser.add_argument(
                 '--foo', action='store_true', help='foo help')
         parser.add_argument(
@@ -2249,7 +2250,8 @@ def _get_parser(self, subparser_help=False, prefix_chars=None,
         parser2.add_argument('z', type=complex, nargs='*', help='z help')
 
         # add third sub-parser
-        parser3_kwargs = dict(description='3 description')
+        parser3_kwargs = dict(description='3 description',
+                              usage='PROG --foo bar 3 t ...')
         if subparser_help:
             parser3_kwargs['help'] = '3 help'
         parser3 = subparsers.add_parser('3', **parser3_kwargs)
@@ -2271,6 +2273,47 @@ def test_parse_args_failures(self):
             args = args_str.split()
             self.assertArgumentParserError(self.parser.parse_args, args)
 
+    def test_parse_args_failures_details(self):
+        for args_str, usage_str, error_str in [
+            ('',
+             'usage: PROG [-h] [--foo] bar {1,2,3} ...',
+             'PROG: error: the following arguments are required: bar'),
+            ('0.5 1 -y',
+             'usage: PROG bar 1 [-h] [-w W] {a,b,c}',
+             'PROG bar 1: error: the following arguments are required: x'),
+            ('0.5 3',
+             'usage: PROG --foo bar 3 t ...',
+             'PROG bar 3: error: the following arguments are required: t'),
+        ]:
+            with self.subTest(args_str):
+                args = args_str.split()
+                with self.assertRaises(ArgumentParserError) as cm:
+                    self.parser.parse_args(args)
+                self.assertEqual(cm.exception.args[0], 'SystemExit')
+                self.assertEqual(cm.exception.args[2], f'{usage_str}\n{error_str}\n')
+
+    def test_parse_args_failures_details_custom_usage(self):
+        parser = self._get_parser(usage='PROG [--foo] bar 1 [-w W] {a,b,c}\n'
+                                 '       PROG --foo bar 3 t ...')
+        for args_str, usage_str, error_str in [
+            ('',
+             'usage: PROG [--foo] bar 1 [-w W] {a,b,c}\n'
+             '       PROG --foo bar 3 t ...',
+             'PROG: error: the following arguments are required: bar'),
+            ('0.5 1 -y',
+             'usage: ... 1 [-h] [-w W] {a,b,c}',
+             '... 1: error: the following arguments are required: x'),
+            ('0.5 3',
+             'usage: PROG --foo bar 3 t ...',
+             '... 3: error: the following arguments are required: t'),
+        ]:
+            with self.subTest(args_str):
+                args = args_str.split()
+                with self.assertRaises(ArgumentParserError) as cm:
+                    parser.parse_args(args)
+                self.assertEqual(cm.exception.args[0], 'SystemExit')
+                self.assertEqual(cm.exception.args[2], f'{usage_str}\n{error_str}\n')
+
     def test_parse_args(self):
         # check some non-failure cases:
         self.assertEqual(
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2024-09-25-21-27-37.gh-issue-86463.lcBmsO.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2024-09-25-21-27-37.gh-issue-86463.lcBmsO.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..98fd50f69d9f3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2024-09-25-21-27-37.gh-issue-86463.lcBmsO.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+:mod:`argparse` now uses the placeholder ``'...'`` as the ``prog`` prefix in
+subparsers if a custom ``usage`` is specified in the parent parser and
+``prog`` is not specified in the subparser.