diff --git a/pkg/config/linters_settings.go b/pkg/config/linters_settings.go
index cb4095d03aae..3d47951783f3 100644
--- a/pkg/config/linters_settings.go
+++ b/pkg/config/linters_settings.go
@@ -550,26 +550,16 @@ type TestpackageSettings struct {
 }
 
 type ThelperSettings struct {
-	Test struct {
-		First bool `mapstructure:"first"`
-		Name  bool `mapstructure:"name"`
-		Begin bool `mapstructure:"begin"`
-	} `mapstructure:"test"`
-	Fuzz struct {
-		First bool `mapstructure:"first"`
-		Name  bool `mapstructure:"name"`
-		Begin bool `mapstructure:"begin"`
-	} `mapstructure:"fuzz"`
-	Benchmark struct {
-		First bool `mapstructure:"first"`
-		Name  bool `mapstructure:"name"`
-		Begin bool `mapstructure:"begin"`
-	} `mapstructure:"benchmark"`
-	TB struct {
-		First bool `mapstructure:"first"`
-		Name  bool `mapstructure:"name"`
-		Begin bool `mapstructure:"begin"`
-	} `mapstructure:"tb"`
+	Test      ThelperOptions `mapstructure:"test"`
+	Fuzz      ThelperOptions `mapstructure:"fuzz"`
+	Benchmark ThelperOptions `mapstructure:"benchmark"`
+	TB        ThelperOptions `mapstructure:"tb"`
+}
+
+type ThelperOptions struct {
+	First *bool `mapstructure:"first"`
+	Name  *bool `mapstructure:"name"`
+	Begin *bool `mapstructure:"begin"`
 }
 
 type TenvSettings struct {
diff --git a/pkg/golinters/thelper.go b/pkg/golinters/thelper.go
index 349c46666df6..41edbe7616fd 100644
--- a/pkg/golinters/thelper.go
+++ b/pkg/golinters/thelper.go
@@ -13,53 +13,44 @@ import (
 func NewThelper(cfg *config.ThelperSettings) *goanalysis.Linter {
 	a := analyzer.NewAnalyzer()
 
-	cfgMap := map[string]map[string]interface{}{}
-	if cfg != nil {
-		var opts []string
+	opts := map[string]struct{}{
+		"t_name":  {},
+		"t_begin": {},
+		"t_first": {},
 
-		if cfg.Test.Name {
-			opts = append(opts, "t_name")
-		}
-		if cfg.Test.Begin {
-			opts = append(opts, "t_begin")
-		}
-		if cfg.Test.First {
-			opts = append(opts, "t_first")
-		}
+		"f_name":  {},
+		"f_begin": {},
+		"f_first": {},
 
-		if cfg.Fuzz.Name {
-			opts = append(opts, "f_name")
-		}
-		if cfg.Fuzz.Begin {
-			opts = append(opts, "f_begin")
-		}
-		if cfg.Fuzz.First {
-			opts = append(opts, "f_first")
-		}
+		"b_name":  {},
+		"b_begin": {},
+		"b_first": {},
 
-		if cfg.Benchmark.Name {
-			opts = append(opts, "b_name")
-		}
-		if cfg.Benchmark.Begin {
-			opts = append(opts, "b_begin")
-		}
-		if cfg.Benchmark.First {
-			opts = append(opts, "b_first")
-		}
+		"tb_name":  {},
+		"tb_begin": {},
+		"tb_first": {},
+	}
 
-		if cfg.TB.Name {
-			opts = append(opts, "tb_name")
-		}
-		if cfg.TB.Begin {
-			opts = append(opts, "tb_begin")
-		}
-		if cfg.TB.First {
-			opts = append(opts, "tb_first")
-		}
+	if cfg != nil {
+		applyTHelperOptions(cfg.Test, "t_", opts)
+		applyTHelperOptions(cfg.Fuzz, "f_", opts)
+		applyTHelperOptions(cfg.Benchmark, "b_", opts)
+		applyTHelperOptions(cfg.TB, "tb_", opts)
+	}
 
-		cfgMap[a.Name] = map[string]interface{}{
-			"checks": strings.Join(opts, ","),
-		}
+	if len(opts) == 0 {
+		linterLogger.Fatalf("thelper: at least one option must be enabled")
+	}
+
+	var args []string
+	for k := range opts {
+		args = append(args, k)
+	}
+
+	cfgMap := map[string]map[string]interface{}{
+		a.Name: {
+			"checks": strings.Join(args, ","),
+		},
 	}
 
 	return goanalysis.NewLinter(
@@ -69,3 +60,23 @@ func NewThelper(cfg *config.ThelperSettings) *goanalysis.Linter {
 		cfgMap,
 	).WithLoadMode(goanalysis.LoadModeTypesInfo)
 }
+
+func applyTHelperOptions(o config.ThelperOptions, prefix string, opts map[string]struct{}) {
+	if o.Name != nil {
+		if !*o.Name {
+			delete(opts, prefix+"name")
+		}
+	}
+
+	if o.Begin != nil {
+		if !*o.Begin {
+			delete(opts, prefix+"begin")
+		}
+	}
+
+	if o.First != nil {
+		if !*o.First {
+			delete(opts, prefix+"first")
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/test/testdata/configs/thelper.yml b/test/testdata/configs/thelper.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..eaa8f403b206
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/configs/thelper.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+linters-settings:
+  thelper:
+    test:
+      name: false
+      begin: true
diff --git a/test/testdata/thelper_with_options.go b/test/testdata/thelper_with_options.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..da835b536164
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/thelper_with_options.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// args: -Ethelper
+// config_path: testdata/configs/thelper.yml
+package testdata
+
+import "testing"
+
+func thelperWithHelperAfterAssignmentWO(t *testing.T) { // ERROR "test helper function should start from t.Helper()"
+	_ = 0
+	t.Helper()
+}
+
+func thelperWithNotFirstWO(s string, t *testing.T, i int) { // ERROR `parameter \*testing.T should be the first`
+	t.Helper()
+}
+
+func thelperWithIncorrectNameWO(o *testing.T) {
+	o.Helper()
+}