diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/elisp-scope.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/elisp-scope.el
index 848a8030e4d..d90698ae4e3 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/elisp-scope.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/elisp-scope.el
@@ -259,14 +259,11 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role free-variable (variable)
   :doc "Variable names."
   :face 'elisp-free-variable
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (if-let* ((sym (intern (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-              (lambda (&rest _)
-                (let ((val (if (boundp sym) (truncate-string-to-width (prin1-to-string (symbol-value sym)) 60 nil nil t) "#<unbound>")))
-                  (if-let* ((doc (documentation-property sym 'variable-documentation t)))
-                      (format "Special variable `%S'.\n\nValue: %s\n\n%s" sym val doc)
-                    (format "Special variable `%S'.\n\nValue: %s" sym val))))
-            "Special variable")))
+  :help (lambda (sym &rest _)
+          (let ((val (if (boundp sym) (truncate-string-to-width (prin1-to-string (symbol-value sym)) 60 nil nil t) "#<unbound>")))
+            (if-let* ((doc (documentation-property sym 'variable-documentation t)))
+                (format "Special variable `%S'.\n\nValue: %s\n\n%s" sym val doc)
+              (format "Special variable `%S'.\n\nValue: %s" sym val)))))
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role bound-variable (variable)
   :doc "Local variable names."
@@ -291,8 +288,7 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role face ()
   :doc "Face names."
   :face 'elisp-face
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (elisp--help-echo beg end 'face-documentation "Face")))
+  :help (apply-partially #'elisp--help-echo 'face-documentation "Face"))
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role callable ()
   :doc "Abstract symbol role of function-like symbols.")
@@ -300,12 +296,7 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role function (callable)
   :doc "Function names."
   :face 'elisp-function
-  :help (lambda (beg end def)
-          (cond ((equal beg def) "Local function definition")
-                (def             "Local function call")
-                (t (if-let* ((sym (intern-soft (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-                       (apply-partially #'elisp--function-help-echo sym)
-                     "Function call")))))
+  :help #'elisp--function-help-echo)
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role command (function)
   :doc "Command names.")
@@ -317,27 +308,17 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role non-local-exit (function)
   :doc "Functions that do not return."
-  :face 'elisp-non-local-exit
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (if-let* ((sym (intern-soft (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-              (apply-partially #'elisp--function-help-echo sym)
-            "Non-local exit")))
+  :face 'elisp-non-local-exit)
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role macro (callable)
   :doc "Macro names."
   :face 'elisp-macro
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (if-let* ((sym (intern-soft (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-              (apply-partially #'elisp--function-help-echo sym)
-            "Macro call")))
+  :help #'elisp--function-help-echo)
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role special-form (callable)
   :doc "Special form names."
   :face 'elisp-special-form
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (if-let* ((sym (intern-soft (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-              (apply-partially #'elisp--function-help-echo sym)
-            "Special form")))
+  :help #'elisp--function-help-echo)
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role throw-tag ()
   :doc "Symbols used as `throw'/`catch' tags."
@@ -422,15 +403,12 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role condition ()
   :doc "`condition-case' conditions."
   :face 'elisp-condition
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (if-let* ((sym (intern (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-              (lambda (&rest _)
-                (let ((msg (get sym 'error-message)))
-                  (apply #'concat
-                         "`condition-case' condition"
-                         (when (and msg (not (string-empty-p msg)))
-                           `(": " ,msg)))))
-            "`condition-case' condition")))
+  :help (lambda (sym &rest _)
+          (let ((msg (get sym 'error-message)))
+            (apply #'concat
+                   "`condition-case' condition"
+                   (when (and msg (not (string-empty-p msg)))
+                     `(": " ,msg))))))
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role defcondition (condition)
   :doc "`condition-case' condition definitions."
@@ -478,12 +456,9 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role major-mode ()
   :doc "Major mode names."
   :face 'elisp-major-mode-name
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (if-let* ((sym (intern (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-              (lambda (&rest _)
-                (if-let* ((doc (documentation sym)))
-                    (format "Major mode `%S'.\n\n%s" sym doc)
-                  "Major mode"))
+  :help (lambda (sym &rest _)
+          (if-let* ((doc (documentation sym)))
+              (format "Major mode `%S'.\n\n%s" sym doc)
             "Major mode")))
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role major-mode-definition (major-mode)
@@ -492,8 +467,7 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role block ()
   :doc "`cl-block' block names."
-  :help (lambda (beg _end def)
-          (if (equal beg def) "Block definition" "Block")))
+  :help "Block")
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role icon ()
   :doc "Icon names."
@@ -508,12 +482,9 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role oclosure ()
   :doc "OClosure type names."
   :face 'elisp-oclosure
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (if-let* ((sym (intern (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-              (lambda (&rest _)
-                (if-let* ((doc (oclosure--class-docstring (get sym 'cl--class))))
-                    (format "OClosure type `%S'.\n\n%s" sym doc)
-                  "OClosure type"))
+  :help (lambda (sym &rest _)
+          (if-let* ((doc (oclosure--class-docstring (get sym 'cl--class))))
+              (format "OClosure type `%S'.\n\n%s" sym doc)
             "OClosure type")))
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role defoclosure ()
@@ -524,12 +495,9 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role coding ()
   :doc "Coding-system names."
   :face 'elisp-coding
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (if-let* ((sym (intern (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-              (lambda (&rest _)
-                (if-let* ((doc (coding-system-doc-string sym)))
-                    (format "Coding-system `%S'.\n\n%s" sym doc)
-                  "Coding-system"))
+  :help (lambda (sym &rest _)
+          (if-let* ((doc (coding-system-doc-string sym)))
+              (format "Coding-system `%S'.\n\n%s" sym doc)
             "Coding-system")))
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role defcoding ()
@@ -540,12 +508,9 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role charset ()
   :doc "Character set names."
   :face 'elisp-charset
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (if-let* ((sym (intern (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-              (lambda (&rest _)
-                (if-let* ((doc (charset-description sym)))
-                    (format "Character set `%S'.\n\n%s" sym doc)
-                  "Character set"))
+  :help (lambda (sym &rest _)
+          (if-let* ((doc (charset-description sym)))
+              (format "Character set `%S'.\n\n%s" sym doc)
             "Character set")))
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role defcharset ()
@@ -556,12 +521,9 @@ Interactively, prompt for ROLE."
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role completion-category ()
   :doc "Completion categories."
   :face 'elisp-completion-category
-  :help (lambda (beg end _def)
-          (if-let* ((sym (intern (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-              (lambda (&rest _)
-                (if-let* ((doc (get sym 'completion-category-documentation)))
-                    (format "Completion category `%S'.\n\n%s" sym doc)
-                  "Completion category"))
+  :help (lambda (sym &rest _)
+          (if-let* ((doc (get sym 'completion-category-documentation)))
+              (format "Completion category `%S'.\n\n%s" sym doc)
             "Completion category")))
 
 (elisp-scope-define-symbol-role completion-category-definition ()
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/elisp-mode.el b/lisp/progmodes/elisp-mode.el
index 4a842de6200..aa0f0117036 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/elisp-mode.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/elisp-mode.el
@@ -553,28 +553,26 @@ code analysis."
         (describe-function-1 sym))
       (buffer-string))))
 
-(defun elisp--help-echo-1 (str sym prop &rest _)
+(defun elisp--help-echo (prop str sym &rest _)
   (if-let* ((doc (documentation-property sym prop t)))
       (format "%s `%S'.\n\n%s" str sym doc)
     str))
 
-(defun elisp--help-echo (beg end prop str)
-  (if-let* ((sym (intern-soft (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end))))
-      (apply-partially #'elisp--help-echo-1 str sym prop)
-    str))
-
 (defcustom elisp-add-help-echo t
   "Whether to add `help-echo' property to symbols while highlighting them.
 This option has effect only if `elisp-fontify-semantically' is non-nil."
   :version "31.1"
   :type 'boolean)
 
-(defun elisp--annotate-symbol-with-help-echo (type beg end def)
+(defun elisp--annotate-symbol-with-help-echo (role beg end sym)
   (when elisp-add-help-echo
     (put-text-property
      beg end 'help-echo
-     (when-let* ((hlp (elisp-scope-get-symbol-role-property type :help)))
-       (if (stringp hlp) hlp (funcall hlp beg end def))))))
+     (when-let* ((hlp (elisp-scope-get-symbol-role-property role :help)))
+       ;; HLP is either a string, or a function that takes SYM as an
+       ;; additional argument on top of the usual WINDOW, OBJECT and POS
+       ;; that `help-echo' functions takes.
+       (if (stringp hlp) hlp (apply-partially hlp sym))))))
 
 (defvar font-lock-beg)
 (defvar font-lock-end)
@@ -605,9 +603,9 @@ semantic highlighting takes precedence."
           (function :tag "Custom function"))
   :version "31.1")
 
-(defun elisp-fontify-symbol (role beg _sym id &optional def)
+(defun elisp-fontify-symbol (role beg sym id &optional _def)
   (let ((end (progn (goto-char beg) (read (current-buffer)) (point))))
-    (elisp--annotate-symbol-with-help-echo role beg end def)
+    (elisp--annotate-symbol-with-help-echo role beg end sym)
     (let ((face (elisp-scope-get-symbol-role-property role :face)))
       (add-face-text-property
        beg end face