diff --git a/Documentation/git-branch.txt b/Documentation/git-branch.txt
index ba3dea6840..cbd4275871 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-branch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-branch.txt
@@ -112,19 +112,22 @@ OPTIONS
 	Display the full sha1s in the output listing rather than abbreviating them.
 
 --track::
-	When creating a new branch, set up the configuration so that 'git-pull'
-	will automatically retrieve data from the start point, which must be
-	a branch. Use this if you always pull from the same upstream branch
-	into the new branch, and if you do not want to use "git pull
-	<repository> <refspec>" explicitly. This behavior is the default
-	when the start point is a remote branch. Set the
-	branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to `false` if you want
-	'git-checkout' and 'git-branch' to always behave as if '--no-track' were
-	given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the
-	start-point is either a local or remote branch.
+	When creating a new branch, set up configuration to mark the
+	start-point branch as "upstream" from the new branch. This
+	configuration will tell git to show the relationship between the
+	two branches in `git status` and `git branch -v`. Furthermore,
+	it directs `git pull` without arguments to pull from the
+	upstream when the new branch is checked out.
++
+This behavior is the default when the start point is a remote branch.
+Set the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to `false` if you
+want `git checkout` and `git branch` to always behave as if '--no-track'
+were given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the
+start-point is either a local or remote branch.
 
 --no-track::
-	Ignore the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable.
+	Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
+	branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable is true.
 
 --contains <commit>::
 	Only list branches which contain the specified commit.
diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
index 223ea9caef..ad4b31e892 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
@@ -8,22 +8,22 @@ git-checkout - Checkout a branch or paths to the working tree
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
-'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-t | --track | --no-track] [-b <new_branch> [-l]] [-m] [<branch>]
+'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [<branch>]
+'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [-b <new_branch>] [<start_point>]
 'git checkout' [-f|--ours|--theirs|-m|--conflict=<style>] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>...
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
 
 When <paths> are not given, this command switches branches by
-updating the index and working tree to reflect the specified
-branch, <branch>, and updating HEAD to be <branch> or, if
-specified, <new_branch>.  Using -b will cause <new_branch> to
-be created; in this case you can use the --track or --no-track
-options, which will be passed to `git branch`.
+updating the index, working tree, and HEAD to reflect the specified
+branch.
 
-As a convenience, --track will default to creating a branch whose
-name is constructed from the specified branch name by stripping
-the first namespace level.
+If `-b` is given, a new branch is created and checked out, as if
+linkgit:git-branch[1] were called; in this case you can
+use the --track or --no-track options, which will be passed to `git
+branch`.  As a convenience, --track without `-b` implies branch
+creation; see the description of --track below.
 
 When <paths> are given, this command does *not* switch
 branches.  It updates the named paths in the working tree from
@@ -62,22 +62,12 @@ entries; instead, unmerged entries are ignored.
 
 -b::
 	Create a new branch named <new_branch> and start it at
-	<branch>.  The new branch name must pass all checks defined
-	by linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1].  Some of these checks
-	may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
+	<start_point>; see linkgit:git-branch[1] for details.
 
 -t::
 --track::
-	When creating a new branch, set up configuration so that 'git-pull'
-	will automatically retrieve data from the start point, which must be
-	a branch. Use this if you always pull from the same upstream branch
-	into the new branch, and if you don't want to use "git pull
-	<repository> <refspec>" explicitly. This behavior is the default
-	when the start point is a remote branch. Set the
-	branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to `false` if you want
-	'git checkout' and 'git branch' to always behave as if '--no-track' were
-	given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the
-	start point is either a local or remote branch.
+	When creating a new branch, set up "upstream" configuration. See
+	"--track" in linkgit:git-branch[1] for details.
 +
 If no '-b' option is given, the name of the new branch will be
 derived from the remote branch.  If "remotes/" or "refs/remotes/"
@@ -90,12 +80,12 @@ guessing results in an empty name, the guessing is aborted.  You can
 explicitly give a name with '-b' in such a case.
 
 --no-track::
-	Ignore the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable.
+	Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
+	branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable is true.
 
 -l::
-	Create the new branch's reflog.  This activates recording of
-	all changes made to the branch ref, enabling use of date
-	based sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@\{yesterday}".
+	Create the new branch's reflog; see linkgit:git-branch[1] for
+	details.
 
 -m::
 --merge::
@@ -123,23 +113,28 @@ the conflicted merge in the specified paths.
 	"merge" (default) and "diff3" (in addition to what is shown by
 	"merge" style, shows the original contents).
 
+<branch>::
+	Branch to checkout; if it refers to a branch (i.e., a name that,
+	when prepended with "refs/heads/", is a valid ref), then that
+	branch is checked out. Otherwise, if it refers to a valid
+	commit, your HEAD becomes "detached" and you are no longer on
+	any branch (see below for details).
++
+As a special case, the `"@\{-N\}"` syntax for the N-th last branch
+checks out the branch (instead of detaching).  You may also specify
+`-` which is synonymous with `"@\{-1\}"`.
+
 <new_branch>::
 	Name for the new branch.
 
+<start_point>::
+	The name of a commit at which to start the new branch; see
+	linkgit:git-branch[1] for details. Defaults to HEAD.
+
 <tree-ish>::
 	Tree to checkout from (when paths are given). If not specified,
 	the index will be used.
 
-<branch>::
-	Branch to checkout (when no paths are given); may be any object
-	ID that resolves to a commit.  Defaults to HEAD.
-+
-When this parameter names a non-branch (but still a valid commit object),
-your HEAD becomes 'detached'.
-+
-As a special case, the `"@\{-N\}"` syntax for the N-th last branch
-checks out the branch (instead of detaching).  You may also specify
-`-` which is synonymous with `"@\{-1\}"`.
 
 
 Detached HEAD