diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Aregister.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Aregister.hs
index 870c73f8f..121fa3de9 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Aregister.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Aregister.hs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ aregistermode = hledgerCommandMode
 #endif
       ++ " or $COLUMNS). -wN,M sets description width as well."
      )
-  ,flagNone ["align-all"] (setboolopt "align-all") "truly align to the longest widths"
+  ,flagNone ["align-all"] (setboolopt "align-all") "guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)"
   ,outputFormatFlag ["txt","csv","json"]
   ,outputFileFlag
   ])
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Register.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Register.hs
index fd26467df..638d7fc5b 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Register.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Register.hs
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ registermode = hledgerCommandMode
 #endif
       ++ " or $COLUMNS). -wN,M sets description width as well."
      )
-  ,flagNone ["align-all"] (setboolopt "align-all") "truly align to the longest widths"
+  ,flagNone ["align-all"] (setboolopt "align-all") "guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)"
   ,outputFormatFlag ["txt","csv","json"]
   ,outputFileFlag
   ])