diff --git a/doc/backends.mdwn b/doc/backends.mdwn
index 710255dcfd..d26cadce51 100644
--- a/doc/backends.mdwn
+++ b/doc/backends.mdwn
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ which are known to not work on Windows. If interoperability on Windows is a
 concern, avoid those.
 
 The `annex.backends` git-config setting can be used to list the backends
-git-annex should use. The first one listed will be used by default when
-new files are added.
+git-annex should use when adding new files. The first one listed will
+be used.
 
 For finer control of what backend is used when adding different types of
 files, the `.gitattributes` file can be used. The `annex.backend`
diff --git a/doc/git-annex.mdwn b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
index 525900d92f..1c905766d3 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
@@ -823,8 +823,8 @@ Here are all the supported configuration settings.
 
 * `annex.backends`
 
-  Space-separated list of names of the key-value backends to use.
-  The first listed is used to store new files by default.
+  Space-separated list of names of the key-value backends to use
+  when adding new files to the repository.
 
   This is overridden by annex annex.backend configuration in the
   .gitattributes files.