diff --git a/doc/ref/guile-invoke.texi b/doc/ref/guile-invoke.texi
index 9379a8b98..ccb530157 100644
--- a/doc/ref/guile-invoke.texi
+++ b/doc/ref/guile-invoke.texi
@@ -156,6 +156,12 @@ interactive session.  When executing a script with @option{-s} or
 Do not use the debugging VM engine, even when entering an interactive
 session.
 
+Note that, despite the name, Guile running with @option{--no-debug}
+@emph{does} support the usual debugging facilities, such as printing a
+detailed backtrace upon error.  The only difference with
+@option{--debug} is lack of support for VM hooks and the facilities that
+build upon it (see above).
+
 @item -q
 @cindex init file, not loading
 @cindex @file{.guile} file, not loading
diff --git a/module/ice-9/command-line.scm b/module/ice-9/command-line.scm
index e94336a90..706948f58 100644
--- a/module/ice-9/command-line.scm
+++ b/module/ice-9/command-line.scm
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ If FILE begins with `-' the -s switch is mandatory.
   -e FUNCTION    after reading script, apply FUNCTION to
                  command line arguments
   -ds            do -s script at this point
-  --debug        start with debugging evaluator and backtraces
-  --no-debug     start with normal evaluator
+  --debug        start with the \"debugging\" VM engine
+  --no-debug     start with the normal VM engine, which also supports debugging
                  Default is to enable debugging for interactive
                  use, but not for `-s' and `-c'.
   --auto-compile compile source files automatically