diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 621962d683cc609984f3b955dde46e6b6eda5c46..3ac99fb74827b24add526b23a82cb75fedbea10c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 	in the main menu, to make it easy to find.
 	* doc/texinfo/nano.texi: Improve some formatting, hyphenation, wording
 	and dashes.  And remove some confusing, historical things.
+	* doc/man/nano.1, doc/man/nanorc.5, doc/texinfo/nano.texi: Clarify the
+	meaning of --backupdir: it doesn't just specify a directory for saving
+	backup files, it mainly causes uniquely numbered backups to be made.
 
 2015-06-04  Benno Schulenberg  <bensberg@justemail.net>
 	* src/nano.h: Fix compilation with --enable-tiny.
diff --git a/doc/man/nano.1 b/doc/man/nano.1
index 3cd1483db3593836bf13185e3139224d1345495a..8abb551a140905c2a28d67104cdba9dd2b47b2c5 100644
--- a/doc/man/nano.1
+++ b/doc/man/nano.1
@@ -53,12 +53,13 @@ already at that position, it will jump to the true beginning of the
 line.
 .TP
 .BR \-B ", " \-\-backup
-When saving a file, back up the previous version of it to the current
+When saving a file, back up the previous version of it, using the current
 filename suffixed with a tilde (\fB~\fP).
 .TP
 .BR \-C\ \fIdirectory\fR ", " \-\-backupdir= \fIdirectory
-Set the directory where \fBnano\fP puts unique backup files, if file
-backups are enabled.
+Make and keep not just one backup file, but make and keep a uniquely
+numbered one every time a file is saved -- when backups are enabled.
+The uniquely numbered files are stored in the specified \fIdirectory\fR.
 .TP
 .BR \-D ", " \-\-boldtext
 Use bold text instead of reverse video text.
diff --git a/doc/man/nanorc.5 b/doc/man/nanorc.5
index 84f1512e235a1bdbdd108712fd03f0dc7b6ac81d..843767b1590b56553e4131a6831da05aecb386b4 100644
--- a/doc/man/nanorc.5
+++ b/doc/man/nanorc.5
@@ -64,11 +64,14 @@ NOT enable this option unless you are sure you need it.
 Use auto-indentation.
 .TP
 .B set backup
-Create backup files by adding a tilde (\fB~\fP) to each file's name.
+When saving a file, create a backup file by adding a tilde (\fB~\fP) to
+the file's name.
 .TP
 .B set backupdir "\fIdirectory\fP"
-Set the directory where \fBnano\fP puts unique backup files, if file
-backups are enabled.
+Make and keep not just one backup file, but make and keep a uniquely
+numbered one every time a file is saved --- when backups are enabled
+with \fBset backup\fR or \fB\-\-backup\fR or \fB\-B\fR.
+The uniquely numbered files are stored in the specified \fIdirectory\fR.
 .TP
 .B set backwards
 Do backwards searches by default.
@@ -615,7 +618,7 @@ Toggles whether long lines will be hard-wrapped to the next line.
 Toggles whether typed tabs will be converted to spaces.
 .TP
 .B backupfile
-Toggles whether a backup will be made of the file to be edited.
+Toggles whether a backup will be made of the file being edited.
 .TP
 .B multibuffer
 Toggles whether a file is inserted into the current buffer
diff --git a/doc/texinfo/nano.texi b/doc/texinfo/nano.texi
index dd25722d3c389572aeb921d248488c5e97902c0e..56550d7228dcb230c6ef4e7afe3af4f7256351b6 100644
--- a/doc/texinfo/nano.texi
+++ b/doc/texinfo/nano.texi
@@ -134,13 +134,14 @@ line.
 
 @item -B
 @itemx --backup
-When saving a file, back up the previous version of it to the current
-filename suffixed with a @samp{~}.
+When saving a file, back up the previous version of it, using the current
+filename suffixed with a tilde (@samp{~}).
 
 @item -C @var{directory}
 @itemx --backupdir=@var{directory}
-Set the directory where @command{nano} puts unique backup files if file
-backups are enabled.
+Make and keep not just one backup file, but make and keep a uniquely
+numbered one every time a file is saved --- when backups are enabled.
+The uniquely numbered files are stored in the specified directory.
 
 @item -D
 @itemx --boldtext
@@ -610,12 +611,14 @@ You should NOT enable this option unless you are sure you need it.
 Use auto-indentation.
 
 @item set backup
-When saving a file, back up the previous version of it to the current
+When saving a file, back up the previous version of it, using the current
 filename suffixed with a tilde (@code{~}).
 
 @item set backupdir "directory"
-Set the directory where @code{nano} puts unique backup files, if file
-backups are enabled.
+Make and keep not just one backup file, but make and keep a uniquely
+numbered one every time a file is saved --- when backups are enabled
+with @code{set backup} or @code{--backup} or @code{-B}.
+The uniquely numbered files are stored in the specified directory.
 
 @item set backwards
 Do backwards searches by default.