diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/copy.go b/cmd/skopeo/copy.go
index 1d6d4dce..a0f1602b 100644
--- a/cmd/skopeo/copy.go
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/copy.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ See skopeo(1) section "IMAGE NAMES" for the expected format
 	flags.BoolVar(&opts.removeSignatures, "remove-signatures", false, "Do not copy signatures from SOURCE-IMAGE")
 	flags.StringVar(&opts.signByFingerprint, "sign-by", "", "Sign the image using a GPG key with the specified `FINGERPRINT`")
 	flags.StringVar(&opts.digestFile, "digestfile", "", "Write the digest of the pushed image to the specified file")
-	flags.VarP(newOptionalStringValue(&opts.format), "format", "f", `MANIFEST TYPE (oci, v2s1, or v2s2) to use when saving image to directory using the 'dir:' transport (default is manifest type of source)`)
+	flags.VarP(newOptionalStringValue(&opts.format), "format", "f", `MANIFEST TYPE (oci, v2s1, or v2s2) to use in the destination (default is manifest type of source, with fallbacks)`)
 	flags.StringSliceVar(&opts.encryptionKeys, "encryption-key", []string{}, "*Experimental* key with the encryption protocol to use needed to encrypt the image (e.g. jwe:/path/to/key.pem)")
 	flags.IntSliceVar(&opts.encryptLayer, "encrypt-layer", []int{}, "*Experimental* the 0-indexed layer indices, with support for negative indexing (e.g. 0 is the first layer, -1 is the last layer)")
 	flags.StringSliceVar(&opts.decryptionKeys, "decryption-key", []string{}, "*Experimental* key needed to decrypt the image")
diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/sync.go b/cmd/skopeo/sync.go
index 263087ed..d3a51d64 100644
--- a/cmd/skopeo/sync.go
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/sync.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ See skopeo-sync(1) for details.
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	flags.BoolVar(&opts.removeSignatures, "remove-signatures", false, "Do not copy signatures from SOURCE images")
 	flags.StringVar(&opts.signByFingerprint, "sign-by", "", "Sign the image using a GPG key with the specified `FINGERPRINT`")
-	flags.VarP(newOptionalStringValue(&opts.format), "format", "f", `MANIFEST TYPE (oci, v2s1, or v2s2) to use when syncing image(s) to a destination (default is manifest type of source)`)
+	flags.VarP(newOptionalStringValue(&opts.format), "format", "f", `MANIFEST TYPE (oci, v2s1, or v2s2) to use when syncing image(s) to a destination (default is manifest type of source, with fallbacks)`)
 	flags.StringVarP(&opts.source, "src", "s", "", "SOURCE transport type")
 	flags.StringVarP(&opts.destination, "dest", "d", "", "DESTINATION transport type")
 	flags.BoolVar(&opts.scoped, "scoped", false, "Images at DESTINATION are prefix using the full source image path as scope")
diff --git a/docs/skopeo-copy.1.md b/docs/skopeo-copy.1.md
index c294c76f..a69fd3d7 100644
--- a/docs/skopeo-copy.1.md
+++ b/docs/skopeo-copy.1.md
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Path of the authentication file for the destination registry. Uses path given by
 
 After copying the image, write the digest of the resulting image to the file.
 
-**--format, -f** _manifest-type_ Manifest type (oci, v2s1, or v2s2) to use when saving image to directory using the 'dir:' transport (default is manifest type of source)
+**--format, -f** _manifest-type_ MANIFEST TYPE (oci, v2s1, or v2s2) to use in the destination (default is manifest type of source, with fallbacks)
 
 **--quiet, -q** suppress output information when copying images
 
diff --git a/docs/skopeo-sync.1.md b/docs/skopeo-sync.1.md
index c8304bdc..001e20e5 100644
--- a/docs/skopeo-sync.1.md
+++ b/docs/skopeo-sync.1.md
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Path of the authentication file for the destination registry. Uses path given by
 
 **--dest** _transport_ Destination transport.
 
-**--format, -f** _manifest-type_ Manifest Type (oci, v2s1, or v2s2) to use when syncing image(s) to a destination (default is manifest type of source).
+**--format, -f** _manifest-type_ Manifest Type (oci, v2s1, or v2s2) to use when syncing image(s) to a destination (default is manifest type of source, with fallbacks).
 
 **--scoped** Prefix images with the source image path, so that multiple images with the same name can be stored at _destination_.