diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc b/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc
index aaff488929..215fe40889 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc
@@ -66,16 +66,9 @@ uncommitted changes.
 `git checkout --detach [<branch>]`::
 `git checkout [--detach] <commit>`::
 
-	Prepare to work on top of _<commit>_, by detaching `HEAD` at it
-	(see "DETACHED HEAD" section), and updating the index and the
-	files in the working tree.  Local modifications to the files
-	in the working tree are kept, so that the resulting working
-	tree will be the state recorded in the commit plus the local
-	modifications.
-+
-When the _<commit>_ argument is a branch name, the `--detach` option can
-be used to detach `HEAD` at the tip of the branch (`git checkout
-<branch>` would check out that branch without detaching `HEAD`).
+	The same as `git checkout <branch>`, except that instead of pointing
+	`HEAD` at the branch, it points `HEAD` at the commit ID.
+	See the "DETACHED HEAD" section below for more.
 +
 Omitting _<branch>_ detaches `HEAD` at the tip of the current branch.