diff --git a/Documentation/git-clone.txt b/Documentation/git-clone.txt
index dc7d3d17b1..ab7293351d 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-clone.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-clone.txt
@@ -128,7 +128,12 @@ objects from the source repository into a pack in the cloned repository.
 	configuration variables are created.
 
 --mirror::
-	Set up a mirror of the remote repository.  This implies `--bare`.
+	Set up a mirror of the source repository.  This implies `--bare`.
+	Compared to `--bare`, `--mirror` not only maps local branches of the
+	source to local branches of the target, it maps all refs (including
+	remote branches, notes etc.) and sets up a refspec configuration such
+	that all these refs are overwritten by a `git remote update` in the
+	target repository.
 
 --origin <name>::
 -o <name>::