diff --git a/Documentation/git-clone.txt b/Documentation/git-clone.txt
index 7ccd742a87..f298fdd4c2 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-clone.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-clone.txt
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ objects from the source repository into a pack in the cloned repository.
 
 --verbose::
 -v::
-	Display the progress bar, even in case the standard output is not
+	Display the progress bar, even in case the standard error is not
 	a terminal.
 
 --no-checkout::
diff --git a/transport-helper.c b/transport-helper.c
index 5078c7100f..bfe3bc30a9 100644
--- a/transport-helper.c
+++ b/transport-helper.c
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ static void standard_options(struct transport *t)
 	char buf[16];
 	int n;
 	int v = t->verbose;
-	int no_progress = v < 0 || (!t->progress && !isatty(1));
+	int no_progress = v < 0 || (!t->progress && !isatty(2));
 
 	set_helper_option(t, "progress", !no_progress ? "true" : "false");
 
diff --git a/transport.c b/transport.c
index 7362ec09b2..31c88f33a5 100644
--- a/transport.c
+++ b/transport.c
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ static int fetch_refs_via_pack(struct transport *transport,
 	args.include_tag = data->followtags;
 	args.verbose = (transport->verbose > 0);
 	args.quiet = (transport->verbose < 0);
-	args.no_progress = args.quiet || (!transport->progress && !isatty(1));
+	args.no_progress = args.quiet || (!transport->progress && !isatty(2));
 	args.depth = data->depth;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < nr_heads; i++)
diff --git a/transport.h b/transport.h
index e4e6177e26..98bb623c45 100644
--- a/transport.h
+++ b/transport.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ struct transport {
 	int (*disconnect)(struct transport *connection);
 	char *pack_lockfile;
 	signed verbose : 3;
-	/* Force progress even if the output is not a tty */
+	/* Force progress even if stderr is not a tty */
 	unsigned progress : 1;
 };