diff --git a/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt b/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt
index 8eca671b82..8e192d87db 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-cat-file.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git cat-file' (-t [--allow-unknown-type]| -s [--allow-unknown-type]| -e | -p | <type> | --textconv | --filters ) [--path=<path>] <object>
-'git cat-file' (--batch | --batch-check) [ --textconv | --filters ] [--follow-symlinks]
+'git cat-file' (--batch[=<format>] | --batch-check[=<format>]) [ --textconv | --filters ] [--follow-symlinks]
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index ae18e20a7c..5ebf13359e 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ static int batch_objects(struct batch_options *opt)
 
 static const char * const cat_file_usage[] = {
 	N_("git cat-file (-t [--allow-unknown-type] | -s [--allow-unknown-type] | -e | -p | <type> | --textconv | --filters) [--path=<path>] <object>"),
-	N_("git cat-file (--batch | --batch-check) [--follow-symlinks] [--textconv | --filters]"),
+	N_("git cat-file (--batch[=<format>] | --batch-check[=<format>]) [--follow-symlinks] [--textconv | --filters]"),
 	NULL
 };