diff --git a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
index 21cb59a6d6..46c1eebb93 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 'git submodule' [--quiet] init [--] [<path>...]
 'git submodule' [--quiet] deinit [-f|--force] [--] <path>...
 'git submodule' [--quiet] update [--init] [--remote] [-N|--no-fetch]
-	      [-f|--force] [--rebase|--merge|--checkout] [--reference <repository>]
+	      [-f|--force] [--checkout|--rebase|--merge] [--reference <repository>]
 	      [--depth <depth>] [--recursive] [--] [<path>...]
 'git submodule' [--quiet] summary [--cached|--files] [(-n|--summary-limit) <n>]
 	      [commit] [--] [<path>...]
@@ -315,6 +315,15 @@ the submodule itself.
 	This option is only valid for the update command.
 	Don't fetch new objects from the remote site.
 
+--checkout::
+	This option is only valid for the update command.
+	Checkout the commit recorded in the superproject on a detached HEAD
+	in the submodule. This is the default behavior, the main use of
+	this option is to override `submodule.$name.update` when set to
+	`merge`, `rebase` or `none`.
+	If the key `submodule.$name.update` is either not explicitly set or
+	set to `checkout`, this option is implicit.
+
 --merge::
 	This option is only valid for the update command.
 	Merge the commit recorded in the superproject into the current branch
diff --git a/git-submodule.sh b/git-submodule.sh
index a33f68d27c..6135cfa912 100755
--- a/git-submodule.sh
+++ b/git-submodule.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ USAGE="[--quiet] add [-b <branch>] [-f|--force] [--name <name>] [--reference <re
    or: $dashless [--quiet] status [--cached] [--recursive] [--] [<path>...]
    or: $dashless [--quiet] init [--] [<path>...]
    or: $dashless [--quiet] deinit [-f|--force] [--] <path>...
-   or: $dashless [--quiet] update [--init] [--remote] [-N|--no-fetch] [-f|--force] [--rebase] [--reference <repository>] [--merge] [--recursive] [--] [<path>...]
+   or: $dashless [--quiet] update [--init] [--remote] [-N|--no-fetch] [-f|--force] [--checkout|--merge|--rebase] [--reference <repository>] [--recursive] [--] [<path>...]
    or: $dashless [--quiet] summary [--cached|--files] [--summary-limit <n>] [commit] [--] [<path>...]
    or: $dashless [--quiet] foreach [--recursive] <command>
    or: $dashless [--quiet] sync [--recursive] [--] [<path>...]"