diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 418203eea9..8132016a01 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -479,7 +479,8 @@ ## Video Selection:
     --no-download-archive           Do not use archive file (default)
     --max-downloads NUMBER          Abort after downloading NUMBER files
     --break-on-existing             Stop the download process when encountering
-                                    a file that is in the archive
+                                    a file that is in the archive supplied with
+                                    the --download-archive option
     --no-break-on-existing          Do not stop the download process when
                                     encountering a file that is in the archive
                                     (default)
diff --git a/yt_dlp/options.py b/yt_dlp/options.py
index c4d2a72743..9145da590a 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/options.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/options.py
@@ -700,7 +700,8 @@ def _alias_callback(option, opt_str, value, parser, opts, nargs):
     selection.add_option(
         '--break-on-existing',
         action='store_true', dest='break_on_existing', default=False,
-        help='Stop the download process when encountering a file that is in the archive')
+        help='Stop the download process when encountering a file that is in the archive '
+             'supplied with the --download-archive option')
     selection.add_option(
         '--no-break-on-existing',
         action='store_false', dest='break_on_existing',