diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
index 1a6c19e5c3..223ea9caef 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt
@@ -126,9 +126,13 @@ the conflicted merge in the specified paths.
 <new_branch>::
 	Name for the new branch.
 
+<tree-ish>::
+	Tree to checkout from (when paths are given). If not specified,
+	the index will be used.
+
 <branch>::
-	Branch to checkout; may be any object ID that resolves to a
-	commit.  Defaults to HEAD.
+	Branch to checkout (when no paths are given); may be any object
+	ID that resolves to a commit.  Defaults to HEAD.
 +
 When this parameter names a non-branch (but still a valid commit object),
 your HEAD becomes 'detached'.
@@ -191,7 +195,7 @@ $ git checkout hello.c            <3>
 +
 <1> switch branch
 <2> take a file out of another commit
-<3> restore hello.c from HEAD of current branch
+<3> restore hello.c from the index
 +
 If you have an unfortunate branch that is named `hello.c`, this
 step would be confused as an instruction to switch to that branch.
diff --git a/Documentation/gitattributes.txt b/Documentation/gitattributes.txt
index 55668e345f..b762bba759 100644
--- a/Documentation/gitattributes.txt
+++ b/Documentation/gitattributes.txt
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ same as in `.gitignore` files; see linkgit:gitignore[5].
 When deciding what attributes are assigned to a path, git
 consults `$GIT_DIR/info/attributes` file (which has the highest
 precedence), `.gitattributes` file in the same directory as the
-path in question, and its parent directories (the further the
-directory that contains `.gitattributes` is from the path in
-question, the lower its precedence).
+path in question, and its parent directories up to the toplevel of the
+work tree (the further the directory that contains `.gitattributes`
+is from the path in question, the lower its precedence).
 
 If you wish to affect only a single repository (i.e., to assign
 attributes to files that are particular to one user's workflow), then
diff --git a/Documentation/gitignore.txt b/Documentation/gitignore.txt
index 59321a2e82..7df3cef46f 100644
--- a/Documentation/gitignore.txt
+++ b/Documentation/gitignore.txt
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ precedence, the last matching pattern decides the outcome):
 
  * Patterns read from a `.gitignore` file in the same directory
    as the path, or in any parent directory, with patterns in the
-   higher level files (up to the root) being overridden by those in
-   lower level files down to the directory containing the file.
+   higher level files (up to the toplevel of the work tree) being overridden
+   by those in lower level files down to the directory containing the file.
    These patterns match relative to the location of the
    `.gitignore` file.  A project normally includes such
    `.gitignore` files in its repository, containing patterns for
diff --git a/builtin-checkout.c b/builtin-checkout.c
index 2e4fe1a453..ee1edd406f 100644
--- a/builtin-checkout.c
+++ b/builtin-checkout.c
@@ -495,10 +495,10 @@ static void update_refs_for_switch(struct checkout_opts *opts,
 		create_symref("HEAD", new->path, msg.buf);
 		if (!opts->quiet) {
 			if (old->path && !strcmp(new->path, old->path))
-				fprintf(stderr, "Already on \"%s\"\n",
+				fprintf(stderr, "Already on '%s'\n",
 					new->name);
 			else
-				fprintf(stderr, "Switched to%s branch \"%s\"\n",
+				fprintf(stderr, "Switched to%s branch '%s'\n",
 					opts->new_branch ? " a new" : "",
 					new->name);
 		}
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ static void update_refs_for_switch(struct checkout_opts *opts,
 			   REF_NODEREF, DIE_ON_ERR);
 		if (!opts->quiet) {
 			if (old->path)
-				fprintf(stderr, "Note: moving to \"%s\" which isn't a local branch\nIf you want to create a new branch from this checkout, you may do so\n(now or later) by using -b with the checkout command again. Example:\n  git checkout -b <new_branch_name>\n", new->name);
+				fprintf(stderr, "Note: moving to '%s' which isn't a local branch\nIf you want to create a new branch from this checkout, you may do so\n(now or later) by using -b with the checkout command again. Example:\n  git checkout -b <new_branch_name>\n", new->name);
 			describe_detached_head("HEAD is now at", new->commit);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/t/t7201-co.sh b/t/t7201-co.sh
index 0e21632f19..bdb808af1a 100755
--- a/t/t7201-co.sh
+++ b/t/t7201-co.sh
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ test_expect_success 'checkout to detach HEAD' '
 	git checkout -f renamer && git clean -f &&
 	git checkout renamer^ 2>messages &&
 	(cat >messages.expect <<EOF
-Note: moving to "renamer^" which isn'"'"'t a local branch
+Note: moving to '\''renamer^'\'' which isn'\''t a local branch
 If you want to create a new branch from this checkout, you may do so
 (now or later) by using -b with the checkout command again. Example:
   git checkout -b <new_branch_name>