diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/autoload.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/autoload.el
index 364289d1df7..011931c7808 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/autoload.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/autoload.el
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ Returns nil if FORM is not a defun or defmacro."
       nil)))
 
 (defconst generate-autoload-cookie ";;;###autoload"
-  "Magic comment that tells \\[update-file-autoloads]
-to make the following form into an autoload.  This string should be
+  "Magic comment indicating the following form should be autoloaded.
+Used by \\[update-file-autoloads].  This string should be
 meaningless to Lisp (e.g., a comment).
 
 This string is used:
@@ -277,8 +277,8 @@ Then do \\[exit-recursive-edit]."
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun update-autoloads-here ()
-  "Update the sections of the current buffer generated by
-\\[update-file-autoloads]."
+  "\
+Update sections of the current buffer generated by \\[update-file-autoloads]."
   (interactive)
   (let ((generated-autoload-file (buffer-file-name)))
     (save-excursion