diff --git a/config/ompi_config_asm.m4 b/config/ompi_config_asm.m4
index 26fef88ff3..35ade803c6 100644
--- a/config/ompi_config_asm.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_config_asm.m4
@@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([OMPI_CONFIG_ASM],[
     AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to enable smp locks])
     AC_ARG_ENABLE([smp-locks], 
         [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-smp-locks],
-            [disable smp locks in atomic ops (default: enabled)])])
+            [enable smp locks in atomic ops.  Do not disable if code will ever run in SMP or multi-threaded environment. (default: enabled)])])
     if test "$enable_smp_locks" != "no"; then
         AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
         want_smp_locks=1
diff --git a/config/ompi_configure_options.m4 b/config/ompi_configure_options.m4
index 810ad23d21..b90687bac7 100644
--- a/config/ompi_configure_options.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_configure_options.m4
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ fi
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([if want run-time MPI parameter checking])
 AC_ARG_WITH(mpi-param-check,
     AC_HELP_STRING([--with-mpi-param-check(=VALUE)],
-                   [behavior of MPI function parameter checking.  Valid values are: always, never, runtime.  No VALUE specified is equivalent to "always"; --without is equivalent to "never" (default: runtime).]))
+                   [behavior of MPI function parameter checking.  Valid values are: always, never, runtime.  No VALUE argument when option is specified is equivalent to "always"; --withoua-mpi-param-checkt is equivalent to "never" (default: runtime).]))
 mpi_param_check=ompi_mpi_param_check
 if test "$with_mpi_param_check" = "no" -o \
     "$with_mpi_param_check" = "never"; then