diff --git a/collects/meta/props b/collects/meta/props
index bf1f0591c7..20b8af3d86 100755
--- a/collects/meta/props
+++ b/collects/meta/props
@@ -320,8 +320,13 @@ properties, intended to be used by meta tools:
      "known properties.  The given paths are normalized to be relative to the"
      "plt root for the tree holding this script *if* it is in such a tree"
      "(determined by inspecting a few known directories), otherwise an error"
-     "is raised.  Note that this script does not depend on the plt"
-     "installation that runs it, and that it holds the data that it changes."
+     "is raised.  Note that this script holds the data that it changes, so you"
+     "need to commit it after changes are made.  Also note that it does not"
+     "depend on the plt installation that runs it -- you just need to use the"
+     "script from the work directory that you want to deal with; if you add"
+     "  prop = \"!$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/collects/meta/props\""
+     "to your global git config file (usually ~/.gitconfig), then you'll be"
+     "able to run it as `git prop'."
      ""
      "Path arguments can also be given via stdin (each on a line) if the"
      "command-line path argument is a single `-'.  In this mode the paths are"