diff --git a/Common/DefaultOptions.h b/Common/DefaultOptions.h
index 3a7b163446d7602e232258803de797d2a7436548..05b4b71a54e183d90c427d23bbd3ba611ce0cc70 100644
--- a/Common/DefaultOptions.h
+++ b/Common/DefaultOptions.h
@@ -195,7 +195,9 @@ StringXString SolverOptions_String[] = {
 #else
     ".gmshsock" , // otherwise use Unix sockets by default
 #endif
-    "Base name of socket (TCP/IP if it contains the `:' character, UNIX otherwise)" },
+    "Base name of socket (UNIX socket if the name does not contain a colon, TCP/IP "
+    "otherwise, in the form 'host:baseport'; the actual name/port is constructed "
+    "by appending the unique client id)"},
 
   { 0, 0 , 0 , "" , 0 }
 } ;
diff --git a/Fltk/optionWindow.cpp b/Fltk/optionWindow.cpp
index 1dc36d6a039de1ef803c182256e9e61557d9ec95..17686e7df55ee27b1c17b7601c47e016e5dbb6b3 100644
--- a/Fltk/optionWindow.cpp
+++ b/Fltk/optionWindow.cpp
@@ -2682,7 +2682,7 @@ optionWindow::optionWindow(int deltaFontSize)
           (L + WB, WB + BH, width - 2 * WB, height - 2 * WB - BH, "General");
 
         solver.input[0] = new Fl_Input
-          (L + 2 * WB, 2 * WB + 1 * BH, IW, BH, "Socket name");
+          (L + 2 * WB, 2 * WB + 1 * BH, IW, BH, "Base socket name");
         solver.input[0]->align(FL_ALIGN_RIGHT);
         solver.input[0]->callback(solver_options_ok_cb);