diff --git a/doc/plink.but b/doc/plink.but
index a51afa2d..a6add516 100644
--- a/doc/plink.but
+++ b/doc/plink.but
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ use Plink:
 \c   -agent    enable use of Pageant
 \c   -noshare  disable use of connection sharing
 \c   -share    enable use of connection sharing
-\c   -hostkey aa:bb:cc:...
+\c   -hostkey keyid
 \c             manually specify a host key (may be repeated)
 \c   -sanitise-stderr, -sanitise-stdout, -no-sanitise-stderr, -no-sanitise-stdout
 \c             do/don't strip control chars from standard output/error
diff --git a/doc/pscp.but b/doc/pscp.but
index 82d516c4..6243938f 100644
--- a/doc/pscp.but
+++ b/doc/pscp.but
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ use PSCP:
 \c   -i key    private key file for user authentication
 \c   -noagent  disable use of Pageant
 \c   -agent    enable use of Pageant
-\c   -hostkey aa:bb:cc:...
+\c   -hostkey keyid
 \c             manually specify a host key (may be repeated)
 \c   -batch    disable all interactive prompts
 \c   -no-sanitise-stderr  don't strip control chars from standard error
diff --git a/pscp.c b/pscp.c
index b48608ce..dc91b18e 100644
--- a/pscp.c
+++ b/pscp.c
@@ -2201,7 +2201,7 @@ static void usage(void)
     printf("  -i key    private key file for user authentication\n");
     printf("  -noagent  disable use of Pageant\n");
     printf("  -agent    enable use of Pageant\n");
-    printf("  -hostkey aa:bb:cc:...\n");
+    printf("  -hostkey keyid\n");
     printf("            manually specify a host key (may be repeated)\n");
     printf("  -batch    disable all interactive prompts\n");
     printf("  -no-sanitise-stderr  don't strip control chars from"
diff --git a/psftp.c b/psftp.c
index c1baa187..57a56eba 100644
--- a/psftp.c
+++ b/psftp.c
@@ -2536,7 +2536,7 @@ static void usage(void)
     printf("  -i key    private key file for user authentication\n");
     printf("  -noagent  disable use of Pageant\n");
     printf("  -agent    enable use of Pageant\n");
-    printf("  -hostkey aa:bb:cc:...\n");
+    printf("  -hostkey keyid\n");
     printf("            manually specify a host key (may be repeated)\n");
     printf("  -batch    disable all interactive prompts\n");
     printf("  -no-sanitise-stderr  don't strip control chars from"
diff --git a/unix/uxplink.c b/unix/uxplink.c
index 495a2b5d..443c970b 100644
--- a/unix/uxplink.c
+++ b/unix/uxplink.c
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ static void usage(void)
     printf("  -agent    enable use of Pageant\n");
     printf("  -noshare  disable use of connection sharing\n");
     printf("  -share    enable use of connection sharing\n");
-    printf("  -hostkey aa:bb:cc:...\n");
+    printf("  -hostkey keyid\n");
     printf("            manually specify a host key (may be repeated)\n");
     printf("  -sanitise-stderr, -sanitise-stdout, "
            "-no-sanitise-stderr, -no-sanitise-stdout\n");
diff --git a/windows/winplink.c b/windows/winplink.c
index d589c22c..22ea4eba 100644
--- a/windows/winplink.c
+++ b/windows/winplink.c
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ static void usage(void)
     printf("  -agent    enable use of Pageant\n");
     printf("  -noshare  disable use of connection sharing\n");
     printf("  -share    enable use of connection sharing\n");
-    printf("  -hostkey aa:bb:cc:...\n");
+    printf("  -hostkey keyid\n");
     printf("            manually specify a host key (may be repeated)\n");
     printf("  -sanitise-stderr, -sanitise-stdout, "
            "-no-sanitise-stderr, -no-sanitise-stdout\n");