diff --git a/base/letter.dtx b/base/letter.dtx
index 0a0c99bf0..7b31dfbbc 100644
--- a/base/letter.dtx
+++ b/base/letter.dtx
@@ -1815,8 +1815,10 @@
 %    |\parindent| to the appropriate value for succeeding paragraphs
 %    and put the proper indentation before the mark.
 %
+% \changes{v1.3b}{2020/03/11}{make the switch to the use of
+%    \cs{newcommand} complete.}
 %    \begin{macrocode}
-\newcommand\@makefntext#1{%
+\newcommand\@makefntext[1]{%
     \noindent
     \hangindent 5\p@
     \hb@xt@5\p@{\hss\@makefnmark}#1}