diff --git a/app/meteor/meteor.js b/app/meteor/meteor.js
index 0b46738ff11..9a7e4fd59ee 100644
--- a/app/meteor/meteor.js
+++ b/app/meteor/meteor.js
@@ -562,7 +562,8 @@ Commands.push({
 "The --settings flag can be used to pass deploy-specific information to\n" +
 "the application. It will be available at runtime in Meteor.settings, but only\n" +
 "on the server. The argument is the name of a file containing the JSON data\n" +
-"to use." +
+"to use.  The settings will persist across deployments until you again specify\n" +
+"a settings file.  To unset Meteor.settings, pass an empty settings file." +
 "\n" +
 "The --delete flag permanently removes a deployed application, including\n" +
 "all of its stored data.\n" +
diff --git a/docs/client/commandline.html b/docs/client/commandline.html
index e4d53c6b363..979e9197f80 100644
--- a/docs/client/commandline.html
+++ b/docs/client/commandline.html
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ <h3 id="meteordeploy">meteor deploy <i>site</i></h3>
 
 The settings you pass will persist on your deployed application across
 invocations of `meteor deploy` until you again pass the `--settings` option with
-different contents in your settings file.
+different contents in your settings file. To unset `Meteor.settings`, pass an
+empty settings file.
 
 <h3 id="meteorlogs">meteor logs <i>site</i></h3>