diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs
index 1fc79ef8c8e..6184f790b63 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ balancemode = hledgerCommandMode
     ]
     ++ flattreeflags True ++
     [flagReq  ["drop"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "drop" s opts) "N" "omit N leading account name parts (in flat mode)"
-    ,flagNone ["declared"] (setboolopt "declared") "include accounts which have been declared but not yet used"
+    ,flagNone ["declared"] (setboolopt "declared") "include non-parent declared accounts (best used with -E)"
     ,flagNone ["average","A"] (setboolopt "average") "show a row average column (in multicolumn reports)"
     ,flagNone ["related","r"] (setboolopt "related") "show postings' siblings instead"
     ,flagNone ["row-total","T"] (setboolopt "row-total") "show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)"
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
index 30606ef1729..86df9691db8 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/CompoundBalanceCommand.hs
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ compoundBalanceCommandMode CompoundBalanceCommandSpec{..} =
     ]
     ++ flattreeflags True ++
     [flagReq  ["drop"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "drop" s opts) "N" "flat mode: omit N leading account name parts"
+    ,flagNone ["declared"] (setboolopt "declared") "include non-parent declared accounts (best used with -E)"
     ,flagNone ["average","A"] (setboolopt "average") "show a row average column (in multicolumn reports)"
     ,flagNone ["row-total","T"] (setboolopt "row-total") "show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)"
     ,flagNone ["no-total","N"] (setboolopt "no-total") "omit the final total row"