diff --git a/notmuch.c b/notmuch.c
index 1f589894..09420ee8 100644
--- a/notmuch.c
+++ b/notmuch.c
@@ -1073,7 +1073,9 @@ command_t commands[] = {
       "\t\tIn addition to individual terms, multiple terms can be\n"
       "\t\tcombined with Boolean operators (\"and\", \"or\", \"not\", etc.).\n"
       "\t\tEach term in the query will be implicitly connected by a\n"
-      "\t\tlogical AND if no explicit operator is provided.\n\n"
+      "\t\tlogical AND if no explicit operator is provided, (except\n"
+      "\t\tthat terms with a common prefix will be implicitly combined\n"
+      "\t\twith OR until we get Xapian defect #402 fixed).\n\n"
       "\t\tParentheses can also be used to control the combination of\n"
       "\t\tthe Boolean operators, but will have to be protected from\n"
       "\t\tinterpretation by the shell, (such as by putting quotation\n"