diff --git a/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go b/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go
index 47076570a66..81f404c0eff 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/alldocs.go
@@ -1230,12 +1230,17 @@
 //
 // 	go mod init [module]
 //
-// Init initializes and writes a new go.mod to the current directory,
-// in effect creating a new module rooted at the current directory.
-// The file go.mod must not already exist.
-// If possible, init will guess the module path from import comments
-// (see 'go help importpath') or from version control configuration.
-// To override this guess, supply the module path as an argument.
+// Init initializes and writes a new go.mod file in the current directory, in
+// effect creating a new module rooted at the current directory. The go.mod file
+// must not already exist.
+//
+// Init accepts one optional argument, the module path for the new module. If the
+// module path argument is omitted, init will attempt to infer the module path
+// using import comments in .go files, vendoring tool configuration files (like
+// Gopkg.lock), and the current directory (if in GOPATH).
+//
+// If a configuration file for a vendoring tool is present, init will attempt to
+// import module requirements from it.
 //
 //
 // Add missing and remove unused modules
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/init.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/init.go
index 7384f3f293a..c081bb547d1 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/init.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/init.go
@@ -16,13 +16,18 @@ var cmdInit = &base.Command{
 	UsageLine: "go mod init [module]",
 	Short:     "initialize new module in current directory",
 	Long: `
-Init initializes and writes a new go.mod to the current directory,
-in effect creating a new module rooted at the current directory.
-The file go.mod must not already exist.
-If possible, init will guess the module path from import comments
-(see 'go help importpath') or from version control configuration.
-To override this guess, supply the module path as an argument.
-	`,
+Init initializes and writes a new go.mod file in the current directory, in
+effect creating a new module rooted at the current directory. The go.mod file
+must not already exist.
+
+Init accepts one optional argument, the module path for the new module. If the
+module path argument is omitted, init will attempt to infer the module path
+using import comments in .go files, vendoring tool configuration files (like
+Gopkg.lock), and the current directory (if in GOPATH).
+
+If a configuration file for a vendoring tool is present, init will attempt to
+import module requirements from it.
+`,
 	Run: runInit,
 }