diff --git a/doc/automake.texi b/doc/automake.texi
index b3f4a76..5c23fea 100644
--- a/doc/automake.texi
+++ b/doc/automake.texi
@@ -9700,35 +9700,19 @@ rules; for instance, in the future @command{pathchk} might be required for
 
 @cindex @option{--gnits}, complete description
 
-The @option{--gnits} option does everything that @option{--gnu} does, and
-checks the following as well:
+The @option{--gnits} option (or @option{gnu} in the
address@hidden variable) does everything that @option{--gnu}
+does, and implies the following options: @option{std-options},
address@hidden and @option{readme-alpha} (@pxref{Options}). It also
+checks the following:
 
 @itemize @bullet
 @item
address@hidden installcheck} will check to make sure that the @option{--help}
-and @option{--version} really print a usage message and a version string,
-respectively.  This is the @option{std-options} option (@pxref{Options}).
-
address@hidden
address@hidden dist} will check to make sure the @file{NEWS} file has been
-updated to the current version.
-
address@hidden
 @code{VERSION} is checked to make sure its format complies with Gnits
 standards.
 @c FIXME xref when standards are finished
 
 @item
address@hidden @file{README-alpha}
-If @code{VERSION} indicates that this is an alpha release, and the file
address@hidden appears in the topmost directory of a package, then
-it is included in the distribution.  This is done in @option{--gnits}
-mode, and no other, because this mode is the only one where version
-number formats are constrained, and hence the only mode where Automake
-can automatically determine whether @file{README-alpha} should be
-included.
-
address@hidden
 The file @file{THANKS} is required.
 @end itemize