diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 464b611f0..bf2e3b0d0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ _When adding new entries to the changelog, please include issue/PR numbers where
 * Bugfix: GPKG spatial indexes are now created and deleted properly regardless of the case (upper-case or lower-case) of the table name and geometry column.
 * `diff` now accepts `--only-feature-count`, which produces a feature count for the diff. The feature count can be exact or a fast estimate.
 * `log` now accepts `--with-feature-count` which adds a feature count to each commit when used with `-o json`. The feature count can be exact or a fast estimate.
+* Fix help text for discarding changes to refer to `kart restore` instead of `kart reset`, as `kart restore` is now the simplest way to discard changes. [#426](https://github.com/koordinates/kart/issues/426)
 
 ## 0.9.0 (First "Kart" release)
 
diff --git a/kart/checkout.py b/kart/checkout.py
index 4d42f0bd9..3b26fd252 100644
--- a/kart/checkout.py
+++ b/kart/checkout.py
@@ -292,7 +292,8 @@ def _find_remote_branch_by_name(repo, name):
 @click.argument("pathspec", nargs=-1)
 def restore(ctx, source, pathspec):
     """
-    Restore specified paths in the working copy with some contents from a restore source.
+    Restore specified paths in the working copy with some contents from the given restore source.
+    By default, restores the entire working copy to the commit at HEAD (so, discards all uncommitted changes).
     """
     repo = ctx.obj.repo
 
@@ -323,13 +324,20 @@ def restore(ctx, source, pathspec):
     is_flag=True,
     help="Discard local changes in working copy if necessary",
 )
-@click.argument("refish")
+@click.argument("refish", default="HEAD")
 def reset(ctx, discard_changes, refish):
     """
-    Reset the branch head to point to a different commit.
+    Reset the branch head to point to a particular commit.
+    Defaults to HEAD, which has no effect unless --discard-changes is also specified.
     """
     repo = ctx.obj.repo
 
+    if refish == "HEAD" and not discard_changes:
+        raise InvalidOperation(
+            "Resetting the current branch to HEAD has no effect, unless you also discard changes.\n"
+            "Do you mean `kart reset --discard-changes?`"
+        )
+
     try:
         commit_or_tree, ref = repo.resolve_refish(refish)
         commit = commit_or_tree.peel(pygit2.Commit)
diff --git a/kart/status.py b/kart/status.py
index c953b9800..465db5175 100644
--- a/kart/status.py
+++ b/kart/status.py
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ def working_copy_status_to_text(jdict):
     return (
         "Changes in working copy:\n"
         '  (use "kart commit" to commit)\n'
-        '  (use "kart reset" to discard changes)\n\n'
+        '  (use "kart restore" to discard changes)\n\n'
         + diff_status_to_text(jdict["changes"])
     )
 
diff --git a/kart/working_copy/base.py b/kart/working_copy/base.py
index 4d2680d83..110798647 100644
--- a/kart/working_copy/base.py
+++ b/kart/working_copy/base.py
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ def tracking_changes_count(self, dataset=None):
     def check_not_dirty(self, help_message=None):
         """Checks the working copy has no changes in it. Otherwise, raises InvalidOperation"""
         if not help_message:
-            help_message = "Commit these changes (`kart commit`) or discard these changes (`kart reset`) first."
+            help_message = "Commit these changes (`kart commit`) or discard these changes (`kart restore`) first."
         if self.is_dirty():
             raise InvalidOperation(
                 f"You have uncommitted changes in your working copy.\n{help_message}"
diff --git a/kart/working_copy/gpkg_adapter.py b/kart/working_copy/gpkg_adapter.py
index 76f74d91f..3f76fbbe0 100644
--- a/kart/working_copy/gpkg_adapter.py
+++ b/kart/working_copy/gpkg_adapter.py
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ def gpkg_metadata_to_xml(gpkg_metadata, gpkg_metadata_reference):
 
     # We can't actually commit a whole list of XML, but we need to return something that makes sense.
     # Simply throwing an error here stops dirty-detection working, and stops commands that would fix the situation
-    # from working, like `kart reset HEAD --discard-changes` or `kart create-workingcopy --discard-changes`.
+    # from working, like `kart reset --discard-changes` or `kart create-workingcopy --discard-changes`.
     return xml_list
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_status.py b/tests/test_status.py
index 0f1794bbd..67174a2a7 100644
--- a/tests/test_status.py
+++ b/tests/test_status.py
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def test_status(
             "",
             "Changes in working copy:",
             '  (use "kart commit" to commit)',
-            '  (use "kart reset" to discard changes)',
+            '  (use "kart restore" to discard changes)',
             "",
             f"  {H.POINTS.LAYER}:",
             "    feature:",
diff --git a/tests/test_working_copy_gpkg.py b/tests/test_working_copy_gpkg.py
index 9935b74a8..a4cbc413d 100644
--- a/tests/test_working_copy_gpkg.py
+++ b/tests/test_working_copy_gpkg.py
@@ -375,8 +375,8 @@ def test_working_copy_discard_changes(
             assert r.exit_code == 0, r
 
         elif via == "reset":
-            # using `kart reset HEAD --discard-changes`
-            r = cli_runner.invoke(["reset", "HEAD", "--discard-changes"])
+            # using `kart reset --discard-changes`
+            r = cli_runner.invoke(["reset", "--discard-changes"])
             assert r.exit_code == 0, r
 
         elif via == "checkout":
diff --git a/tests/test_working_copy_mysql.py b/tests/test_working_copy_mysql.py
index b5a45d58f..403ff75f9 100644
--- a/tests/test_working_copy_mysql.py
+++ b/tests/test_working_copy_mysql.py
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ def test_commit_edits(
                 "",
                 "Changes in working copy:",
                 '  (use "kart commit" to commit)',
-                '  (use "kart reset" to discard changes)',
+                '  (use "kart restore" to discard changes)',
                 "",
                 f"  {table}:",
                 "    feature:",
diff --git a/tests/test_working_copy_postgis.py b/tests/test_working_copy_postgis.py
index 1b35e0ae9..7c8958bb7 100644
--- a/tests/test_working_copy_postgis.py
+++ b/tests/test_working_copy_postgis.py
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ def test_commit_edits(
                 "",
                 "Changes in working copy:",
                 '  (use "kart commit" to commit)',
-                '  (use "kart reset" to discard changes)',
+                '  (use "kart restore" to discard changes)',
                 "",
                 f"  {table}:",
                 "    feature:",
diff --git a/tests/test_working_copy_sqlserver.py b/tests/test_working_copy_sqlserver.py
index 96e34e017..071693a82 100644
--- a/tests/test_working_copy_sqlserver.py
+++ b/tests/test_working_copy_sqlserver.py
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ def test_commit_edits(
                 "",
                 "Changes in working copy:",
                 '  (use "kart commit" to commit)',
-                '  (use "kart reset" to discard changes)',
+                '  (use "kart restore" to discard changes)',
                 "",
                 f"  {table}:",
                 "    feature:",