diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 34aef3cb..1cad1af0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ Options
                              Implies -u unless one of the json options are set
     -j, --jsonAll            output new package file instead of human-readable
                              message
-    --jsonDeps               Will return output like `jsonAll` but only lists
+    --jsonDeps               returns output like `jsonAll` but only lists
                              `dependencies`, `devDependencies`, and
                              `optionalDependencies` of the new package data.
     --jsonUpgraded           output upgraded dependencies in json
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ Options
     -p, --packageManager     npm or bower (default: npm)
     --packageData            include stringified package file (use stdin instead)
     --packageFile            package file location (default: ./package.json)
-    --pre                    include -alpha, -beta, -rc. Default: 0. Default
-                             with --newest and --greatest: 1.
+    --pre                    include -alpha, -beta, -rc. (default: 0; default
+                             with --newest and --greatest: 1)
     --prefix                 Used as current working directory in bower and npm
     -r, --registry           specify third-party NPM registry
     --removeRange            remove version ranges from the final package version
@@ -125,7 +125,8 @@ Options
     --semverLevel            find the highest version within "major" or "minor"
     -t, --greatest           find the highest versions available instead of the
                              latest stable versions
-    --timeout                a global timeout in ms
+    --timeout                a global timeout in milliseconds. (default: no global
+                             timeout and 30 seconds per npm-registery-fetch)
     -u, --upgrade            overwrite package file
     -v, --version            get version
     -V                       get version
diff --git a/bin/ncu b/bin/ncu
index c64d23bb..abb5cfc6 100755
--- a/bin/ncu
+++ b/bin/ncu
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ if (notifier.update && notifier.update.latest !== pkg.version) {
 program
     .description('[filter] is a list or regex of package names to check (all others will be ignored).')
     .usage('[options] [filter]')
-    .option('--concurrency <n>', 'max number of concurrent HTTP requests to npm registry (default: 8).', cint.partialAt(parseInt, 1, 10), 8)
+    .option('--concurrency <n>', 'max number of concurrent HTTP requests to npm registry.', cint.partialAt(parseInt, 1, 10), 8)
     .option('--configFilePath <path>', 'rc config file path (default: directory of `packageFile` or ./ otherwise)')
     .option('--configFileName <path>', 'rc config file name (default: .ncurc.{json,yml,js})')
     .option('--cwd <path>', 'Used as current working directory for `spawn` in npm listing')
     .option('--dep <dep>', 'check only a specific section(s) of dependencies: prod|dev|peer|optional|bundle (comma-delimited)')
-    .option('-e, --error-level <n>', 'set the error-level. 1: exits with error code 0 if no errors occur. 2: exits with error code 0 if no packages need updating (useful for continuous integration). Default is 1.', cint.partialAt(parseInt, 1, 10), 1)
+    .option('-e, --error-level <n>', 'set the error-level. 1: exits with error code 0 if no errors occur. 2: exits with error code 0 if no packages need updating (useful for continuous integration).', cint.partialAt(parseInt, 1, 10), 1)
     .option('--engines-node', 'upgrade to version which satisfies engines.node range')
     .option('-f, --filter <matches>', 'include only package names matching the given string, comma-or-space-delimited list, or /regex/')
     .option('-g, --global', 'check global packages instead of in the current project')
@@ -32,20 +32,20 @@ program
     .option('-j, --jsonAll', 'output new package file instead of human-readable message')
     .option('--jsonDeps', 'Will return output like `jsonAll` but only lists `dependencies`, `devDependencies`, and `optionalDependencies` of the new package data.')
     .option('--jsonUpgraded', 'output upgraded dependencies in json')
-    .option('-l, --loglevel <n>', 'what level of logs to report: silent, error, minimal, warn, info, verbose, silly (default: warn)', 'warn')
+    .option('-l, --loglevel <n>', 'what level of logs to report: silent, error, minimal, warn, info, verbose, silly', 'warn')
     .option('-m, --minimal', 'do not upgrade newer versions that are already satisfied by the version range according to semver')
     .option('-n, --newest', 'find the newest versions available instead of the latest stable versions')
     .option('-p, --packageManager <name>', 'npm (default) or bower', 'npm')
     .option('--packageData', 'include stringified package file (use stdin instead)')
     .option('--packageFile <filename>', 'package file location (default: ./package.json)')
-    .option('--pre <n>', 'Include -alpha, -beta, -rc. Default: 0. Default with --newest and --greatest: 1')
+    .option('--pre <n>', 'Include -alpha, -beta, -rc. (default: 0; default with --newest and --greatest: 1)')
     .option('--prefix <path>', 'Used as current working directory in bower and npm')
     .option('-r, --registry <url>', 'specify third-party npm registry')
     .option('--removeRange', 'remove version ranges from the final package version')
     .option('-s, --silent', "don't output anything (--loglevel silent)")
     .option('--semverLevel <level>', 'find the highest version within "major" or "minor"')
     .option('-t, --greatest', 'find the highest versions available instead of the latest stable versions')
-    .option('--timeout <ms>', 'a global timeout in ms')
+    .option('--timeout <ms>', 'a global timeout in milliseconds. (default: no global timeout and 30 seconds per npm-registery-fetch)')
     .option('-u, --upgrade', 'overwrite package file')
     .option('-x, --reject <matches>', 'exclude packages matching the given string, comma-or-space-delimited list, or /regex/')
     .option('-v, --version', pkg.version, () => {