diff --git a/docs/client/api.html b/docs/client/api.html
index 48ad532098..aeee5f0f76 100644
--- a/docs/client/api.html
+++ b/docs/client/api.html
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ put on the screen.
 
 {{> api_box absoluteUrl}}
 
+{{> api_box settings}}
+
 <h2 id="publishandsubscribe"><span>Publish and subscribe</span></h2>
 
 These functions control how Meteor servers publish sets of records and
diff --git a/docs/client/api.js b/docs/client/api.js
index 88d2ccefd6..2b4d85c4fb 100644
--- a/docs/client/api.js
+++ b/docs/client/api.js
@@ -54,6 +54,17 @@ Template.api.absoluteUrl = {
   ]
 };
 
+Template.api.settings = {
+  id: "meteor_settings",
+  name: "Meteor.settings",
+  locus: "Server",
+  descr: ["`Meteor.settings` contains any deployment-specific options that were " +
+          "provided using the `--settings` option for `meteor run` or `meteor deploy`. " +
+          "If you provide the `--settings` option, `Meteor.settings` will be the " +
+          "JSON object in the file you specify.  Otherwise, `Meteor.settings` will " +
+          "be an empty object."]
+};
+
 Template.api.publish = {
   id: "meteor_publish",
   name: "Meteor.publish(name, func)",
diff --git a/docs/client/commandline.html b/docs/client/commandline.html
index 979e9197f8..5f8ab1f0b9 100644
--- a/docs/client/commandline.html
+++ b/docs/client/commandline.html
@@ -92,15 +92,14 @@ address of origin.meteor.com.
 
 
 
-To add deploy-specific information to your application, use the `--settings`
-option.  This will set the variable `Meteor.settings` in your application, but
-only on the server.  The `--settings` option takes an argument: the name of a
-file containing JSON data to put into `Meteor.settings`.
+You can add information specific to a particular deployment of your application
+by using the `--settings` option.  The argument to `--settings` is a file
+containing any JSON string.  The object in your settings file will appear on the
+server side of your application in [`Meteor.settings`](#meteor_settings).
 
-The settings you pass will persist on your deployed application across
-invocations of `meteor deploy` until you again pass the `--settings` option with
-different contents in your settings file. To unset `Meteor.settings`, pass an
-empty settings file.
+Settings are persistent.  When you redeploy your app, the old value will be
+preserved unless you explicitly pass new settings using the `--settings` option.
+To unset `Meteor.settings`, pass an empty settings file.
 
 <h3 id="meteorlogs">meteor logs <i>site</i></h3>
 
diff --git a/docs/client/docs.js b/docs/client/docs.js
index e01f20a1d8..3413bfa00e 100644
--- a/docs/client/docs.js
+++ b/docs/client/docs.js
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ var toc = [
       "Meteor.isClient",
       "Meteor.isServer",
       "Meteor.startup",
-      "Meteor.absoluteUrl"
+      "Meteor.absoluteUrl",
+      "Meteor.settings"
     ],
 
     "Publish and subscribe", [