diff --git a/doc/help/commands.asciidoc b/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
index e3caf954e..54cf56042 100644
--- a/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
@@ -215,11 +215,22 @@ The index of the download to delete.
 
 [[download-open]]
 === download-open
+Syntax: +:download-open ['cmdline']+
+
 Open the last/[count]th download.
 
+If no specific command is given, this will use the system's default application to open the file.
+
+==== positional arguments
+* +'cmdline'+: The command which should be used to open the file. A `{}` is expanded to the temporary file name.
+
+
 ==== count
 The index of the download to open.
 
+==== note
+* This command does not split arguments after the last argument and handles quotes literally.
+
 [[download-remove]]
 === download-remove
 Syntax: +:download-remove [*--all*]+
@@ -1172,10 +1183,14 @@ Syntax: +:prompt-open-download ['cmdline']+
 
 Immediately open a download.
 
-==== positional arguments
-* +'cmdline'+: The command line string to execute. The default will use the system's application to open the file, depending on
- the filetype.
+If no specific command is given, this will use the system's default application to open the file.
 
+==== positional arguments
+* +'cmdline'+: The command which should be used to open the file. A `{}` is expanded to the temporary file name.
+
+
+==== note
+* This command does not split arguments after the last argument and handles quotes literally.
 
 [[prompt-yes]]
 === prompt-yes
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/downloads.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/downloads.py
index 662a291c9..9a1f40d55 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/downloads.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/downloads.py
@@ -1058,9 +1058,12 @@ class DownloadManager(QAbstractListModel):
     def download_open(self, cmdline: str=None, count=0):
         """Open the last/[count]th download.
 
+        If no specific command is given, this will use the system's default
+        application to open the file.
+
         Args:
-            cmdline: The command which should be used to open the file. A {} as
-                     argument will be replaced by the download's filename.
+            cmdline: The command which should be used to open the file. A `{}`
+                     is expanded to the temporary file name.
             count: The index of the download to open.
         """
         try:
diff --git a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/statusbar/prompter.py b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/statusbar/prompter.py
index 0282f38cf..cbcb965af 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/statusbar/prompter.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/statusbar/prompter.py
@@ -316,11 +316,12 @@ class Prompter(QObject):
     def prompt_open_download(self, cmdline: str=None):
         """Immediately open a download.
 
+        If no specific command is given, this will use the system's default
+        application to open the file.
+
         Args:
-            cmdline: The command line string to execute. The default will use
-                     the system's application to open the file, depending on
-                     the filetype. A `{}` is expanded to the temporary file
-                     name.
+            cmdline: The command which should be used to open the file. A `{}`
+                     is expanded to the temporary file name.
         """
         if self._question.mode != usertypes.PromptMode.download:
             # We just ignore this if we don't have a download question.