diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index 73aea415c77..00a706848bd 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -503,9 +503,7 @@ This hook is run by `delete-selection-uses-region-p', which see.")
 
 (defun newline (&optional arg interactive)
   "Insert a newline, and move to left margin of the new line if it's blank.
-If option `use-hard-newlines' is non-nil, the newline is marked with the
-text-property `hard'.
-With ARG, insert that many newlines.
+With prefix argument ARG, insert that many newlines.
 
 If `electric-indent-mode' is enabled, this indents the final new line
 that it adds, and reindents the preceding line.  To just insert
@@ -514,6 +512,9 @@ a newline, use \\[electric-indent-just-newline].
 If `auto-fill-mode' is enabled, this may cause automatic line
 breaking of the preceding line.  A non-nil ARG inhibits this.
 
+If `use-hard-newlines' is enabled, the newline is marked with the
+text-property `hard'.
+
 A non-nil INTERACTIVE argument means to run the `post-self-insert-hook'."
   (interactive "*P\np")
   (barf-if-buffer-read-only)