diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_client.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_client.py
index b0a2345e6..06b1974fb 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_client.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_client.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def get_argparser():
     parser_add.add_argument("file", metavar="FILE",
                             help="file containing the experiment to run")
     parser_add.add_argument("arguments", metavar="ARGUMENTS", nargs="*",
-                            help="run arguments")
+                            help="run arguments, use format KEY=VALUE")
 
     parser_delete = subparsers.add_parser("delete",
                                           help="delete an experiment "
diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py
index ea6a50c00..cf6d5e45c 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_run.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ def get_argparser(with_file=True):
         parser.add_argument("file", metavar="FILE",
                             help="file containing the experiment to run")
     parser.add_argument("arguments", metavar="ARGUMENTS", nargs="*",
-                        help="run arguments")
+                        help="run arguments, use format KEY=VALUE")
 
     return parser