diff --git a/magit.el b/magit.el
index e519a11f..045c1a66 100644
--- a/magit.el
+++ b/magit.el
@@ -191,14 +191,97 @@
   (define-key magit-mode-map (kbd "c") 'magit-log-edit)
   (define-key magit-mode-map (kbd "p") 'magit-display-process))
 
+(defvar magit-mode-hook nil)
+
+(put 'magit-mode 'mode-class 'special)
+
 (defun magit-mode ()
+;;; XXX - the formatting is all screwed up because of the \\[...]
+;;;       constructs.
   "Review the status of a git repository and act on it.
-  \\{magit-mode-map}"
+\\<magit-mode-map>
+The buffer shows your changes (in the form of 'diff hunks') on
+their way into the local and remote repository.  Normally, you
+collect a set of changes into the staging area that you want to
+commit as a unit, and then you commit them.
+
+Typing `\\[magit-stage-thing-at-point]' will move the diff hunk
+that point is in into the staging area.  Typing
+`\\[magit-unstage-thing-at-point]' will remove it from the staging
+area.  When point is on a diff header for a file when you type
+`\\[magit-stage-thing-at-point]' or
+`\\[magit-unstage-thing-at-point]', all changes belonging to the
+file will move together.  You can also type `\\[magit-stage-all]'
+to stage all unstaged changes in one go.
+
+To commit the staged changes, type `\\[magit-log-edit]'.  A
+buffer will pop up where you can describe the changes.  Typing
+`C-c C-c' in that buffer will peform the commit.  The content of
+that buffer is preserved until you finally do commit it, so you
+can go back and forth between your source files, the status
+buffer, and the commit message buffer until you are ready to
+commit.
+
+The status buffer also lists untracked files; you should either
+start tracking them by typing `\\[magit-stage-thing-at-point]' when
+point is on one of them, or tell git to ignore them by typing
+`\\[magit-ignore-thing-at-point]'.
+
+If you make changes to your git status outside of Emacs, type
+`\\[magit-status]' to refresh the status buffer.  You also need
+to do this after saving one or more files.  For performance
+reasons, the status buffer is not updated every time you save.
+Instead, you should run `magit-status' whenever you want to look
+at the status buffer.  Of course, you can bind `magit-status' to
+a key to make this convenient.
+
+If you want to remove or rename tracked files, use \"git rm\" or
+\"git mv\" directly (and then refresh the status buffer to see
+the changes).
+
+Type `\\[magit-switch-branch]' to switch to another branch.  To
+create a new branch, type `\\[magit-create-branch]'.
+
+There are two commands for merging a branch into the current
+branch.  Type `\\[magit-manual-merge]' to initiate a `manual'
+merge: the changes resulting from the merge will not be
+committed, even when there are no conflicts.  You can review them
+and make modifications until you are ready to commit them.
+Typing `\\[magit-automatic-merge]' will initiate a `automatic'
+merge which will automatically commit the merged changes when
+there are no conflicts.
+
+While a merge is ongoing (i.e., until the merge commit has been
+added to the repository), the status buffer shows the branches
+that are being merged at the top.
+
+You can `soft reset' your repository by typing
+`\\[magit-reset-soft]'.  The current head will be set to the
+commit that you specify, but your working tree and the staging
+area are not changed.  Typing `\\[magit-reset-hard]' will do a
+`hard reset': all of the current head, your working tree, and the
+the index will be reverted to the commit that you specify.  Doing
+a hard reset without actually changing the current head will thus
+throw away all your uncommitted changes.  You can do this to
+abort a merge, for example.
+
+When you have a remote repository configured for the current
+branch (such as when \"git clone\" has done this for you
+automatically), it is shown at the top of the status buffer.  You
+can type `\\[magit-pull]' to run \"git pull\" and
+`\\[magit-push]' to run \"git push\".  Typing
+`\\[magit-display-process]' will pop up a buffer with a
+transcript of these commands.  There is also a section at the
+bottom that gives a summary of the changes that you have not yet
+pushed.
+
+\\{magit-mode-map}"
   (kill-all-local-variables)
   (setq buffer-read-only t)
   (setq major-mode 'magit-mode
 	mode-name "Magit")
-  (use-local-map magit-mode-map))
+  (use-local-map magit-mode-map)
+  (run-mode-hooks 'magit-mode-hook))
 
 ;;; Status