diff --git a/src/klayout_main/klayout_main/klayout.cc b/src/klayout_main/klayout_main/klayout.cc
index 11d4aea39..4e04a5e10 100644
--- a/src/klayout_main/klayout_main/klayout.cc
+++ b/src/klayout_main/klayout_main/klayout.cc
@@ -305,12 +305,12 @@ klayout_main (int &argc, char **argv)
 
   for (int i = 1; i < argc; ++i) {
 
-    if (argv [i] == std::string ("-v")) {
+    if (argv [i] == std::string ("-v") || argv [i] == std::string ("--version")) {
 
       tl::info << lay::ApplicationBase::version ();
       return 0;
 
-    } else if (argv [i] == std::string ("-h")) {
+    } else if (argv [i] == std::string ("-h") || argv [i] == std::string ("--help")) {
 
       tl::info << lay::ApplicationBase::usage () << tl::noendl;
       return 0;
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/gsiDeclLayApplication.cc b/src/lay/lay/gsiDeclLayApplication.cc
index 5e2b6d410..7dd423297 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/gsiDeclLayApplication.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/gsiDeclLayApplication.cc
@@ -141,13 +141,16 @@ static gsi::Methods application_methods ()
       "@param name The name of the configuration parameter to set\n"
       "@param value The value to which to set the configuration parameter\n"
       "\n"
+      "The configuration parameter name needs to be a valid XML element name. Otherwise, a corrupt "
+      "configuration file will be produced.\n"
+      "\n"
       "This method sets the configuration parameter with the given name to the given value. "
       "Values can only be strings. Numerical values have to be converted into strings first. "
       "The actual format of the value depends on the configuration parameter. The name must "
       "be one of the names returned by \\get_config_names."
       "\n"
       "It is possible to write an arbitrary name/value pair into the configuration database which then is "
-      "written to the configuration file."
+      "written to the configuration file.\n"
     ) +
     //  TODO: basically this method belongs to Dispatcher (aka MainWindow).
     //  There is separate declaration for Dispatcher which we have to synchronize
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layApplication.cc b/src/lay/lay/layApplication.cc
index 75b8c3bc1..8985f7041 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layApplication.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layApplication.cc
@@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@ ApplicationBase::usage ()
   r += tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("  -t                  Don't update the configuration file on exit")) + "\n";
   r += tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("  -nt                 Update the configuration file on exit (default, overrides previous -t option)")) + "\n";
   r += tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("  -u <file name>      Restore session from given file")) + "\n";
-  r += tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("  -v                  Print program version and exit")) + "\n";
+  r += tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("  -v                  Print program version and exit (also available as --version)")) + "\n";
   r += tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("  -wd <name>=<value>  Define a variable within expressions")) + "\n";
   r += tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("  -x                  Synchronous drawing mode")) + "\n";
   r += tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("  -y <package>        Package installation: install package(s) and exit - can be used more than once")) + "\n";
diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/gsiDeclLayDispatcher.cc b/src/laybasic/laybasic/gsiDeclLayDispatcher.cc
index 9c5b691dc..a26dc45b6 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/gsiDeclLayDispatcher.cc
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/gsiDeclLayDispatcher.cc
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ Class<lay::Dispatcher> decl_Dispatcher ("lay", "Dispatcher",
     "@param name The name of the configuration parameter to set\n"
     "@param value The value to which to set the configuration parameter\n"
     "\n"
+    "The configuration parameter name needs to be a valid XML element name. Otherwise, a corrupt "
+    "configuration file will be produced.\n"
+    "\n"
     "This method sets a configuration parameter with the given name to the given value. "
     "Values can only be strings. Numerical values have to be converted into strings first. "
     "Local configuration parameters override global configurations for this specific view. "