diff --git a/doc/Section_accelerate.html b/doc/Section_accelerate.html
index 4de4fa10fe..b8820538d1 100644
--- a/doc/Section_accelerate.html
+++ b/doc/Section_accelerate.html
@@ -644,7 +644,10 @@ settings appropriate to your system.
 <P>Additional input script requirements to run styles with a <I>cuda</I>
 suffix are as follows:
 </P>
-<UL><LI>To invoke specific styles from the USER-CUDA package, you can either
+<UL><LI>The <A HREF = "Section_start.html#start_7">-cuda on command-line switch</A> must be
+used when launching LAMMPS to enable the USER-CUDA package. 
+
+<LI>To invoke specific styles from the USER-CUDA package, you can either
 append "cuda" to the style name (e.g. pair_style lj/cut/cuda), or use
 the <A HREF = "Section_start.html#start_7">-suffix command-line switch</A>, or use
 the <A HREF = "suffix.html">suffix</A> command.  One exception is that the
@@ -751,8 +754,8 @@ Details of the various options are discussed below.
 <PRE>make yes-kokkos                           # install the KOKKOS package
 make g++ OMP=yes                          # build with OpenMP, no CUDA 
 </PRE>
-<PRE>mpirun -np 12 lmp_g++ -k off < in.lj      # MPI-only mode with no Kokkos
-mpirun -np 12 lmp_g++ -sf kk < in.lj      # MPI-only mode with Kokkos
+<PRE>mpirun -np 12 lmp_g++ < in.lj      # MPI-only mode with no Kokkos
+mpirun -np 12 lmp_g++ -k on -sf kk < in.lj      # MPI-only mode with Kokkos
 mpirun -np 1 lmp_g++ -k on t 12 -sf kk < in.lj     # one MPI task, 12 threads
 mpirun -np 2 lmp_g++ -k on t 6 -sf kk < in.lj      # two MPI tasks, 6 threads/task 
 </PRE>
@@ -825,8 +828,7 @@ section</A> of the manual.
 </P>
 <P>Here are common options to use:
 </P>
-<UL><LI>-k off : runs an executable built with the KOKKOS pacakage, as
- if Kokkos were not installed. 
+<UL><LI>-k on : required to run any KOKKOS-enabled style 
 
 <LI>-sf kk : enables automatic use of Kokkos versions of atom, pair,
 fix, compute styles if they exist.  This can also be done with more
diff --git a/doc/Section_accelerate.txt b/doc/Section_accelerate.txt
index d115883270..0b1df3fd52 100644
--- a/doc/Section_accelerate.txt
+++ b/doc/Section_accelerate.txt
@@ -640,12 +640,15 @@ settings appropriate to your system.
 Additional input script requirements to run styles with a {cuda}
 suffix are as follows:
 
+The "-cuda on command-line switch"_Section_start.html#start_7 must be
+used when launching LAMMPS to enable the USER-CUDA package. :ulb,l
+
 To invoke specific styles from the USER-CUDA package, you can either
 append "cuda" to the style name (e.g. pair_style lj/cut/cuda), or use
 the "-suffix command-line switch"_Section_start.html#start_7, or use
 the "suffix"_suffix.html command.  One exception is that the
 "kspace_style pppm/cuda"_kspace_style.html command has to be requested
-explicitly. :ulb,l
+explicitly. :l
 
 To use the USER-CUDA package with its default settings, no additional
 command is needed in your input script.  This is because when LAMMPS
@@ -747,8 +750,8 @@ Details of the various options are discussed below.
 make yes-kokkos                           # install the KOKKOS package
 make g++ OMP=yes                          # build with OpenMP, no CUDA :pre
 
-mpirun -np 12 lmp_g++ -k off < in.lj      # MPI-only mode with no Kokkos
-mpirun -np 12 lmp_g++ -sf kk < in.lj      # MPI-only mode with Kokkos
+mpirun -np 12 lmp_g++ < in.lj      # MPI-only mode with no Kokkos
+mpirun -np 12 lmp_g++ -k on -sf kk < in.lj      # MPI-only mode with Kokkos
 mpirun -np 1 lmp_g++ -k on t 12 -sf kk < in.lj     # one MPI task, 12 threads
 mpirun -np 2 lmp_g++ -k on t 6 -sf kk < in.lj      # two MPI tasks, 6 threads/task :pre
 
@@ -821,8 +824,7 @@ section"_Section_start.html#start_7 of the manual.
 
 Here are common options to use:
 
--k off : runs an executable built with the KOKKOS pacakage, as
- if Kokkos were not installed. :ulb,l
+-k on : required to run any KOKKOS-enabled style :ulb,l
 
 -sf kk : enables automatic use of Kokkos versions of atom, pair,
 fix, compute styles if they exist.  This can also be done with more
diff --git a/doc/Section_start.html b/doc/Section_start.html
index 12abe89a3f..74b74d214f 100644
--- a/doc/Section_start.html
+++ b/doc/Section_start.html
@@ -1163,14 +1163,12 @@ mpirun -np 16 lmp_ibm -var f tmp.out -log my.log -screen none < in.alloy
 <PRE>-cuda on/off 
 </PRE>
 <P>Explicitly enable or disable CUDA support, as provided by the
-USER-CUDA package.  If LAMMPS is built with this package, as described
-above in <A HREF = "#start_3">Section 2.3</A>, then by default LAMMPS will run in
-CUDA mode.  If this switch is set to "off", then it will not, even if
-it was built with the USER-CUDA package, which means you can run
-standard LAMMPS or with the GPU package for testing or benchmarking
-purposes.  The only reason to set the switch to "on", is to check if
-LAMMPS was built with the USER-CUDA package, since an error will be
-generated if it was not.
+USER-CUDA package.  Even if LAMMPS is built with this package, as
+described above in <A HREF = "#start_3">Section 2.3</A>, this switch must be set to
+enable running with the CUDA-enhanced styles the package provides.  If
+the switch is not set (the default), LAMMPS will operate as if the
+USER-CUDA package were not installed; i.e. you can run standard LAMMPS
+or with the GPU package, for testing or benchmarking purposes.
 </P>
 <PRE>-echo style 
 </PRE>
@@ -1204,16 +1202,14 @@ used.
 </P>
 <PRE>-kokkos on/off keyword/value ... 
 </PRE>
-<P>Explicitly enable or disable Kokkos support, as provided by the KOKKOS
-package.  If LAMMPS is built with this package, as described above in
-<A HREF = "#start_3">Section 2.3</A>, then by default LAMMPS will run in Kokkos
-mode.  If this switch is set to "off", then it will not, even if it
-was built with the KOKKOS package, which means you can run standard
-LAMMPS styles or use styles enhanced by other acceleration packages,
-such as the GPU or USER-CUDA or USER-OMP packages, for testing or
-benchmarking purposes.  The only reason to set the switch to "on", is
-to check if LAMMPS was built with the KOKKOS package, since an error
-will be generated if it was not.
+<P>Explicitly enable or disable KOKKOS support, as provided by the KOKKOS
+package.  Even if LAMMPS is built with this package, as described
+above in <A HREF = "#start_3">Section 2.3</A>, this switch must be set to enable
+running with the KOKKOS-enhanced styles the package provides.  If the
+switch is not set (the default), LAMMPS will operate as if the KOKKOS
+package were not installed; i.e. you can run standard LAMMPS or with
+the GPU or USER-CUDA or USER-OMP packages, for testing or benchmarking
+purposes.
 </P>
 <P>Additional optional keyword/value pairs can be specified which
 determine how Kokkos will use the underlying hardware on your
diff --git a/doc/Section_start.txt b/doc/Section_start.txt
index 616dfae549..46a01d736f 100644
--- a/doc/Section_start.txt
+++ b/doc/Section_start.txt
@@ -1157,14 +1157,12 @@ Here are the details on the options:
 -cuda on/off :pre
 
 Explicitly enable or disable CUDA support, as provided by the
-USER-CUDA package.  If LAMMPS is built with this package, as described
-above in "Section 2.3"_#start_3, then by default LAMMPS will run in
-CUDA mode.  If this switch is set to "off", then it will not, even if
-it was built with the USER-CUDA package, which means you can run
-standard LAMMPS or with the GPU package for testing or benchmarking
-purposes.  The only reason to set the switch to "on", is to check if
-LAMMPS was built with the USER-CUDA package, since an error will be
-generated if it was not.
+USER-CUDA package.  Even if LAMMPS is built with this package, as
+described above in "Section 2.3"_#start_3, this switch must be set to
+enable running with the CUDA-enhanced styles the package provides.  If
+the switch is not set (the default), LAMMPS will operate as if the
+USER-CUDA package were not installed; i.e. you can run standard LAMMPS
+or with the GPU package, for testing or benchmarking purposes.
 
 -echo style :pre
 
@@ -1198,16 +1196,14 @@ used.
 
 -kokkos on/off keyword/value ... :pre
 
-Explicitly enable or disable Kokkos support, as provided by the KOKKOS
-package.  If LAMMPS is built with this package, as described above in
-"Section 2.3"_#start_3, then by default LAMMPS will run in Kokkos
-mode.  If this switch is set to "off", then it will not, even if it
-was built with the KOKKOS package, which means you can run standard
-LAMMPS styles or use styles enhanced by other acceleration packages,
-such as the GPU or USER-CUDA or USER-OMP packages, for testing or
-benchmarking purposes.  The only reason to set the switch to "on", is
-to check if LAMMPS was built with the KOKKOS package, since an error
-will be generated if it was not.
+Explicitly enable or disable KOKKOS support, as provided by the KOKKOS
+package.  Even if LAMMPS is built with this package, as described
+above in "Section 2.3"_#start_3, this switch must be set to enable
+running with the KOKKOS-enhanced styles the package provides.  If the
+switch is not set (the default), LAMMPS will operate as if the KOKKOS
+package were not installed; i.e. you can run standard LAMMPS or with
+the GPU or USER-CUDA or USER-OMP packages, for testing or benchmarking
+purposes.
 
 Additional optional keyword/value pairs can be specified which
 determine how Kokkos will use the underlying hardware on your