diff --git a/doc/Section_start.html b/doc/Section_start.html
index bfe24d404e..438f879dd6 100644
--- a/doc/Section_start.html
+++ b/doc/Section_start.html
@@ -1016,6 +1016,12 @@ defining index and other kinds of variables and <A HREF = "Section_commands.html
 section</A> for more info on using variables
 in input scripts.
 </P>
+<P>NOTE: Currently, the command-line parser looks for arguments that
+start with "-" to indicate new switches.  Thus you cannot specify
+multiple variable values if any of they start with a "-", e.g. a
+negative numeric value.  It is OK if the first value1 starts with a
+"-", since it is automatically skipped.
+</P>
 <HR>
 
 <H4><A NAME = "start_7"></A>2.7 LAMMPS screen output 
diff --git a/doc/Section_start.txt b/doc/Section_start.txt
index 5ae3fb715c..674dec45b7 100644
--- a/doc/Section_start.txt
+++ b/doc/Section_start.txt
@@ -1008,6 +1008,12 @@ defining index and other kinds of variables and "this
 section"_Section_commands.html#cmd_2 for more info on using variables
 in input scripts.
 
+NOTE: Currently, the command-line parser looks for arguments that
+start with "-" to indicate new switches.  Thus you cannot specify
+multiple variable values if any of they start with a "-", e.g. a
+negative numeric value.  It is OK if the first value1 starts with a
+"-", since it is automatically skipped.
+
 :line
 
 2.7 LAMMPS screen output :h4,link(start_7)