diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7c702f69d..92a51b188 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -153,6 +153,11 @@ The `ghe-backup` and `ghe-restore` commands also have a verbose output mode
 (`-v`) that lists files as they're being transferred. It's often useful to
 enable when output is logged to a file.
 
+When restoring to an already configured GHE instance, settings and license data
+are *not* restored to prevent overwriting manual configuration on the restore
+host. This behavior can be overriden by passing the `-c` argument to `ghe-restore`,
+forcing settings and license data to be overwritten with the backup copy's data.
+
 ### Scheduling backups
 
 Regular backups should be scheduled using `cron(8)` or similar command