diff --git a/docs/usage/envvars.rst b/docs/usage/envvars.rst
index 50f42d0a1..a8386d2df 100644
--- a/docs/usage/envvars.rst
+++ b/docs/usage/envvars.rst
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ These can be especially useful in the context of an entire pipeline or workflow
     If set, ``augur subsample`` will search these directories for relative filepaths specified in the config file.
     Multiple directories can be set by separating them with colons (e.g., ``/path/one:/path/two``).
 
-    This takes precedence over the ``--search-paths`` command line argument.
+    The ``--search-paths`` command line argument takes precedence over this environment variable.
 
 .. envvar:: AUGUR_DEBUG