diff --git a/src/system/boot/loader/menu.cpp b/src/system/boot/loader/menu.cpp
index 0d2f0f8c27..dfc7dfee68 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/loader/menu.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/loader/menu.cpp
@@ -438,24 +438,28 @@ add_safe_mode_menu()
 	safeMenu->AddItem(item = new(nothrow) MenuItem("Safe mode"));
 	item->SetData(B_SAFEMODE_SAFE_MODE);
 	item->SetType(MENU_ITEM_MARKABLE);
-	item->SetHelpText("Puts the system into safe mode. This can be enabled independently "
-		"from the other options.");
+	item->SetHelpText("Puts the system into safe mode. This can be enabled "
+		"independently from the other options.");
 
 	safeMenu->AddItem(item = new(nothrow) MenuItem("Disable user add-ons"));
 	item->SetData(B_SAFEMODE_DISABLE_USER_ADD_ONS);
 	item->SetType(MENU_ITEM_MARKABLE);
-	item->SetHelpText("Prevent all user installed add-ons to be loaded. Only the add-ons "
-		"in the system directory will be used.");
+    item->SetHelpText("Prevents all user installed add-ons from being loaded. "
+		"Only the add-ons in the system directory will be used.");
 
 	safeMenu->AddItem(item = new(nothrow) MenuItem("Disable IDE DMA"));
 	item->SetData(B_SAFEMODE_DISABLE_IDE_DMA);
 	item->SetType(MENU_ITEM_MARKABLE);
+    item->SetHelpText("Disables IDE DMA, increasing IDE compatibilty "
+		"at the expense of performance.");
 	
 	platform_add_menus(safeMenu);
 
 	safeMenu->AddItem(item = new(nothrow) MenuItem("Enable on screen debug output"));
 	item->SetData("debug_screen");
 	item->SetType(MENU_ITEM_MARKABLE);
+    item->SetHelpText("Displays debug output on screen while the system "
+		"is booting, instead of the normal boot logo.");
 
 	safeMenu->AddSeparatorItem();
 	safeMenu->AddItem(item = new(nothrow) MenuItem("Return to main menu"));
diff --git a/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/menu.cpp b/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/menu.cpp
index 6db4d25fbc..f277e8d153 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/menu.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/menu.cpp
@@ -26,22 +26,27 @@ platform_add_menus(Menu *menu)
 			menu->AddItem(item = new(nothrow) MenuItem("Use fail-safe video mode"));
 			item->SetType(MENU_ITEM_MARKABLE);
 			item->SetData(B_SAFEMODE_FAIL_SAFE_VIDEO_MODE);
-			item->SetHelpText("The system will use VESA mode and won't try to open any video graphics driver");
+			item->SetHelpText("The system will use VESA mode "
+				"and won't try to use any video graphics drivers.");
 
 			smp_add_safemode_menus(menu);
 
 			menu->AddItem(item = new(nothrow) MenuItem("Don't call the BIOS"));
+			item->SetHelpText("Stops the system from calling BIOS functions.");
 			item->SetType(MENU_ITEM_MARKABLE);
 
 			menu->AddItem(item = new(nothrow) MenuItem("Disable APM"));
 			item->SetType(MENU_ITEM_MARKABLE);
 			item->SetData(B_SAFEMODE_DISABLE_APM);
-			item->SetHelpText("This overrides the APM setting in the kernel settings file");
+			item->SetHelpText("Disables Advanced Power Management hardware support, "
+				"overriding the APM setting in the kernel settings file.");
 
 			menu->AddItem(item = new(nothrow) MenuItem("Disable ACPI"));
 			item->SetType(MENU_ITEM_MARKABLE);
 			item->SetData(B_SAFEMODE_DISABLE_ACPI);
-			item->SetHelpText("This overrides the ACPI setting in the kernel settings file");
+			item->SetHelpText("Disables Advanced Configuration and Power "
+				"Interface hardware support, overriding the ACPI setting "
+				"in the kernel settings file.");
 			break;
 		default:
 			break;
diff --git a/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/smp.cpp b/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/smp.cpp
index 105bc7e945..dbd35b8cc9 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/smp.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/smp.cpp
@@ -589,6 +589,7 @@ smp_add_safemode_menus(Menu *menu)
 	menu->AddItem(item);
 	item->SetData(B_SAFEMODE_DISABLE_SMP);
 	item->SetType(MENU_ITEM_MARKABLE);
+	item->SetHelpText("Disables all but one CPU core.");
 }