diff --git a/include/mextra.h b/include/mextra.h
index 9d87a8181..a8e06784e 100644
--- a/include/mextra.h
+++ b/include/mextra.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  *          file.
  *       3. Add a referencing macro at bottom of this file after the mextra
  *          struct (see MNAME, EGD, EPRI, ESHK, EMIN, or EDOG for examples).
- *       4. If your new field isn't a pointer and requires a special value
+ *       4. If your new field isn't a pointer and requires a non-zero value
  *          on initialization, add code to init_mextra() in src/makemon.c
  *       5. Create a newXX(mtmp) function and possibly a free_XX(mtmp)
  *          function in an appropriate new or existing source file and add
diff --git a/include/obj.h b/include/obj.h
index ad54580ad..9ff6bdc71 100644
--- a/include/obj.h
+++ b/include/obj.h
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ struct obj {
  *       4. Add a testing macro after the set of referencing macros
  *          (see has_oname(), has_omonst(), has_omailcmd(), and has_omin(),
  *          for examples).
- *       5. If your new field isn't a pointer and requires a special value
+ *       5. If your new field isn't a pointer and requires a non-zero value
  *          on initialization, add code to init_oextra() in src/mkobj.c.
  *       6. Create newXX(otmp) function and possibly free_XX(otmp) function
  *          in an appropriate new or existing source file and add a prototype