diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 0504e2a0..b57f8e9e 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ Release notes
   -v output.
 * New command ``openstack-jsoncheck`` to check for niceness of JSON
   files and reformat them.
+* ``openstack-autohelp``: Update the default parameters. The tables
+  are generated in the doc/common/tables/ dir by default, and the git
+  repository for the project being worked on is looked at in a sources/
+  dir by default.
 
 0.13
 ----
diff --git a/autogenerate_config_docs/README.md b/autogenerate_config_docs/README.md
index ad10dfc6..b834661e 100644
--- a/autogenerate_config_docs/README.md
+++ b/autogenerate_config_docs/README.md
@@ -140,9 +140,11 @@ start. This can be done by sourcing the `venv/bin/activate` file.
 Now, download and install the projects. Installation is necessary to satisfy
 dependencies between projects. This will also install required dependencies.
 
+    $ mkdir -p sources && cd sources
     $ PROJECTS="ceilometer cinder glance heat neutron nova trove"
     $ for p in $PROJECTS; do git clone git://git.openstack.org/openstack/$p.git; done
     $ for p in $PROJECTS; do cd $p && python setup.py install && cd ..; done
+    $ cd ..
 
 Install some missing requirements:
 
@@ -156,7 +158,7 @@ discovered.
 Update the flag names:
 
     $ for p in $PROJECTS; do
-    > ../../../openstack-doc-tools/autogenerate_config_docs/autohelp.py -vvv update $project -i $project
+    > ../../../openstack-doc-tools/autogenerate_config_docs/autohelp.py -vvv update $project
     > done
 
 At this point, search through the `*.flagmappings.new` files for anything
@@ -165,7 +167,7 @@ files and run `autohelp.py` with the `docbook` subcommand:
 
     $ for p in $PROJECTS; do
     > mv $p.flagmappings.new $p.flagmappings
-    > ../../../openstack-doc-tools/autogenerate_config_docs/autohelp.py -vvv docbook $project -i $project
+    > ../../../openstack-doc-tools/autogenerate_config_docs/autohelp.py -vvv docbook $project
     > done
 
 to generate the XML files and move those into the appropriate part of
diff --git a/autogenerate_config_docs/autohelp.py b/autogenerate_config_docs/autohelp.py
index 11bd9f0e..781408e5 100755
--- a/autogenerate_config_docs/autohelp.py
+++ b/autogenerate_config_docs/autohelp.py
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ def git_check(repo_path):
         package_name = os.path.basename(repo.remotes.origin.url)
         package_name = package_name.replace('.git', '')
     except Exception:
-        print("\nThere is a problem verifying that the directory passed in")
-        print("is a valid git repository.  Please try again.\n")
+        print("\n%s doesn't seem to be a valid git repository." % repo_path)
+        print("Use the -i flag to specify the repository path.\n")
         sys.exit(1)
     return package_name
 
@@ -462,10 +462,10 @@ def main():
         description='Manage flag files, to aid in updating documentation.',
         usage='%(prog)s <cmd> <package> [options]')
     parser.add_argument('subcommand',
-                        help='action (create, update, verify) [REQUIRED]',
+                        help='Action (create, update, verify).',
                         choices=['create', 'update', 'docbook'])
     parser.add_argument('package',
-                        help='name of the top-level package')
+                        help='Name of the top-level package.')
     parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose',
                         action='count',
                         default=0,
@@ -473,17 +473,20 @@ def main():
                         required=False,)
     parser.add_argument('-i', '--input',
                         dest='repo',
-                        help='path to valid git repository [REQUIRED]',
-                        required=True,
+                        help='Path to a valid git repository.',
+                        required=False,
                         type=str,)
     parser.add_argument('-o', '--output',
                         dest='target',
-                        help='directory in which xml files are generated',
+                        help='Directory in which xml files are generated.',
                         required=False,
-                        default='./',
+                        default='../../doc/common/tables/',
                         type=str,)
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
+    if args.repo is None:
+        args.repo = './sources/%s' % args.package
+
     package_name = git_check(args.repo)
 
     sys.path.insert(0, args.repo)
@@ -504,19 +507,16 @@ def main():
 
     if args.subcommand == 'create':
         create_flagmappings(package_name, options, verbose=args.verbose)
-        return
 
-    if args.subcommand == 'update':
+    elif args.subcommand == 'update':
         update_flagmappings(package_name, options, verbose=args.verbose)
-        return
 
-    if args.subcommand == 'docbook':
+    elif args.subcommand == 'docbook':
         write_docbook(package_name, options, verbose=args.verbose,
                       target=args.target)
         write_docbook_rootwrap(package_name, args.repo,
                                verbose=args.verbose,
                                target=args.target)
-        return
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":