diff --git a/tools/virsh-domain.c b/tools/virsh-domain.c
index 04fed79a545d71b44bc24f74e308d89e0967a399..6b3dd7001a049bd16b299d0b3eeb49e3fe8065d3 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-domain.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-domain.c
@@ -1775,15 +1775,15 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_block_copy[] = {
     },
     {.name = "timeout",
      .type = VSH_OT_INT,
-     .help = N_("with --wait, abort if copy exceeds timeout (in seconds)")
+     .help = N_("implies --wait, abort if copy exceeds timeout (in seconds)")
     },
     {.name = "pivot",
      .type = VSH_OT_BOOL,
-     .help = N_("with --wait, pivot when mirroring starts")
+     .help = N_("implies --wait, pivot when mirroring starts")
     },
     {.name = "finish",
      .type = VSH_OT_BOOL,
-     .help = N_("with --wait, quit when mirroring starts")
+     .help = N_("implies --wait, quit when mirroring starts")
     },
     {.name = "async",
      .type = VSH_OT_BOOL,
@@ -1811,6 +1811,7 @@ cmdBlockCopy(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     bool quit = false;
     int abort_flags = 0;
 
+    blocking |= vshCommandOptBool(cmd, "timeout") || pivot || finish;
     if (blocking) {
         if (pivot && finish) {
             vshError(ctl, "%s", _("cannot mix --pivot and --finish"));
@@ -1833,8 +1834,7 @@ cmdBlockCopy(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
         sigaction(SIGINT, &sig_action, &old_sig_action);
 
         GETTIMEOFDAY(&start);
-    } else if (verbose || vshCommandOptBool(cmd, "timeout") ||
-               vshCommandOptBool(cmd, "async") || pivot || finish) {
+    } else if (verbose || vshCommandOptBool(cmd, "async")) {
         vshError(ctl, "%s", _("missing --wait option"));
         return false;
     }
@@ -1900,11 +1900,14 @@ cmdBlockCopy(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
         vshError(ctl, _("failed to finish job for disk %s"), path);
         goto cleanup;
     }
-    vshPrint(ctl, "\n%s",
-             quit ? _("Copy aborted") :
-             pivot ? _("Successfully pivoted") :
-             finish ? _("Successfully copied") :
-             _("Now in mirroring phase"));
+    if (quit)
+        vshPrint(ctl, "\n%s", _("Copy aborted"));
+    else if (pivot)
+        vshPrint(ctl, "\n%s", _("Successfully pivoted"));
+    else if (finish)
+        vshPrint(ctl, "\n%s", _("Successfully copied"));
+    else
+        vshPrint(ctl, "\n%s", _("Now in mirroring phase"));
 
     ret = true;
  cleanup:
diff --git a/tools/virsh.pod b/tools/virsh.pod
index b2fd53bb06b531d5d06b920d199f2d89d512ce59..35cf8786170d17cb033d623b5a5c8ec1483606a0 100644
--- a/tools/virsh.pod
+++ b/tools/virsh.pod
@@ -802,8 +802,8 @@ I<bandwidth> specifies copying bandwidth limit in MiB/s, although for
 qemu, it may be non-zero only for an online domain.
 
 =item B<blockcopy> I<domain> I<path> I<dest> [I<bandwidth>] [I<--shallow>]
-[I<--reuse-external>] [I<--raw>] [I<--wait> [I<--verbose>]
-[{I<--pivot> | I<--finish>}] [I<--timeout> B<seconds>] [I<--async>]]
+[I<--reuse-external>] [I<--raw>] [I<--wait> [I<--async>] [I<--verbose>]]
+[{I<--pivot> | I<--finish>}] [I<--timeout> B<seconds>]
 
 Copy a disk backing image chain to I<dest>. By default, this command
 flattens the entire chain; but if I<--shallow> is specified, the copy
@@ -832,12 +832,13 @@ faithful copy of that point in time.  However, if I<--wait> is specified,
 then this command will block until the mirroring phase begins, or cancel
 the operation if the optional I<timeout> in seconds elapses or SIGINT is
 sent (usually with C<Ctrl-C>).  Using I<--verbose> along with I<--wait>
-will produce periodic status updates.  Using I<--pivot> or I<--finish>
-along with I<--wait> will additionally end the job cleanly rather than
-leaving things in the mirroring phase.  If job cancellation is triggered,
-I<--async> will return control to the user as fast as possible, otherwise
-the command may continue to block a little while longer until the job
-is done cleaning up.
+will produce periodic status updates.  Using I<--pivot> (similar to
+B<blockjob> I<--pivot>) or I<--finish> (similar to B<blockjob> I<--abort>)
+implies I<--wait>, and will additionally end the job cleanly rather than
+leaving things in the mirroring phase.  If job cancellation is triggered
+by timeout or by I<--finish>, I<--async> will return control to the user
+as fast as possible, otherwise the command may continue to block a little
+while longer until the job has actually cancelled.
 
 I<path> specifies fully-qualified path of the disk.
 I<bandwidth> specifies copying bandwidth limit in MiB/s.