diff --git a/qemu-doc.texi b/qemu-doc.texi
index 3da557788667ea798631a1709e48a761cfea16c2..e4985e26ff37b9fc5b6786e4f3e86c1ac070c25d 100644
--- a/qemu-doc.texi
+++ b/qemu-doc.texi
@@ -556,7 +556,10 @@ images.
 
 @item -std-vga
 Simulate a standard VGA card with Bochs VBE extensions (default is
-Cirrus Logic GD5446 PCI VGA)
+Cirrus Logic GD5446 PCI VGA). If your guest OS supports the VESA 2.0
+VBE extensions (e.g. Windows XP) and if you want to use high
+resolution modes (>= 1280x1024x16) then you should use this option.
+
 @item -loadvm file
 Start right away with a saved state (@code{loadvm} in monitor)
 @end table
@@ -1260,6 +1263,11 @@ card. All Windows versions starting from Windows 95 should recognize
 and use this graphic card. For optimal performances, use 16 bit color
 depth in the guest and the host OS.
 
+If you are using Windows XP as guest OS and if you want to use high
+resolution modes which the Cirrus Logic BIOS does not support (i.e. >=
+1280x1024x16), then you should use the VESA VBE virtual graphic card
+(option @option{-std-vga}).
+
 @subsubsection CPU usage reduction
 
 Windows 9x does not correctly use the CPU HLT