diff --git a/apps/verify.c b/apps/verify.c
index a823d58a75d648904aa6e1cd4f0de6033635e164..7fcd32a4044a5902a5e73a9d33f781d92af6b4e4 100644
--- a/apps/verify.c
+++ b/apps/verify.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ OPTIONS verify_options[] = {
     {"CApath", OPT_CAPATH, '/', "A directory of trusted certificates"},
     {"CAfile", OPT_CAFILE, '<', "A file of trusted certificates"},
     {"untrusted", OPT_UNTRUSTED, '<', "A file of untrusted certificates"},
-    {"trusted", OPT_TRUSTED, '<', "A file of additional trusted certificates"},
+    {"trusted", OPT_TRUSTED, '<', "A file of trusted certificates"},
     {"CRLfile", OPT_CRLFILE, '<',
         "File containing one or more CRL's (in PEM format) to load"},
     {"crl_download", OPT_CRL_DOWNLOAD, '-',
@@ -180,6 +180,12 @@ int verify_main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
     argc = opt_num_rest();
     argv = opt_rest();
+    if (trustfile && (CAfile || CApath)) {
+        BIO_printf(bio_err,
+                   "%s: Cannot use -trusted with -CAfile or -CApath\n",
+                   prog);
+        goto end;
+    }
 
     if (!app_load_modules(NULL))
         goto end;
diff --git a/doc/apps/verify.pod b/doc/apps/verify.pod
index 9cc7fcb817917b6adba6e53999b2385163d66303..b1253da740037b99159bd02e7bc7061ed8954d06 100644
--- a/doc/apps/verify.pod
+++ b/doc/apps/verify.pod
@@ -182,13 +182,17 @@ behaviour to match that of OpenSSL versions prior to 1.1.0.
 
 =item B<-untrusted file>
 
-A file of untrusted certificates. The file should contain multiple certificates
-in PEM format concatenated together.
+A file of untrusted certificates. The file should contain one or more
+certificates in PEM format.
 
 =item B<-trusted file>
 
-A file of additional trusted certificates. The file should contain multiple
-certificates in PEM format concatenated together.
+A file of trusted certificates. The file contain one or more
+certificates in PEM format.
+With this option, no additional (e.g., default) certificate lists
+are consulted. That is, the only trusted issuers are those listed
+in B<file>.
+This option cannot be used with the B<-CAfile> or B<-CApath> options.
 
 =item B<-use_deltas>