diff --git a/lib/cppcheck.cpp b/lib/cppcheck.cpp
index 1789ec624..06453c214 100644
--- a/lib/cppcheck.cpp
+++ b/lib/cppcheck.cpp
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ bool CppCheck::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
         oss <<   "Cppcheck - A tool for static C/C++ code analysis\n"
             "\n"
             "Syntax:\n"
-            "    cppcheck [--append=file] [--enable=<id>] [--error-exitcode=[n]]\n"
+            "    cppcheck [--append=file] [-D<ID>] [--enable=<id>] [--error-exitcode=[n]]\n"
             "             [--exitcode-suppressions file] [--file-list=file.txt] [--force]\n"
             "             [--help] [-Idir] [--inline-suppr] [-j [jobs]] [--quiet] [--style]\n"
             "             [--suppressions file.txt] [--verbose] [--version] [--xml]\n"
@@ -543,6 +543,10 @@ bool CppCheck::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
             "Options:\n"
             "    --append=file        This allows you to provide information about\n"
             "                         functions by providing an implementation for these.\n"
+            "    -D<ID>               By default Cppcheck checks all configurations.\n"
+            "                         Use -D to limit the checking. When -D is used the\n"
+            "                         checking is limited to the given configuration.\n"
+            "                         Example: -DDEBUG=1 -D__cplusplus\n"
             "    --enable=id          Enable specific checks. The available ids are:\n"
             "                          * all - enable all checks\n"
             "                          * exceptNew - exception safety when using new\n"
diff --git a/man/manual.docbook b/man/manual.docbook
index 81ff1c408..2c0d8db9c 100644
--- a/man/manual.docbook
+++ b/man/manual.docbook
@@ -155,6 +155,23 @@ Checking path/file2.cpp...
     </section>
   </chapter>
 
+  <chapter>
+    <title>Preprocessor configurations</title>
+
+    <para>By default Cppcheck will check all preprocessor configurations
+    (except those that has #error in them). This is the recommended
+    behaviour.</para>
+
+    <para>But if you want to manually limit the checking you can do so with
+    <literal>-D</literal>.</para>
+
+    <para>For example, if you want to limit the checking so the only
+    configuration to check should be "DEBUG=1;__cplusplus" then something like
+    this can be used:</para>
+
+    <programlisting>cppcheck -DDEBUG=1 -D__cplusplus path</programlisting>
+  </chapter>
+
   <chapter>
     <title>XML output</title>