diff --git a/cmds/lshal/DebugCommand.cpp b/cmds/lshal/DebugCommand.cpp
index 72958bd..ccf1ab1 100644
--- a/cmds/lshal/DebugCommand.cpp
+++ b/cmds/lshal/DebugCommand.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 }
 
 std::string DebugCommand::getSimpleDescription() const {
-    return "Debug a specified HAL.";
+    return "Debug a specified HIDL HAL.";
 }
 
 Status DebugCommand::parseArgs(const Arg &arg) {
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
             "debug:\n"
             "    lshal debug [-E] <interface> [options [options [...]]] \n"
             "        Print debug information of a specified interface.\n"
-            "        -E: excludes debug output if HAL is actually a subclass.\n"
+            "        -E: excludes debug output if HIDL HAL is actually a subclass.\n"
             "        <interface>: Format is `android.hardware.foo@1.0::IFoo/default`.\n"
             "            If instance name is missing `default` is used.\n"
             "        options: space separated options to IBase::debug.\n";
diff --git a/cmds/lshal/ListCommand.cpp b/cmds/lshal/ListCommand.cpp
index 22268ac..d5110f6 100644
--- a/cmds/lshal/ListCommand.cpp
+++ b/cmds/lshal/ListCommand.cpp
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
     return "list";
 }
 std::string ListCommand::getSimpleDescription() const {
-    return "List HALs.";
+    return "List HIDL HALs.";
 }
 
 std::string ListCommand::parseCmdline(pid_t pid) const {
@@ -295,21 +295,21 @@
     }
 
     mServicesTable.setDescription(
-            "| All binderized services (registered with hwservicemanager)");
+            "| All HIDL binderized services (registered with hwservicemanager)");
     mPassthroughRefTable.setDescription(
-            "| All interfaces that getService() has ever returned as a passthrough interface;\n"
+            "| All HIDL interfaces getService() has ever returned as a passthrough interface;\n"
             "| PIDs / processes shown below might be inaccurate because the process\n"
             "| might have relinquished the interface or might have died.\n"
             "| The Server / Server CMD column can be ignored.\n"
             "| The Clients / Clients CMD column shows all process that have ever dlopen'ed \n"
             "| the library and successfully fetched the passthrough implementation.");
     mImplementationsTable.setDescription(
-            "| All available passthrough implementations (all -impl.so files).\n"
+            "| All available HIDL passthrough implementations (all -impl.so files).\n"
             "| These may return subclasses through their respective HIDL_FETCH_I* functions.");
     mManifestHalsTable.setDescription(
-            "| All HALs that are in VINTF manifest.");
+            "| All HIDL HALs that are in VINTF manifest.");
     mLazyHalsTable.setDescription(
-            "| All HALs that are declared in VINTF manifest:\n"
+            "| All HIDL HALs that are declared in VINTF manifest:\n"
             "|    - as hwbinder HALs but are not registered to hwservicemanager, and\n"
             "|    - as hwbinder/passthrough HALs with no implementation.");
 }
@@ -903,11 +903,11 @@
         thiz->mSelectedColumns.push_back(TableColumnType::VINTF);
         return OK;
     }, "print VINTF info. This column contains a comma-separated list of:\n"
-       "    - DM: if the HAL is in the device manifest\n"
-       "    - DC: if the HAL is in the device compatibility matrix\n"
-       "    - FM: if the HAL is in the framework manifest\n"
-       "    - FC: if the HAL is in the framework compatibility matrix\n"
-       "    - X: if the HAL is in none of the above lists"});
+       "    - DM: if the HIDL HAL is in the device manifest\n"
+       "    - DC: if the HIDL HAL is in the device compatibility matrix\n"
+       "    - FM: if the HIDL HAL is in the framework manifest\n"
+       "    - FC: if the HIDL HAL is in the framework compatibility matrix\n"
+       "    - X: if the HIDL HAL is in none of the above lists"});
     mOptions.push_back({'S', "service-status", no_argument, v++, [](ListCommand* thiz, const char*) {
         thiz->mSelectedColumns.push_back(TableColumnType::SERVICE_STATUS);
         return OK;
diff --git a/cmds/lshal/Lshal.cpp b/cmds/lshal/Lshal.cpp
index 99cb93a..bc99f4d 100644
--- a/cmds/lshal/Lshal.cpp
+++ b/cmds/lshal/Lshal.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@
 }
 
 void Lshal::usage() {
-    err() << "lshal: List and debug HALs." << std::endl << std::endl
+    err() << "lshal: List and debug HIDL HALs." << std::endl
+          << "   (for AIDL HALs, see `dumpsys`)" << std::endl << std::endl
           << "commands:" << std::endl;
 
     size_t nameMaxLength = 0;
diff --git a/cmds/lshal/WaitCommand.cpp b/cmds/lshal/WaitCommand.cpp
index 65b41b9..437a66a 100644
--- a/cmds/lshal/WaitCommand.cpp
+++ b/cmds/lshal/WaitCommand.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 }
 
 std::string WaitCommand::getSimpleDescription() const {
-    return "Wait for HAL to start if it is not already started.";
+    return "Wait for HIDL HAL to start if it is not already started.";
 }
 
 Status WaitCommand::parseArgs(const Arg &arg) {