diff --git a/doc/config_options.txt b/doc/config_options.txt
index c025287a6..73e7910ff 100644
--- a/doc/config_options.txt
+++ b/doc/config_options.txt
@@ -1906,11 +1906,12 @@ The number of seconds to wait after the instance started before starting the nex
 ```
 
 ```{config:option} boot.autostart.priority instance-boot
-:defaultdesc: "0"
 :liveupdate: "no"
 :shortdesc: "What order to start the instances in"
 :type: "integer"
 The instance with the highest value is started first.
+Instances without a priority set will be started (with some parallelism) ahead of
+instances with a priority set.
 ```
 
 ```{config:option} boot.host_shutdown_action instance-boot
diff --git a/internal/server/metadata/configuration.json b/internal/server/metadata/configuration.json
index 7ceeda26d..234ae13b7 100644
--- a/internal/server/metadata/configuration.json
+++ b/internal/server/metadata/configuration.json
@@ -2181,9 +2181,8 @@
 					},
 					{
 						"boot.autostart.priority": {
-							"defaultdesc": "0",
 							"liveupdate": "no",
-							"longdesc": "The instance with the highest value is started first.",
+							"longdesc": "The instance with the highest value is started first.\nInstances without a priority set will be started (with some parallelism) ahead of\ninstances with a priority set.",
 							"shortdesc": "What order to start the instances in",
 							"type": "integer"
 						}