diff --git a/common/src/main/java/org/mvndaemon/mvnd/common/Environment.java b/common/src/main/java/org/mvndaemon/mvnd/common/Environment.java
index 63d299d78..c0892f741 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/org/mvndaemon/mvnd/common/Environment.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/org/mvndaemon/mvnd/common/Environment.java
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ public enum Environment {
     //
     // System properties
     //
-    /** Java home for starting the daemon */
-    JAVA_HOME("java.home", "JAVA_HOME", null, OptionType.PATH, Flags.NONE),
+    /** Java home for starting the daemon. */
+    JAVA_HOME("java.home", "JAVA_HOME", null, OptionType.PATH, Flags.DOCUMENTED_AS_DISCRIMINATING),
     /**
      * The daemon installation directory. The client normally sets this according to where its <code>mvnd</code>
      * executable is located
@@ -346,7 +346,11 @@ public static String getProperty(String property) {
         this.property = property;
         this.environmentVariable = environmentVariable;
         this.default_ = default_ != null ? default_.toString() : null;
-        this.flags = flags;
+        if ((flags & Flags.DISCRIMINATING) != 0) {
+            this.flags = (flags | Flags.DOCUMENTED_AS_DISCRIMINATING);
+        } else {
+            this.flags = flags;
+        }
         this.type = type;
         if (options.length == 0) {
             this.options = Collections.emptyMap();
@@ -400,6 +404,10 @@ public boolean isDiscriminating() {
         return (flags & Flags.DISCRIMINATING) != 0;
     }
 
+    public boolean isDocumentedAsDiscriminating() {
+        return (flags & Flags.DOCUMENTED_AS_DISCRIMINATING) != 0;
+    }
+
     public boolean isInternal() {
         return (flags & Flags.INTERNAL) != 0;
     }
@@ -602,8 +610,15 @@ public String getJavaDoc() {
 
     static class Flags {
         private static final int NONE = 0b0;
+        /**
+         * Implies {@link #DOCUMENTED_AS_DISCRIMINATING} - this is implemented in
+         * {@link Environment#Environment(String, String, Object, OptionType, int, String...)}
+         */
         private static final int DISCRIMINATING = 0b1;
+
         private static final int INTERNAL = 0b10;
         private static final int OPTIONAL = 0b100;
+        /** Set automatically for entries having {@link #DISCRIMINATING} */
+        private static final int DOCUMENTED_AS_DISCRIMINATING = 0b1000;
     }
 }
diff --git a/daemon/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MvndHelpFormatter.java b/daemon/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MvndHelpFormatter.java
index 271836b00..95430aaa0 100644
--- a/daemon/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MvndHelpFormatter.java
+++ b/daemon/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MvndHelpFormatter.java
@@ -121,8 +121,15 @@ public static String displayHelp(CLIManager cliManager) {
             spaces(help, indentPos - help.length());
             wrap(help, toPlainText(entry.getJavaDoc()), terminalWidth, lineEnd, indent);
 
-            indentedLine(help, terminalWidth, "Default", env.getDefault(), indent);
-            indentedLine(help, terminalWidth, "Env. variable", env.getEnvironmentVariable(), indent);
+            if (env.isDocumentedAsDiscriminating()) {
+                indentedLine(help, terminalWidth, "This is a discriminating start parameter.", indent);
+            }
+            if (env.getDefault() != null) {
+                indentedLine(help, terminalWidth, "Default: " + env.getDefault(), indent);
+            }
+            if (env.getEnvironmentVariable() != null) {
+                indentedLine(help, terminalWidth, "Env. variable: " + env.getEnvironmentVariable(), indent);
+            }
         });
 
         help.append(lineSeparator).append(lineSeparator).append("mvnd value types:");
@@ -151,14 +158,10 @@ private static int getTerminalWidth() {
         return terminalWidth;
     }
 
-    private static void indentedLine(
-            StringBuilder stringBuilder, int terminalWidth, String key, String value, String indent) {
-        int lineEnd;
-        if (value != null) {
-            lineEnd = stringBuilder.length() + terminalWidth;
-            stringBuilder.append(System.lineSeparator()).append(indent);
-            wrap(stringBuilder, key + ": " + value, terminalWidth, lineEnd, indent);
-        }
+    private static void indentedLine(StringBuilder stringBuilder, int terminalWidth, String text, String indent) {
+        final int lineEnd = stringBuilder.length() + terminalWidth;
+        stringBuilder.append(System.lineSeparator()).append(indent);
+        wrap(stringBuilder, text, terminalWidth, lineEnd, indent);
     }
 
     /**