diff --git a/internal/cli/version.go b/internal/cli/version.go
index ca862a4..a4b8a8c 100644
--- a/internal/cli/version.go
+++ b/internal/cli/version.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func VersionCommands(cli *Instance) *cobra.Command {
 	promoteCmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "promote <secret-name> <version>",
 		Short: "Promote a specific version to current",
-		Long: "Updates the current symlink to point to the specified " +
+		Long: "Rewrites the secret's current file to name the specified " +
 			"version. The versions' own times are left unchanged; secret " +
 			"list then gives the time of the promote as the secret's last " +
 			"update.",
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ func (cli *Instance) PromoteVersion(
 			version, vault.ErrVersionNotFound, secretName)
 	}
 
-	// Update the current symlink using the proper function
+	// Rewrite the secret's current file to name the version
 	err = secret.SetCurrentVersion(cli.fs, secretDir, version)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to update current version: %w", err)
diff --git a/internal/cli/version_test.go b/internal/cli/version_test.go
index 018b5d3..41b319a 100644
--- a/internal/cli/version_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/version_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 // - TestListVersionsNonExistentSecret: Tests error handling for missing secrets
 // - TestPromoteVersionCommand: Tests `secret version promote` command
 // - TestPromoteNonExistentVersion: Tests error handling for invalid promotion
+// - TestPromoteHelpSaysCurrentFileIsRewritten: Tests `secret version promote
+//   --help` text
 // - TestGetSecretWithVersion: Tests `secret get --version` flag functionality
 // - TestGetSecretWritesBinaryValue: Tests `secret get` output of binary values
 // - TestVersionCommandStructure: Tests command structure and help text
@@ -268,6 +270,23 @@ func TestPromoteNonExistentVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	require.ErrorIs(t, err, vault.ErrVersionNotFound)
 }
 
+// TestPromoteHelpSaysCurrentFileIsRewritten is a regression test for
+// https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/secret/issues/153: `secret version promote
+// --help` said it updates a symlink, but promote rewrites the secret's
+// `current` file, which is a plain file.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // executes the CLI in-process and sets the environment
+func TestPromoteHelpSaysCurrentFileIsRewritten(t *testing.T) {
+	env := map[string]string{secret.EnvStateDir: t.TempDir()}
+
+	output, err := ExecuteCommandInProcess(
+		[]string{"version", "promote", "--help"}, "", env)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.NotContains(t, output, "symlink")
+	assert.Contains(t, output, "current file")
+}
+
 func TestGetSecretWithVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()