diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 9c6b550..d20c08e 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -85,14 +85,12 @@
 		"\ts - trace self\n\n"
 		"\tCommands while running:\n"
 		"\tq - quit\n"
-		"\tc - resets some counters by clearing them\n"
+		"\tc - reset internal counters\n"
 		"\tk - display top kernel operations (default)\n"
 		"\tf - display just file system operations\n"
 		"\ti - display counters internal to ktop for debugging\n"
-		"\t< - reduce display timer internal by power of 2\n"
-		"\t\t(default 1 sec)\n"
-		"\t> - increase display timer internal by power of 2\n"
-		"\t\t(default 1 sec)\n",
+		"\t< - reduce redisplay interval\n"
+		"\t> - increase redisplay interval\n",
 		getprogname());
 	exit(2);
 }
@@ -117,7 +115,7 @@
 			usage();
 			break;
 		default:
-			fprintf(stderr, "unknown option %c\n", c);
+			fprintf(stderr, "unknown option '%c'\n", c);
 			usage();
 			break;
 		}
@@ -182,6 +180,7 @@
 
 	if (!Dump) {
 		rc = pthread_create(&reduce_thread, NULL, reduce, NULL);
+		if (rc) fatal("creating reduce thread:");
 	}
 	commander();