diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/BazelStartupOptionsModule.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/BazelStartupOptionsModule.java
index cc126829118ff8..fb67c4a01d6e9e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/BazelStartupOptionsModule.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/BazelStartupOptionsModule.java
@@ -33,13 +33,15 @@ public static final class Options extends OptionsBase {
         valueHelp = "<path>",
         help =
             "The location of the user .bazelrc file containing default values of "
-                + "Bazel options. This option can also be specified multiple times.\n"
+                + "Bazel options. "
+                + "/dev/null indicates that all further `--bazelrc`s will be ignored, "
+                + "This is useful to disable the search for a user rc file, "
+                + "e.g. in release builds.\n"
+                + "This option can also be specified multiple times.\n"
                 + "E.g. with "
                 + "`--bazelrc=x.rc --bazelrc=y.rc --bazelrc=/dev/null --bazelrc=z.rc`,\n"
-                + "  1) x.rc and y.rc will be read.\n"
-                + "  2) /dev/null indicates that all further `--bazelrc`s will be ignored, "
-                + "so in this case z.rc will be ignored. This is useful "
-                + "to disable the search for a user rc file, e.g. in release builds.\n"
+                + "  1) x.rc and y.rc are read.\n"
+                + "  2) z.rc is ignored due to the prior /dev/null.\n"
                 + "If unspecified, Bazel uses the first .bazelrc file it finds in "
                 + "the following two locations: the workspace directory, then the user's home "
                 + "directory.\n"
diff --git a/src/test/cpp/blaze_util_test.cc b/src/test/cpp/blaze_util_test.cc
index 866ba5068b324d..6aaee3665dca18 100644
--- a/src/test/cpp/blaze_util_test.cc
+++ b/src/test/cpp/blaze_util_test.cc
@@ -234,88 +234,270 @@ TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchUnaryCommandOptionWarnsAboutDuplicates) {
   }
 }
 
-void assert_equal_vector_char_pointer(std::vector<std::string> expected, std::vector<std::string> actual) {
-  ASSERT_EQ(actual.size(), expected.size()) << "Vectors expected and actual are of unequal length";
+void assert_equal_vector_char_pointer(std::vector<std::string> expected,
+                                      std::vector<std::string> actual) {
+  ASSERT_EQ(actual.size(), expected.size())
+    << "Vectors expected and actual are of unequal length";
 
   for (int i = 0; i < actual.size(); ++i) {
-    ASSERT_EQ(actual[i], expected[i]) << "Vectors expected and actual differ at index " << i;
+    ASSERT_EQ(actual[i], expected[i])
+      << "Vectors expected and actual differ at index " << i;
   }
 }
 
 TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryForEmpty) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "build", ":target"}, ""));
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+    "bazel",
+    "build",
+    ":target"
+  }, ""));
 }
 
 TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryFlagNotPresent) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "build", ":target"}, "--flag"));
-}
-
-TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryStartupOptionWithEquals) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"value"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "--flag=value", "build", ":target"}, "--flag"));
-}
-
-TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryStartupOptionWithEquals2) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"value1", "value2"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "--flag=value1", "--flag=value2", "build", ":target"}, "--flag"));
-}
-
-TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryStartupOptionWithRepeatingFlag) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"--flag"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "--flag", "--flag", "value1", "build", ":target"}, "--flag"));
-}
-
-TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryStartupOptionWithRepeatingFlagOptionsOnly) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"--flag"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "--flag", "--flag", "value1"}, "--flag"));
-}
-
-TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryStartupOptionWithRepeatingFlagOptionsOnlyMulti) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"--flag", "value1"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "--flag", "--flag", "--flag", "value1"}, "--flag"));
-}
-
-TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryStartupOptionWithRepeatingFlagOptionsOnlyMultiWithEquals) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"--flag", "value1"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "--flag=--flag", "--flag", "value1"}, "--flag"));
-}
-
-TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryStartupOptionWithEquals3) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"value1", "value2", "value3"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "--flag=value1", "--flag=value2", "--flag=value3", "build", ":target"}, "--flag"));
-}
-
-TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryStartupOptionWithoutEquals) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"value"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "--flag", "value", "build", ":target"}, "--flag"));
-}
-
-TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryStartupOptionWithoutEquals2) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"value1", "value2"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "--flag", "value1", "--flag", "value2", "build", ":target"}, "--flag"));
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+    "bazel",
+    "build",
+    ":target"
+  }, "--flag"));
+}
+
+TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryOptionWithEquals) {
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "value"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "--flag=value",
+      "build",
+      ":target"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
+}
+
+TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryOptionWithEquals2) {
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "value1",
+      "value2"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "--flag=value1",
+      "--flag=value2",
+      "build",
+      ":target"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
+}
+
+TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryOptionWithRepeatingFlag) {
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "--flag"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "--flag",
+      "--flag",
+      "value1",
+      "build",
+      ":target"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
+}
+
+TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryOptionWithRepeatingFlagOptions) {
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "--flag"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "--flag",
+      "--flag",
+      "value1"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
+}
+
+TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryOptionValuesWithEquals) {
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "--flag",
+      "value1"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "--flag=--flag",
+      "--flag",
+      "value1"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
+}
+
+TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryOptionWithEquals3) {
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "value1",
+      "value2",
+      "value3"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "--flag=value1",
+      "--flag=value2",
+      "--flag=value3",
+      "build",
+      ":target"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
+}
+
+TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryOptionWithoutEquals) {
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "value"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "--flag",
+      "value",
+      "build",
+      ":target"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
+}
+
+TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryOptionWithoutEquals2) {
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "value1",
+      "value2"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "--flag",
+      "value1",
+      "--flag",
+      "value2",
+      "build",
+      ":target"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
 }
 
 TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryCommandOptionWithEquals) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"value"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "build", ":target", "--flag", "value"}, "--flag"));
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "value"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "build",
+      ":target",
+      "--flag",
+      "value"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
 }
 
 TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryCommandOptionWithEquals2) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"value1","value2"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "build", ":target", "--flag", "value1", "--flag", "value2"}, "--flag"));
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "value1",
+      "value2"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "build",
+      ":target",
+      "--flag",
+      "value1",
+      "--flag",
+      "value2"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
 }
 
 TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryCommandOptionWithoutEquals) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"value"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "build", ":target", "--flag=value"}, "--flag"));
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "value"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "build",
+      ":target",
+      "--flag=value"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
 }
 
 TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryCommandOptionWithoutEquals2) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"value1", "value2"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "build", ":target", "--flag=value1", "--flag=value2"}, "--flag"));
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "value1",
+      "value2"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "build",
+      ":target",
+      "--flag=value1",
+      "--flag=value2"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
 }
 
 TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnarySkipsAfterDashDashWithEquals) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "build", ":target", "--", "--flag", "value"}, "--flag"));
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({},
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "build",
+      ":target",
+      "--",
+      "--flag",
+      "value"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
 }
 
 TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnarySkipsAfterDashDashWithoutEquals) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "build", ":target", "--", "--flag=value"}, "--flag"));
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({},
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "build",
+      ":target",
+      "--",
+      "--flag=value"
+    }, "--flag")
+  );
 }
 
 TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryCommandOptionWithIgnoreAfter) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"value1","/dev/null"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "build", ":target", "--flag", "value1", "--flag", "/dev/null",  "--flag", "value3"}, "--flag", "/dev/null"));
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "value1",
+      "/dev/null"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "build",
+      ":target",
+      "--flag",
+      "value1",
+      "--flag",
+      "/dev/null",
+      "--flag",
+      "value3"
+    }, "--flag", "/dev/null")
+  );
 }
 
 TEST_F(BlazeUtilTest, TestSearchAllUnaryCommandOptionWithIgnoreAfterDevNull) {
-  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({"/dev/null"}, GetAllUnaryOptionValues({"bazel", "build", ":target", "--flag", "/dev/null", "--flag", "value2",  "--flag", "value3"}, "--flag", "/dev/null"));
+  assert_equal_vector_char_pointer({
+      "/dev/null"
+    },
+    GetAllUnaryOptionValues({
+      "bazel",
+      "build",
+      ":target",
+      "--flag",
+      "/dev/null",
+      "--flag",
+      "value2",
+      "--flag",
+      "value3"
+    }, "--flag", "/dev/null")
+  );
 }
 
 }  // namespace blaze