diff --git a/src/cli/bootupctl.rs b/src/cli/bootupctl.rs
index 7f2d7507..f462b2c8 100644
--- a/src/cli/bootupctl.rs
+++ b/src/cli/bootupctl.rs
@@ -49,10 +49,6 @@ impl CtlCommand {
 /// CLI sub-commands.
 #[derive(Debug, Parser)]
 pub enum CtlVerb {
-    // FIXME(lucab): drop this after refreshing
-    // https://github.com/coreos/fedora-coreos-config/pull/595
-    #[clap(name = "backend", hide = true, subcommand)]
-    Backend(CtlBackend),
     #[clap(name = "status", about = "Show components status")]
     Status(StatusOpts),
     #[clap(name = "update", about = "Update all components")]
@@ -61,6 +57,14 @@ pub enum CtlVerb {
     AdoptAndUpdate(AdoptAndUpdateOpts),
     #[clap(name = "validate", about = "Validate system state")]
     Validate,
+    /// Low-level commands for building and installing OS images
+    ///
+    /// These act on an OS tree or target root rather than on the running
+    /// system, and are intended for image build and installation tooling
+    /// (e.g. `bootc install` or disk image builders). To update the
+    /// bootloader of a booted system, use `update` or `adopt-and-update`.
+    #[clap(name = "backend", subcommand)]
+    Backend(super::bootupd::DVerb),
     #[clap(
         name = "migrate-static-grub-config",
         hide = true,
@@ -69,17 +73,6 @@ pub enum CtlVerb {
     MigrateStaticGrubConfig,
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Parser)]
-pub enum CtlBackend {
-    #[clap(name = "generate-update-metadata", hide = true)]
-    Generate(super::bootupd::GenerateOpts),
-    #[clap(name = "install", hide = true)]
-    Install(super::bootupd::InstallOpts),
-    #[clap(hide = true)]
-    #[cfg(efi_arch)]
-    SetDefaultBootloader(super::bootupd::DefaultBootloaderOpts),
-}
-
 #[derive(Debug, Parser)]
 pub struct StatusOpts {
     /// If there are updates available, output `Updates available: ` to standard output;
@@ -123,16 +116,7 @@ impl CtlCommand {
             CtlVerb::Update(opts) => Self::run_update(opts),
             CtlVerb::AdoptAndUpdate(opts) => Self::run_adopt_and_update(opts),
             CtlVerb::Validate => Self::run_validate(),
-            CtlVerb::Backend(CtlBackend::Generate(opts)) => {
-                super::bootupd::DCommand::run_generate_meta(opts)
-            }
-            CtlVerb::Backend(CtlBackend::Install(opts)) => {
-                super::bootupd::DCommand::run_install(opts)
-            }
-            #[cfg(efi_arch)]
-            CtlVerb::Backend(CtlBackend::SetDefaultBootloader(opts)) => {
-                super::bootupd::DCommand::set_default_bootloader(opts)
-            }
+            CtlVerb::Backend(verb) => verb.run(),
             CtlVerb::MigrateStaticGrubConfig => Self::run_migrate_static_grub_config(),
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/cli/bootupd.rs b/src/cli/bootupd.rs
index a9b8951b..4d57637f 100644
--- a/src/cli/bootupd.rs
+++ b/src/cli/bootupd.rs
@@ -36,10 +36,21 @@ impl DCommand {
 /// CLI sub-commands.
 #[derive(Debug, Parser)]
 pub enum DVerb {
-    #[clap(name = "generate-update-metadata", about = "Generate metadata")]
+    /// Generate update metadata from the bootloader files in an OS tree
+    ///
+    /// Run this at image build time. It records the bootloader component
+    /// versions (e.g. from the RPM database) under /usr/lib/bootupd/updates,
+    /// which `install` and `update` later use as their source.
+    #[clap(name = "generate-update-metadata")]
     GenerateUpdateMetadata(GenerateOpts),
-    #[clap(name = "install", about = "Install components")]
+    /// Install bootloader components to a target root
+    ///
+    /// Used when creating a disk image or installing a system: copies the
+    /// update payload from the source root into the target's ESP and/or
+    /// boot partition, and installs to the target block device(s) as needed.
+    #[clap(name = "install")]
     Install(InstallOpts),
+    /// Set the default bootloader on EFI systems
     #[cfg(efi_arch)]
     SetDefaultBootloader(DefaultBootloaderOpts),
 }
@@ -94,7 +105,7 @@ pub(crate) struct InstallOpts {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Parser)]
 pub struct GenerateOpts {
-    /// Physical root mountpoint
+    /// Root of the OS tree (only `/` is currently supported)
     #[clap(value_parser)]
     sysroot: Option<String>,
 }
@@ -108,15 +119,22 @@ pub struct DefaultBootloaderOpts {
     pub(crate) bootloader: Bootloader,
 }
 
+impl DVerb {
+    /// Run this verb; shared by `bootupd` and `bootupctl backend`.
+    pub(crate) fn run(self) -> Result<()> {
+        match self {
+            DVerb::Install(opts) => DCommand::run_install(opts),
+            DVerb::GenerateUpdateMetadata(opts) => DCommand::run_generate_meta(opts),
+            #[cfg(efi_arch)]
+            DVerb::SetDefaultBootloader(opts) => DCommand::set_default_bootloader(opts),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl DCommand {
     /// Run CLI application.
     pub fn run(self) -> Result<()> {
-        match self.cmd {
-            DVerb::Install(opts) => Self::run_install(opts),
-            DVerb::GenerateUpdateMetadata(opts) => Self::run_generate_meta(opts),
-            #[cfg(efi_arch)]
-            DVerb::SetDefaultBootloader(opts) => Self::set_default_bootloader(opts),
-        }
+        self.cmd.run()
     }
 
     /// Runner for `generate-install-metadata` verb.
diff --git a/src/cli/mod.rs b/src/cli/mod.rs
index 02212b56..6b505797 100644
--- a/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -58,6 +58,23 @@ mod tests {
         bootupd::DCommand::command().debug_assert();
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn backend_is_documented() {
+        use clap::CommandFactory;
+        let ctl = bootupctl::CtlCommand::command();
+        let backend = ctl.find_subcommand("backend").unwrap();
+        assert!(!backend.is_hide_set());
+        assert!(backend.get_about().is_some());
+        for verb in backend.get_subcommands() {
+            assert!(!verb.is_hide_set(), "{} is hidden", verb.get_name());
+            assert!(
+                verb.get_about().is_some(),
+                "{} has no help",
+                verb.get_name()
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_multicall_dispatch() {
         {