.\"
.\" Created: Sun May 7 00:14:37 1995 ylo
.\"
-.\" $OpenBSD: scp.1,v 1.113 2024/12/06 15:12:56 djm Exp $
+.\" $OpenBSD: scp.1,v 1.114 2025/04/14 05:41:42 jmc Exp $
.\"
-.Dd $Mdocdate: December 6 2024 $
+.Dd $Mdocdate: April 14 2025 $
.Dt SCP 1
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Bl -tag -width Ds
.It Fl 3
Copies between two remote hosts are transferred through the local host.
-Without this option the data is copied directly between the two remote
-hosts.
-Note that, when using the legacy SCP protocol (via the
+This mode is the default,
+but see also the
+.Fl R
+option for copying data directly between two remote hosts.
+Note that when using the legacy SCP protocol (via the
.Fl O
flag), this option
selects batch mode for the second host as
.Nm
cannot ask for passwords or passphrases for both hosts.
-This mode is the default.
.It Fl 4
Forces
.Nm
messages from
.Xr ssh 1 .
.It Fl R
-Copies between two remote hosts are performed by connecting to the origin
+Copies between two remote hosts are transferred through the local host
+by default.
+This option instead copies between two remote hosts by connecting to the origin
host and executing
.Nm
there.