diff --git a/lib/galaxy/webapps/community/controllers/upload.py b/lib/galaxy/webapps/community/controllers/upload.py
index ab476a963da..6aa8da71c52 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/webapps/community/controllers/upload.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/webapps/community/controllers/upload.py
@@ -48,13 +48,12 @@ class UploadController( BaseUIController ):
                 message = 'No files were entered on the upload form.'
                 status = 'error'
                 uploaded_file = None
-            elif url and url.startswith("hg"):
-                # Use mercurial clone to fetch repository, contents will then
-                # be copied over.
+            elif url and url.startswith( 'hg' ):
+                # Use mercurial clone to fetch repository, contents will then be copied over.
                 uploaded_directory = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-                repo_url = "http%s" % url[len("hg"):]
-                repo_url = repo_url.encode('ascii', 'replace')
-                commands.clone(get_configured_ui(), repo_url, uploaded_directory)
+                repo_url = 'http%s' % url[ len( 'hg' ): ]
+                repo_url = repo_url.encode( 'ascii', 'replace' )
+                commands.clone( get_configured_ui(), repo_url, uploaded_directory )
             elif url:
                 valid_url = True
                 try:
diff --git a/templates/webapps/community/repository/upload.mako b/templates/webapps/community/repository/upload.mako
index d0235bf95f6..a0206a4f697 100644
--- a/templates/webapps/community/repository/upload.mako
+++ b/templates/webapps/community/repository/upload.mako
@@ -85,7 +85,10 @@
                     <input name="url" type="textfield" value="${url | h}" size="40"/>
                 </div>
                 <div class="toolParamHelp" style="clear: both;">
-                     Enter a URL to upload your files via http.
+                     Enter a URL to upload your files via http.  URLs that point to mercurial repositories (URLs that start with hg:// or hgs://)
+                     are allowed.  This mechanism results in the tip revision of an external mercurial repository being added to the tool shed
+                     repository as a single new changeset.  The revision history of the originating external mercurial repository is not uploaded
+                     to the tool shed repository.
                 </div>
                 <div style="clear: both"></div>
             </div>