diff --git a/jck/README.md b/jck/README.md
index 3daf24fdf1..f99ded350b 100644
--- a/jck/README.md
+++ b/jck/README.md
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 3. Export `JCK_ROOT=/jck/<test_material_folder>` as an environment variable or pass it in when run as a make command. For example `export JCK_ROOT=/jck/jck8d`.
 * Optional. The default value is `<openjdk-test>/../../../jck_root/JCK$(JDK_VERSION)-unzipped`.
+* if you export `SKIP_JCK_GIT_UPDATE=true`, then the `JCK_GIT_REPO` is not used at all, and `JCK_ROOT` is used directly, without needing to be a repo.
 
 4. Export `TEST_JDK_HOME=<your_JDK_root>` as an environment variable.
 
diff --git a/jck/build.xml b/jck/build.xml
index e934428bda..5eaa067873 100644
--- a/jck/build.xml
+++ b/jck/build.xml
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@
 				<if>
 					<isset property="env.SKIP_JCK_GIT_UPDATE" />
 					<then>
-						<echo message="env.SKIP_JCK_GIT_UPDATE set, not enforcing existence of env.JCK_GIT_REPO" />
+						<echo message="=== env.SKIP_JCK_GIT_UPDATE set, not enforcing existence of env.JCK_GIT_REPO ===" />
 					</then>
 					<else>
 						<fail message="env.JCK_GIT_REPO: ${env.JCK_GIT_REPO} was not correctly set for running JCK tests. If you do not want to compile JCK tests,