diff --git modules/user/user.admin.inc modules/user/user.admin.inc
index 50e4a5e..16c58f3 100644
--- modules/user/user.admin.inc
+++ modules/user/user.admin.inc
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ function user_admin_settings() {
     '#size' => 10,
     '#maxlength' => 10,
     '#field_suffix' => ' ' . t('pixels'),
-    '#description' => t('Maximum allowed dimensions for uploaded pictures.'),
+    '#description' => t('Pictures larger than this will be scaled down to this size.'),
   );
   $form['personalization']['pictures']['user_picture_file_size'] = array(
     '#type' => 'textfield',
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ function user_admin_settings() {
     '#size' => 10,
     '#maxlength' => 10,
     '#field_suffix' => ' ' . t('KB'),
-    '#description' => t('Maximum allowed file size for uploaded pictures.'),
+    '#description' => t('Maximum allowed file size for uploaded pictures. Upload size is normally limited only by the PHP maximum post and file upload settings, and images are automatically scaled down to the dimensions specified above.'),
   );
   $form['personalization']['pictures']['user_picture_guidelines'] = array(
     '#type' => 'textarea',
diff --git modules/user/user.module modules/user/user.module
index f57657a..524bc28 100644
--- modules/user/user.module
+++ modules/user/user.module
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ function user_account_form(&$form, &$form_state) {
     '#type' => 'file',
     '#title' => t('Upload picture'),
     '#size' => 48,
-    '#description' => t('Your virtual face or picture. Maximum dimensions are %dimensions pixels and the maximum size is %size kB.', array('%dimensions' => variable_get('user_picture_dimensions', '85x85'), '%size' => variable_get('user_picture_file_size', '30'))) . ' ' . filter_xss_admin(variable_get('user_picture_guidelines', '')),
+    '#description' => t('Your virtual face or picture. Pictures larger than @dimensions pixels will be scaled down.', array('@dimensions' => variable_get('user_picture_dimensions', '85x85'))) . ' ' . filter_xss_admin(variable_get('user_picture_guidelines', '')),
   );
   $form['#validate'][] = 'user_validate_picture';
 }