diff --git a/crates/edgezero-cli/src/args.rs b/crates/edgezero-cli/src/args.rs
index ddfdd1b9..cc86e79c 100644
--- a/crates/edgezero-cli/src/args.rs
+++ b/crates/edgezero-cli/src/args.rs
@@ -381,7 +381,8 @@ pub struct RollbackArgs {
     /// Production only: the version to re-activate. Fastly exposes no
     /// metadata to tell a previously-live version from a staged one, so
     /// the rollback target CANNOT be inferred; it is captured before the
-    /// deploy that superseded it (see `deploy`'s `previous-version`) and
+    /// deploy that superseded it (run `active-version` before that deploy,
+    /// or wire the deploy-fastly action's `previous-version` output) and
     /// passed here. Required for a production rollback; ignored for staging.
     #[arg(long)]
     pub rollback_to: Option<String>,
diff --git a/crates/edgezero-cli/src/lib.rs b/crates/edgezero-cli/src/lib.rs
index 3205f87e..cbe17c49 100644
--- a/crates/edgezero-cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/edgezero-cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -516,8 +516,10 @@ pub fn run_rollback(args: &RollbackArgs) -> Result<(), String> {
         return Err(
             "a production rollback requires --rollback-to (the version to re-activate). Fastly \
              exposes no metadata to infer it, so it must be captured before the deploy that \
-             superseded it -- use `deploy`'s `previous-version` output. Pass --staging to \
-             deactivate a staged version instead."
+             superseded it -- run `active-version` (it prints `version=<N>`) before deploying, \
+             or wire the deploy-fastly GitHub action's `previous-version` output. If it was \
+             never captured, choose the target from the service's version history -- Fastly \
+             cannot identify it for you. Pass --staging to deactivate a staged version instead."
                 .to_owned(),
         );
     }
diff --git a/docs/guide/cli-reference.md b/docs/guide/cli-reference.md
index 37607371..65aaef4c 100644
--- a/docs/guide/cli-reference.md
+++ b/docs/guide/cli-reference.md
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ edgezero rollback --adapter <name> --service-id <id> --version <n> [--rollback-t
 - `--adapter <name>` — target adapter (required).
 - `--service-id <id>` — platform service id to roll back (required).
 - `--version <n>` — the current (bad) version to roll back **from** (required; staging deactivates it).
-- `--rollback-to <n>` — **production only:** the version to re-activate. Fastly cannot tell a previously-live version from a staged draft, so the target **cannot be inferred** — capture it before the superseding deploy (`deploy-fastly`'s `previous-version`) and pass it here. Required for a production rollback; ignored for staging.
+- `--rollback-to <n>` — **production only:** the version to re-activate. Fastly cannot tell a previously-live version from a staged draft, so the target **cannot be inferred** — capture it before the superseding deploy (run [`active-version`](#edgezero-active-version), or use `deploy-fastly`'s `previous-version` output) and pass it here. Required for a production rollback; ignored for staging.
 - `--staging` — deactivate the staged version instead of activating `--rollback-to`.
 
 Reads the Fastly API token from `FASTLY_API_TOKEN` in the environment. A