diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/uinfo.cc b/winsup/cygwin/uinfo.cc
index 57d90189d..2d5fc488b 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/uinfo.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/uinfo.cc
@@ -626,15 +626,12 @@ cygheap_pwdgrp::init ()
   grp_cache.cygserver.init_grp ();
   grp_cache.file.init_grp ();
   grp_cache.win.init_grp ();
-  /* Default settings:
+  /* Default settings (excluding fallbacks):
 
      passwd: files db
      group:  files db
      db_prefix: auto		DISABLED
      db_separator: +		DISABLED
-     db_home: cygwin desc
-     db_shell: cygwin desc
-     db_gecos: cygwin desc
      db_enum: cache builtin
   */
   pwd_src = (NSS_SRC_FILES | NSS_SRC_DB);
@@ -831,12 +828,6 @@ cygheap_pwdgrp::nss_init_line (const char *line)
 		  c += strspn (c, " \t");
 		  ++idx;
 		}
-	      /* If nothing has been set, revert to default. */
-	      if (scheme[0].method == NSS_SCHEME_FALLBACK)
-		{
-		  scheme[0].method = NSS_SCHEME_CYGWIN;
-		  scheme[1].method = NSS_SCHEME_DESC;
-		}
 	    }
 	}
       break;
diff --git a/winsup/doc/ntsec.xml b/winsup/doc/ntsec.xml
index 528784568..a4c253098 100644
--- a/winsup/doc/ntsec.xml
+++ b/winsup/doc/ntsec.xml
@@ -1507,19 +1507,16 @@ of each schema when used with <literal>db_home:</literal>
 </variablelist>
 
 <para>
-As has been briefly mentioned before, the default setting for
-<literal>db_home:</literal> is
+<literal>db_home:</literal> defines no default schemata.  If this setting is not
+present in <filename>/etc/nsswitch.conf</filename>, the aforementioned fallback
+takes over, which is equivalent to a <filename>/etc/nsswitch.conf</filename>
+settting of
 </para>
 
 <screen>
   db_home: /home/%U
 </screen>
 
-<para>
-So by default, Cygwin just sets the home dir to
-<filename>/home/$USERNAME</filename>.
-</para>
-
 </sect4>
 
 <sect4 id="ntsec-mapping-nsswitch-shell">
@@ -1590,8 +1587,10 @@ when used with <literal>db_shell:</literal>
 </variablelist>
 
 <para>
-As for <literal>db_home:</literal>, the default setting for
-<literal>db_shell:</literal> is pretty much a constant
+<literal>db_shell:</literal> defines no default schemata.  If this setting is
+not present in <filename>/etc/nsswitch.conf</filename>, the aforementioned
+fallback takes over, which is equivalent to a
+<filename>/etc/nsswitch.conf</filename> settting of
 </para>
 
 <screen>
@@ -1664,13 +1663,13 @@ The following list describes the meaning of each schema when used with
   <varlistentry>
     <term>Fallback</term>
     <listitem>If none of the schemes given for <literal>db_gecos:</literal>
-	      define a non-empty pathname, nothing is added to
+	      define a non-empty string, nothing is added to
 	      <literal>pw_gecos</literal>.</listitem>
   </varlistentry>
 </variablelist>
 
 <para>
-The default setting for <literal>db_gecos:</literal> is the empty string.
+<literal>db_gecos:</literal> defines no default schemata.
 </para>
 
 </sect4>