diff --git a/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh b/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh
index f6fa7ee..262dd75 100755
--- a/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh
+++ b/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh
@@ -73,6 +73,35 @@ emit() {
   [ "$format" = none ] || printf "$@"
 }
 
+# describe <name>: the one-line description of a check. One case branch per
+# name; this is the only place a description is written.
+describe() {
+  case "$1" in
+    repo_root_readable) printf 'the repository root exists and is readable' ;;
+    scripts_dir_present) printf 'the scripts directory exists' ;;
+    healthcheck_executable_bit) printf 'this script is executable' ;;
+    selftest_present) printf 'the selftest script is present' ;;
+    test_healthcheck_present) printf 'the healthcheck test is present' ;;
+    readme_present) printf 'README.md is present' ;;
+    no_crlf_line_endings) printf 'no tracked text file uses CRLF endings' ;;
+    no_tabs_in_scripts) printf 'no script indents with tabs' ;;
+    shebang_is_bash) printf 'every script declares the bash shebang' ;;
+    usage_text_mentions_every_flag) printf 'the usage text lists every flag' ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+# label <name>: '<name>: <description>', or bare '<name>' while a name has no
+# description yet.
+label() {
+  local text
+  text=$(describe "$1")
+  if [ -n "$text" ]; then
+    printf '%s: %s' "$1" "$text"
+  else
+    printf '%s' "$1"
+  fi
+}
+
 # usage <format>: the --help body. Also the source check_usage_text_mentions_every_flag
 # reads, so the flag list has exactly one home.
 usage() {
@@ -89,7 +118,7 @@ usage() {
   emit "$1" '\nChecks:\n'
   local name
   for name in $CHECKS; do
-    emit "$1" '  %s\n' "$name"
+    emit "$1" '  %s\n' "$(label "$name")"
   done
   emit "$1" '\nVersion: %s\n' "$VERSION"
 }
@@ -110,7 +139,7 @@ main() {
     elif [ "$arg" = --list-checks ]; then
       local listed
       for listed in $CHECKS; do
-        emit text '%s\n' "$listed"
+        emit text '%s\n' "$(label "$listed")"
       done
       exit 0
     elif [ "$arg" = --quiet ]; then
diff --git a/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh b/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh
index 3b7cfea..e9cbedc 100755
--- a/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh
+++ b/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,19 @@ NAMES='repo_root_readable scripts_dir_present healthcheck_executable_bit
 selftest_present test_healthcheck_present readme_present
 no_crlf_line_endings no_tabs_in_scripts
 shebang_is_bash usage_text_mentions_every_flag'
-USAGE="$(printf 'Usage: orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh [--quiet] [--json] [--summary] [--timing] [--strict] [--list-checks]\n\nHealthcheck script for Orchestra E2E tests.\nExits 0 with a success message if all checks pass.\n  --quiet  Suppress the success message; still exits 0.\n  --json   Print a single-line JSON result; still exits 0.\n  --help   Print this usage text and exit 0.\n  --summary  Print one line per check before the success message.\n  --timing Print elapsed milliseconds for the run.\n  --strict Reject an unrecognised flag: exits 2.\n  --list-checks  Print the name of each check; exits 0.\n\nChecks:\n  repo_root_readable\n  scripts_dir_present\n  healthcheck_executable_bit\n  selftest_present\n  test_healthcheck_present\n  readme_present\n  no_crlf_line_endings\n  no_tabs_in_scripts\n  shebang_is_bash\n  usage_text_mentions_every_flag\n\nVersion: 1.0.0')"
+LABELS='repo_root_readable: the repository root exists and is readable
+scripts_dir_present: the scripts directory exists
+healthcheck_executable_bit: this script is executable
+selftest_present: the selftest script is present
+test_healthcheck_present: the healthcheck test is present
+readme_present: README.md is present
+no_crlf_line_endings: no tracked text file uses CRLF endings
+no_tabs_in_scripts: no script indents with tabs
+shebang_is_bash: every script declares the bash shebang
+usage_text_mentions_every_flag: the usage text lists every flag'
+USAGE="$(printf 'Usage: orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh [--quiet] [--json] [--summary] [--timing] [--strict] [--list-checks]\n\nHealthcheck script for Orchestra E2E tests.\nExits 0 with a success message if all checks pass.\n  --quiet  Suppress the success message; still exits 0.\n  --json   Print a single-line JSON result; still exits 0.\n  --help   Print this usage text and exit 0.\n  --summary  Print one line per check before the success message.\n  --timing Print elapsed milliseconds for the run.\n  --strict Reject an unrecognised flag: exits 2.\n  --list-checks  Print the name of each check; exits 0.\n\nChecks:\n'
+  while IFS= read -r line; do printf '  %s\n' "$line"; done <<<"$LABELS"
+  printf '\nVersion: 1.0.0')"
 fails=0
 
 check() { # check <expected-stdout> <label> [args...]
@@ -57,7 +69,7 @@ fi
 
 # --list-checks prints one name per line and nothing else.
 listed=$(bash "$HC" --list-checks 2>/dev/null)
-want_listed=$(printf '%s\n' $NAMES)
+want_listed=$LABELS
 if [ "$listed" != "$want_listed" ]; then
   printf 'FAIL: --list-checks\n---got---\n%s\n---want---\n%s\n' "$listed" "$want_listed"
   fails=$((fails + 1))