diff --git a/certbot/client.py b/certbot/client.py
index d97de0571..4d4915a27 100644
--- a/certbot/client.py
+++ b/certbot/client.py
@@ -65,9 +65,17 @@ def determine_user_agent(config):
     if config.user_agent is None:
         ua = ("CertbotACMEClient/{0} ({1}; {2}{8}) Authenticator/{3} Installer/{4} "
               "({5}; flags: {6}) Py/{7}")
-        ua = ua.format(certbot.__version__, cli.cli_command, util.get_os_info_ua(),
+        if os.environ.get("CERTBOT_DOCS") == "1":
+            cli_command = "certbot(-auto)"
+            os_info = "OS_NAME OS_VERSION"
+            python_version = "major.minor.patchlevel"
+        else:
+            cli_command = cli.cli_command
+            os_info = util.get_os_info_ua()
+            python_version = platform.python_version()
+        ua = ua.format(certbot.__version__, cli_command, os_info,
                        config.authenticator, config.installer, config.verb,
-                       ua_flags(config), platform.python_version(),
+                       ua_flags(config), python_version,
                        "; " + config.user_agent_comment if config.user_agent_comment else "")
     else:
         ua = config.user_agent
diff --git a/certbot/tests/client_test.py b/certbot/tests/client_test.py
index a4425bca9..70ab4c798 100644
--- a/certbot/tests/client_test.py
+++ b/certbot/tests/client_test.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Tests for certbot.client."""
 import os
+import platform
 import shutil
 import tempfile
 import unittest
@@ -16,6 +17,38 @@ KEY = test_util.load_vector("rsa512_key.pem")
 CSR_SAN = test_util.load_vector("csr-san_512.pem")
 
 
+class DetermineUserAgentTest(test_util.ConfigTestCase):
+    """Tests for certbot.client.determine_user_agent."""
+
+    def _call(self):
+        from certbot.client import determine_user_agent
+        return determine_user_agent(self.config)
+
+    @mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {"CERTBOT_DOCS": "1"})
+    def test_docs_value(self):
+        self._test(expect_doc_values=True)
+
+    @mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {})
+    def test_real_values(self):
+        self._test(expect_doc_values=False)
+
+    def _test(self, expect_doc_values):
+        ua = self._call()
+
+        if expect_doc_values:
+            doc_value_check = self.assertIn
+            real_value_check = self.assertNotIn
+        else:
+            doc_value_check = self.assertNotIn
+            real_value_check = self.assertIn
+
+        doc_value_check("certbot(-auto)", ua)
+        doc_value_check("OS_NAME OS_VERSION", ua)
+        doc_value_check("major.minor.patchlevel", ua)
+        real_value_check(util.get_os_info_ua(), ua)
+        real_value_check(platform.python_version(), ua)
+
+
 class RegisterTest(test_util.ConfigTestCase):
     """Tests for certbot.client.register."""
 
diff --git a/tools/release.sh b/tools/release.sh
index a8de208b5..069d311d1 100755
--- a/tools/release.sh
+++ b/tools/release.sh
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ kill $!
 cd ~-
 
 # get a snapshot of the CLI help for the docs
-certbot --help all > docs/cli-help.txt
+# We set CERTBOT_DOCS to use dummy values in example user-agent string.
+CERTBOT_DOCS=1 certbot --help all > docs/cli-help.txt
 jws --help > acme/docs/jws-help.txt
 
 cd ..