diff --git a/actions/avatar.php b/actions/avatar.php
index ffd003f749..720a02f6e6 100644
--- a/actions/avatar.php
+++ b/actions/avatar.php
@@ -26,7 +26,15 @@ class AvatarAction extends SettingsAction {
 	function show_form($msg=NULL, $success=false) {
 		common_show_header(_t('Avatar'));
 		$this->settings_menu();
-		$this->message($msg, $success);
+		if ($msg) {
+			$this->message($msg, $success);
+		} else {
+			common_element('div', 'instructions', 
+						   _t('You can upload a new "avatar" (user picture) here. ' .
+							  'You can\'t edit the picture after you upload it, so you should ' .
+							  'edit it in your desktop image-manipulation software first. ' .
+							  'Everything works best if your picture is more or less square. '));
+		}
 
 		$user = common_current_user();
 		$profile = $user->getProfile();
diff --git a/actions/login.php b/actions/login.php
index 3a93c466fa..1a69bd9c40 100644
--- a/actions/login.php
+++ b/actions/login.php
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ class LoginAction extends Action {
 		common_show_header(_t('Login'));
 		if ($error) {
 			common_element('div', array('class' => 'error'), $error);
+		} else {
+			common_element('div', 'instructions', 
+						   _t('Login with your username and password. ' .
+							  'Don\'t have a username yet? Choose register above. ' .
+							  '(Forgot your password? No way to get it back... yet. It\'s on the TODO list!)'));
 		}
 		common_element_start('form', array('method' => 'POST',
 										   'id' => 'login',
diff --git a/actions/password.php b/actions/password.php
index 8f770a969d..fe19f5f71d 100644
--- a/actions/password.php
+++ b/actions/password.php
@@ -26,7 +26,12 @@ class PasswordAction extends SettingsAction {
 	function show_form($msg=NULL, $success=false) {
 		common_show_header(_t('Change password'));
 		$this->settings_menu();
-		$this->message($msg, $success);
+		if ($msg) {
+			$this->message($msg, $success);
+		} else {
+			common_element('div', 'instructions', 
+						   _t('You can change your password here. Choose a good one!'));
+		}
 		common_element_start('form', array('method' => 'POST',
 										   'id' => 'password',
 										   'action' =>
diff --git a/actions/profilesettings.php b/actions/profilesettings.php
index c4c3ae0fc4..e94d846bdf 100644
--- a/actions/profilesettings.php
+++ b/actions/profilesettings.php
@@ -28,7 +28,14 @@ class ProfilesettingsAction extends SettingsAction {
 		$profile = $user->getProfile();
 		common_show_header(_t('Profile settings'));
 		$this->settings_menu();
-		$this->message($msg, $success);
+		if ($msg) {
+			$this->message($msg, $success);
+		} else {
+			common_element('div', 'instructions', 
+						   _t('You can update your personal profile info here so people know more about you. ' .
+							  'Nickname must be 1-64 lowercase letters or numbers -- no punctuation or spaces. ' .
+							  'Full name, bio, and location can be whatever you want. Email address should be valid.'));
+		}
 		common_element_start('form', array('method' => 'POST',
 										   'id' => 'profilesettings',
 										   'action' =>
diff --git a/actions/register.php b/actions/register.php
index d41eb9490e..e192d52965 100644
--- a/actions/register.php
+++ b/actions/register.php
@@ -121,6 +121,11 @@ class RegisterAction extends Action {
 		common_show_header(_t('Register'));
 		if ($error) {
 			common_element('div', 'error', $error);
+		} else {
+			common_element('div', 'instructions', 
+						   _t('You can create a new account with the following form. ' .
+							  'Your user name must be 1-64 characters, only lowercase letters or numbers. ' .
+							  'Passwords have to match, and your email address should be valid.'));
 		}
 		common_element_start('form', array('method' => 'POST',
 										   'id' => 'login',
diff --git a/doc/TODO b/doc/TODO
index 426b598ff2..b133b3bfa7 100644
--- a/doc/TODO
+++ b/doc/TODO
@@ -80,11 +80,11 @@
 + FOAF document for user
 + license in RSS feeds
 + TOS checkbox on register
-- registration instructions
-- login instructions
-- profile settings instructions
-- avatar instructions
-- password change instructions
++ registration instructions
++ login instructions
++ profile settings instructions
++ avatar instructions
++ password change instructions
 + fix spacing on notices
 + fix spacing in profile
 - limit entry in textarea to 140 chars