diff --git a/docs/cli.rst b/docs/cli.rst
index 2e506dd..1831a06 100644
--- a/docs/cli.rst
+++ b/docs/cli.rst
@@ -3018,7 +3018,7 @@ See this `SpatiaLite Cookbook recipe <http://www.gaia-gis.it/gaia-sins/spatialit
 Installing packages
 ===================
 
-The :ref:`convert command <cli_convert>` and the :ref:`insert -\\-convert <cli_insert_convert>` and :ref:`query -\\-functions <cli_query_functions>` options can be provided with a Python script that imports additional modules from the ``sqlite-utils`` environment.
+The :ref:`convert command <cli_convert>` and the :ref:`insert --convert <cli_insert_convert>` and :ref:`query --functions <cli_query_functions>` options can be provided with a Python script that imports additional modules from the ``sqlite-utils`` environment.
 
 You can install packages from PyPI directly into the correct environment using ``sqlite-utils install <package>``. This is a wrapper around ``pip install``.
 
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 4f29b39..176da6b 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@ pygments_style = "sphinx"
 # Only syntax highlight of code-block is used:
 highlight_language = "none"
 
+# Disable smartquotes to prevent -- from being transformed to en-dash.
+# This is important for CLI documentation where --options must display
+# as literal double dashes. See #493.
+smartquotes = False
+
 # If true, `todo` and `todoList` produce output, else they produce nothing.
 todo_include_todos = False