diff --git a/Doc/api/api.tex b/Doc/api/api.tex
index 39f838df079..d2e6a44e522 100644
--- a/Doc/api/api.tex
+++ b/Doc/api/api.tex
@@ -2626,7 +2626,7 @@ for example, if the program name is \code{"/usr/local/bin/python"},
 the prefix is \code{"/usr/local"}.  The returned string points into 
 static storage; the caller should not modify its value.  This 
 corresponds to the \makevar{prefix} variable in the top-level 
-\file{Makefile} and the \code{-}\code{-prefix} argument to the 
+\file{Makefile} and the \programopt{-}\programopt{-prefix} argument to the 
 \program{configure} script at build time.  The value is available to 
 Python code as \code{sys.prefix}.  It is only useful on \UNIX{}.  See 
 also the next function.
@@ -2641,9 +2641,9 @@ variables; for example, if the program name is
 \code{"/usr/local"}.  The returned string points into static storage; 
 the caller should not modify its value.  This corresponds to the 
 \makevar{exec_prefix} variable in the top-level \file{Makefile} and the 
-\code{-}\code{-exec_prefix} argument to the \program{configure} script
-at build  time.  The value is available to Python code as 
-\code{sys.exec_prefix}.  It is only useful on \UNIX{}.
+\programopt{-}\programopt{-exec_prefix} argument to the
+\program{configure} script at build  time.  The value is available to
+Python code as \code{sys.exec_prefix}.  It is only useful on \UNIX{}.
 
 Background: The exec-prefix differs from the prefix when platform 
 dependent files (such as executables and shared libraries) are