diff --git a/swap/src/asb/recovery/cancel.rs b/swap/src/asb/recovery/cancel.rs
index c3168026..0bff4214 100644
--- a/swap/src/asb/recovery/cancel.rs
+++ b/swap/src/asb/recovery/cancel.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ pub async fn cancel(
     swap_id: Uuid,
     bitcoin_wallet: Arc<Wallet>,
     db: Arc<Database>,
-    force: bool,
+    graceful: bool,
 ) -> Result<Result<(Txid, AliceState), Error>> {
     let state = db.get_state(swap_id)?.try_into_alice()?.into();
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ pub async fn cancel(
 
     tracing::info!(%swap_id, "Trying to manually cancel swap");
 
-    if !force {
+    if graceful {
         tracing::debug!(%swap_id, "Checking if cancel timelock is expired");
 
         if let ExpiredTimelocks::None = state3.expired_timelocks(bitcoin_wallet.as_ref()).await? {
diff --git a/swap/src/bin/swap.rs b/swap/src/bin/swap.rs
index b3f6fb05..23fa458e 100644
--- a/swap/src/bin/swap.rs
+++ b/swap/src/bin/swap.rs
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         }
         Command::Cancel {
             swap_id,
-            force,
+            graceful,
             bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url,
             bitcoin_target_block,
         } => {
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
             )
             .await?;
 
-            let cancel = cli::cancel(swap_id, Arc::new(bitcoin_wallet), db, force).await?;
+            let cancel = cli::cancel(swap_id, Arc::new(bitcoin_wallet), db, graceful).await?;
 
             match cancel {
                 Ok((txid, _)) => {
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         }
         Command::Refund {
             swap_id,
-            force,
+            graceful: force,
             bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url,
             bitcoin_target_block,
         } => {
diff --git a/swap/src/cli/command.rs b/swap/src/cli/command.rs
index 0f0dc18b..b6d58154 100644
--- a/swap/src/cli/command.rs
+++ b/swap/src/cli/command.rs
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ where
         }
         RawCommand::Cancel {
             swap_id: SwapId { swap_id },
-            force,
+            graceful: force,
             bitcoin,
         } => {
             let (bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url, bitcoin_target_block) =
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ where
                 data_dir: data::data_dir_from(data, is_testnet)?,
                 cmd: Command::Cancel {
                     swap_id,
-                    force,
+                    graceful: force,
                     bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url,
                     bitcoin_target_block,
                 },
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ where
         }
         RawCommand::Refund {
             swap_id: SwapId { swap_id },
-            force,
+            graceful: force,
             bitcoin,
         } => {
             let (bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url, bitcoin_target_block) =
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ where
                 data_dir: data::data_dir_from(data, is_testnet)?,
                 cmd: Command::Refund {
                     swap_id,
-                    force,
+                    graceful: force,
                     bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url,
                     bitcoin_target_block,
                 },
@@ -261,13 +261,13 @@ pub enum Command {
     },
     Cancel {
         swap_id: Uuid,
-        force: bool,
+        graceful: bool,
         bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url: Url,
         bitcoin_target_block: usize,
     },
     Refund {
         swap_id: Uuid,
-        force: bool,
+        graceful: bool,
         bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url: Url,
         bitcoin_target_block: usize,
     },
@@ -376,24 +376,24 @@ enum RawCommand {
         #[structopt(flatten)]
         tor: Tor,
     },
-    /// Try to cancel an ongoing swap (expert users only)
+    /// Force submission of the cancel transaction overriding the protocol state machine and blockheight checks (expert users only)
     Cancel {
         #[structopt(flatten)]
         swap_id: SwapId,
 
-        #[structopt(short, long)]
-        force: bool,
+        #[structopt(short, long, help = "Performs checks to see whether it is appropriate to refund before submitting the cancel transaction")]
+        graceful: bool,
 
         #[structopt(flatten)]
         bitcoin: Bitcoin,
     },
-    /// Try to cancel a swap and refund the BTC (expert users only)
+    /// Force submission of the cancel transaction overriding the protocol state machine and blockheight checks (expert users only)
     Refund {
         #[structopt(flatten)]
         swap_id: SwapId,
 
-        #[structopt(short, long)]
-        force: bool,
+        #[structopt(short, long, help = "Performs checks to see whether it is appropriate to refund before submitting the refund transaction")]
+        graceful: bool,
 
         #[structopt(flatten)]
         bitcoin: Bitcoin,
@@ -1173,7 +1173,7 @@ mod tests {
                 data_dir: data_dir_path_cli().join(TESTNET),
                 cmd: Command::Cancel {
                     swap_id: Uuid::from_str(SWAP_ID).unwrap(),
-                    force: false,
+                    graceful: false,
                     bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url: Url::from_str(DEFAULT_ELECTRUM_RPC_URL_TESTNET)
                         .unwrap(),
                     bitcoin_target_block: DEFAULT_BITCOIN_CONFIRMATION_TARGET_TESTNET,
@@ -1189,7 +1189,7 @@ mod tests {
                 data_dir: data_dir_path_cli().join(MAINNET),
                 cmd: Command::Cancel {
                     swap_id: Uuid::from_str(SWAP_ID).unwrap(),
-                    force: false,
+                    graceful: false,
                     bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url: Url::from_str(DEFAULT_ELECTRUM_RPC_URL).unwrap(),
                     bitcoin_target_block: DEFAULT_BITCOIN_CONFIRMATION_TARGET,
                 },
@@ -1204,7 +1204,7 @@ mod tests {
                 data_dir: data_dir_path_cli().join(TESTNET),
                 cmd: Command::Refund {
                     swap_id: Uuid::from_str(SWAP_ID).unwrap(),
-                    force: false,
+                    graceful: false,
                     bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url: Url::from_str(DEFAULT_ELECTRUM_RPC_URL_TESTNET)
                         .unwrap(),
                     bitcoin_target_block: DEFAULT_BITCOIN_CONFIRMATION_TARGET_TESTNET,
@@ -1220,7 +1220,7 @@ mod tests {
                 data_dir: data_dir_path_cli().join(MAINNET),
                 cmd: Command::Refund {
                     swap_id: Uuid::from_str(SWAP_ID).unwrap(),
-                    force: false,
+                    graceful: false,
                     bitcoin_electrum_rpc_url: Url::from_str(DEFAULT_ELECTRUM_RPC_URL).unwrap(),
                     bitcoin_target_block: DEFAULT_BITCOIN_CONFIRMATION_TARGET,
                 },
diff --git a/swap/src/cli/refund.rs b/swap/src/cli/refund.rs
index a769eda9..7d027287 100644
--- a/swap/src/cli/refund.rs
+++ b/swap/src/cli/refund.rs
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ pub async fn refund(
     swap_id: Uuid,
     bitcoin_wallet: Arc<Wallet>,
     db: Database,
-    force: bool,
+    graceful: bool,
 ) -> Result<Result<BobState, SwapNotCancelledYet>> {
     let state = db.get_state(swap_id)?.try_into_bob()?.into();
 
-    let state6 = if force {
+    let state6 = if !graceful {
         match state {
             BobState::BtcLocked(state3) => state3.cancel(),
             BobState::XmrLockProofReceived { state, .. } => state.cancel(),