diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4ba9222f85..2c40658429 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -122,8 +122,26 @@ Some streamlined (but possibly outdated) installation paths' are available from
 Usage examples
 ==============
 
-Running an interactive shell
-----------------------------
+First run the docker daemon
+---------------------------
+
+All the examples assume your machine is running the docker daemon. To run the docker daemon in the background, simply type:
+
+   .. code-block:: bash
+
+      sudo docker -d &
+
+Now you can run docker in client mode: all commands will be forwarded to the docker daemon, so the client
+can run from any account.
+
+   .. code-block:: bash
+
+      # now you can run docker commands from any account.
+      docker help
+
+
+Throwaway shell in a base ubuntu image
+--------------------------------------
 
 ```bash
 # Download a base image
@@ -145,9 +163,6 @@ Starting a long-running worker process
 --------------------------------------
 
 ```bash
-# Run docker in daemon mode
-(docker -d || echo "Docker daemon already running") &
-
 # Start a very useful long-running process
 JOB=$(docker run -d base /bin/sh -c "while true; do echo Hello world; sleep 1; done")
 
diff --git a/docs/sources/examples/running_examples.rst b/docs/sources/examples/running_examples.rst
index 4042add487..3d2593c710 100644
--- a/docs/sources/examples/running_examples.rst
+++ b/docs/sources/examples/running_examples.rst
@@ -7,27 +7,16 @@
 Running The Examples
 --------------------
 
-There are two ways to run docker, daemon mode and standalone mode.
-
-When you run the docker command it will first check if there is a docker daemon running in the background it can connect to.
-
-* If it exists it will use that daemon to run all of the commands.
-* If it does not exist docker will run in standalone mode (docker will exit after each command).
-
-Docker needs to be run from a privileged account (root).
-
-1. The most common (and recommended) way is to run a docker daemon as root in the background, and then connect to it from the docker client from any account.
+All the examples assume your machine is running the docker daemon. To run the docker daemon in the background, simply type:
 
    .. code-block:: bash
 
-      # starting docker daemon in the background
       sudo docker -d &
 
-      # now you can run docker commands from any account.
-      docker <command>
-
-2. Standalone: You need to run every command as root, or using sudo
+Now you can run docker in client mode: all commands will be forwarded to the docker daemon, so the client
+can run from any account.
 
    .. code-block:: bash
 
-       sudo docker <command>
+      # now you can run docker commands from any account.
+      docker help