diff --git a/api/src/opentrons/protocol_engine/state/commands.py b/api/src/opentrons/protocol_engine/state/commands.py
index 8a4098b0a8b..cd20920c81e 100644
--- a/api/src/opentrons/protocol_engine/state/commands.py
+++ b/api/src/opentrons/protocol_engine/state/commands.py
@@ -520,6 +520,8 @@ def get_slice(
         queued_command_ids = self._state.command_history.get_queue_ids()
         total_length = self._state.command_history.length()
 
+        # TODO(mm, 2024-05-17): This looks like it's attempting to do the same thing
+        # as self.get_current(), but in a different way. Can we unify them?
         if cursor is None:
             if running_command is not None:
                 cursor = running_command.index
diff --git a/robot-server/robot_server/maintenance_runs/maintenance_run_data_manager.py b/robot-server/robot_server/maintenance_runs/maintenance_run_data_manager.py
index 084a7552a3a..b18fa4eb4dd 100644
--- a/robot-server/robot_server/maintenance_runs/maintenance_run_data_manager.py
+++ b/robot-server/robot_server/maintenance_runs/maintenance_run_data_manager.py
@@ -184,7 +184,10 @@ def get_commands_slice(
         return the_slice
 
     def get_current_command(self, run_id: str) -> Optional[CurrentCommand]:
-        """Get the currently executing command, if any.
+        """Get the "current" command, if any.
+
+        See `ProtocolEngine.state_view.commands.get_current()` for the definition
+        of "current."
 
         Args:
             run_id: ID of the run.
diff --git a/robot-server/robot_server/runs/command_models.py b/robot-server/robot_server/runs/command_models.py
index 281223bd155..e68ebb062d2 100644
--- a/robot-server/robot_server/runs/command_models.py
+++ b/robot-server/robot_server/runs/command_models.py
@@ -49,5 +49,9 @@ class CommandCollectionLinks(BaseModel):
 
     current: Optional[CommandLink] = Field(
         None,
-        description="Path to the currently running or next queued command.",
+        description=(
+            'Information about the "current" command.'
+            ' The "current" command is the one that\'s running right now,'
+            " or, if there is none, the one that was running most recently."
+        ),
     )
diff --git a/robot-server/robot_server/runs/run_data_manager.py b/robot-server/robot_server/runs/run_data_manager.py
index 311cfb93b40..060167a5a46 100644
--- a/robot-server/robot_server/runs/run_data_manager.py
+++ b/robot-server/robot_server/runs/run_data_manager.py
@@ -373,7 +373,10 @@ def get_commands_slice(
         )
 
     def get_current_command(self, run_id: str) -> Optional[CurrentCommand]:
-        """Get the currently executing command, if any.
+        """Get the "current" command, if any.
+
+        See `ProtocolEngine.state_view.commands.get_current()` for the definition
+        of "current."
 
         Args:
             run_id: ID of the run.