diff --git a/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml b/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml
index 6aabdf4877..1e4f25d918 100644
--- a/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml
+++ b/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml
@@ -5900,6 +5900,16 @@ Gateways via their Web Interfaces</ulink>"</emphasis>
      DISTRO_FEATURES_append = " ptest"
      EXTRA_IMAGE_FEATURES += "ptest-pkgs"
                     </literallayout>
+                    <note>
+                        The OpenEmbedded build system uses the
+                        <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-PTEST_ENABLED'><filename>PTEST_ENABLED</filename></ulink>
+                        variable to see if it should enable ptests during
+                        a build.
+                        This variable is enabled or disabled through your use
+                        of the <filename>DISTRO_FEATURES</filename> variable.
+                        You do not set <filename>PTEST_ENABLED</filename>
+                        directly.
+                    </note>
                     Once your build is complete, the ptest files are installed
                     into the <filename>/usr/lib/&lt;package&gt;/ptest</filename>
                     directory within the image, where
diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
index 2b7a4b9a11..7a7efbcb96 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
@@ -6485,6 +6485,21 @@ recipes-graphics/xorg-font/font-alias_1.0.3.bb:PR = "${INC_PR}.3"
             </glossdef>
         </glossentry>
 
+        <glossentry id='var-PTEST_ENABLED'><glossterm>PTEST_ENABLED</glossterm>
+            <glossdef>
+                <para>
+                    Specifies whether or not
+                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#testing-packages-with-ptest'>Package Test</ulink>
+                    (ptest) functionality is enabled when building a recipe.
+                    You should not set this variable directly.
+                    Enabling and disabling building Package Tests
+                    at build time should be done by adding "ptest" to (or
+                    removing it from)
+                    <link linkend='var-DISTRO_FEATURES'><filename>DISTRO_FEATURES</filename></link>.
+                 </para>
+            </glossdef>
+        </glossentry>
+
         <glossentry id='var-PV'><glossterm>PV</glossterm>
             <glossdef>
                 <para>