diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-tasks.xml b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-tasks.xml
index 66c219372a..e9859c1fa9 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-tasks.xml
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-tasks.xml
@@ -463,10 +463,10 @@
             Stages (copies) a subset of the files installed by the
             <link linkend='ref-tasks-install'><filename>do_install</filename></link>
             task into the appropriate sysroot.
-            For information on how to make these files available to other
-            recipes, see the
-            <link linkend='var-STAGING_DIR_HOST'><filename>STAGING_DIR_HOST</filename></link>
-            variable.
+            For information on how to access these files from other recipes,
+            see the
+            <link linkend='var-STAGING_DIR_HOST'><filename>STAGING_DIR*</filename></link>
+            variables.
             Directories that would typically not be needed by other recipes at
             build time (e.g. <filename>/etc</filename>) are not copied by
             default.
diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
index 38d8605bb9..8824943acb 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
@@ -13210,6 +13210,13 @@ recipes-graphics/xorg-font/font-alias_1.0.3.bb:PR = "${INC_PR}.3"
          ${localstatedir} \
      "
                     </literallayout>
+                    <note>
+                        Programs built by <filename>-native</filename> recipes
+                        run directly from the sysroot
+                        (<filename>STAGING_DIR_NATIVE</filename>), which is
+                        why additional directories containing program
+                        executables and supporting files need to be staged.
+                    </note>
                 </para>
             </glossdef>
         </glossentry>