diff --git a/doc/emacs/custom.texi b/doc/emacs/custom.texi
index 22c8bf417e3..4432a0834aa 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/custom.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/custom.texi
@@ -1421,10 +1421,11 @@ this search is skipped for remote files.  If needed, the search can be
 extended for remote files by setting the variable
 @code{enable-remote-dir-locals} to @code{t}.
 
-  You can also use @file{.dir-locals-2.el}; if found, Emacs loads it
-in addition to @file{.dir-locals.el}.  This is useful when
-@file{.dir-locals.el} is under version control in a shared repository
-and can't be used for personal customizations.
+  You can also use @file{.dir-locals-2.el}; if found in the same
+directory as @file{.dir-locals.el}, Emacs loads it in addition to
+@file{.dir-locals.el}.  This is useful when @file{.dir-locals.el} is
+under version control in a shared repository and can't be used for
+personal customizations.
 
   The @file{.dir-locals.el} file should hold a specially-constructed
 list, which maps major mode names (symbols) to alists
diff --git a/doc/lispref/variables.texi b/doc/lispref/variables.texi
index 106a7a592b9..b56dfb6077b 100644
--- a/doc/lispref/variables.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/variables.texi
@@ -2205,8 +2205,9 @@ If some of the subdirectories have their own @file{.dir-locals.el}
 files, Emacs uses the settings from the deepest file it finds starting
 from the file's directory and moving up the directory tree.  This
 constant is also used to derive the name of a second dir-locals file
-@file{.dir-locals-2.el}.  If this second dir-locals file is present,
-then that is loaded in addition to @file{.dir-locals.el}.  This is useful
+@file{.dir-locals-2.el}.  If this second dir-locals file is present in
+the same directory as @file{.dir-locals.el}, then it will be loaded in
+addition to @file{.dir-locals.el}.  This is useful
 when @file{.dir-locals.el} is under version control in a shared
 repository and cannot be used for personal customizations.  The file
 specifies local variables as a specially formatted list; see