diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
index 7424f86c6c..1357386ddf 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
@@ -3533,6 +3533,43 @@
             </glossdef>
         </glossentry>
 
+        <glossentry id='var-EXCLUDE_FROM_SHLIB'><glossterm>EXCLUDE_FROM_SHLIB</glossterm>
+            <info>
+                EXCLUDE_FROM_SHLIB[doc] = "Prevents exposure of a package to all of the package's libraries."
+            </info>
+            <glossdef>
+                <para role="glossdeffirst">
+<!--                <para role="glossdeffirst"><imagedata fileref="figures/define-generic.png" /> -->
+                    Prevents exposing a package to all of the package's
+                    libraries.
+                    The <filename>EXCLUDE_FROM_SHLIB</filename> variable is
+                    useful for prebuilt packages that should not be exposed
+                    to any of the package's libraries.
+                    In other words, you want to skip the
+                    <filename>shlib</filename> procedure for the package.
+                </para>
+
+                <para>
+                    Use the variable by setting it to "1" for a particular
+                    package:
+                    <literallayout class='monospaced'>
+     EXCLUDE_FROM_SHLIB = "1"
+                    </literallayout>
+                </para>
+
+                <para>
+                    You can achieve similar results by using the
+                    <link linkend='var-PRIVATE_LIBS'><filename>PRIVATE_LIBS</filename></link>
+                    variable.
+                    However, with the <filename>PRIVATE_LIBS</filename>
+                    variable, you must specifically list all of a package's
+                    libraries.
+                    Using the <filename>EXCLUDE_FROM_SHLIB</filename> variable,
+                    allows you to quickly prevent exposure to all the libraries.
+                </para>
+            </glossdef>
+        </glossentry>
+
         <glossentry id='var-EXCLUDE_FROM_WORLD'><glossterm>EXCLUDE_FROM_WORLD</glossterm>
             <info>
                 EXCLUDE_FROM_WORLD[doc] = "Directs BitBake to exclude a recipe from world builds (i.e. bitbake world)."