diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-structure.xml b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-structure.xml
index 86a3cd2a58..70dbea5995 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-structure.xml
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-structure.xml
@@ -799,6 +799,25 @@
         </para>
     </section>
 
+    <section id='structure-build-tmp-sysroots'>
+        <title><filename>build/tmp/sysroots-components/</filename></title>
+
+        <para>
+            This directory is the location of the sysroot contents that the
+            task
+            <link linkend='ref-tasks-prepare_recipe_sysroot'><filename>do_prepare_recipe_sysroot</filename></link>
+            links or copies into the recipe-specific sysroot for each
+            recipe listed in
+            <link linkend='var-DEPENDS'><filename>DEPENDS</filename></link>.
+            Population of this directory is handled through shared state, while
+            the path is specified by the <filename>COMPONENTS_DIR</filename>
+            variable. Apart from a few unusual circumstances, handling of the
+            <filename>sysroots-components</filename> directory should be
+            automatic, and recipes should not directly reference
+            <filename>build/tmp/sysroots-components</filename>.
+        </para>
+    </section>
+
     <section id='structure-build-tmp-sysroots'>
         <title><filename>build/tmp/sysroots/</filename></title>