diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst b/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
index 97cd060c11..85b26b9b50 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
@@ -774,11 +774,10 @@ can successfully build the kernel modules in the next step of the build.
 ``do_sizecheck``
 ----------------
 
-After the kernel has been built, this task checks the size of the
-stripped kernel image against
-:term:`KERNEL_IMAGE_MAXSIZE`. If that
-variable was set and the size of the stripped kernel exceeds that size,
-the kernel build produces a warning to that effect.
+If the variable :term:`KERNEL_IMAGE_MAXSIZE` is set, this task compares
+the size of all stripped kernel images listed in :term:`KERNEL_IMAGETYPES`
+against that value. If more than one image type is listed there, warn on
+any that exceed that value, but fail only if none of them fit.
 
 .. _ref-tasks-strip:
 
diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst b/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst
index a7c931988b..bb03213e18 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst
@@ -5110,17 +5110,18 @@ system and gives an overview of their function and contents.
       information.
 
    :term:`KERNEL_IMAGE_MAXSIZE`
-      Specifies the maximum size of the kernel image file in kilobytes. If
-      :term:`KERNEL_IMAGE_MAXSIZE` is set, the size of the kernel image file is
-      checked against the set value during the
-      :ref:`ref-tasks-sizecheck` task. The task fails if
-      the kernel image file is larger than the setting.
+      Specifies the maximum allowable size of the kernel image file in kibibytes.
+      If this variable is set, the sizes of all of the kernel image files listed
+      in :term:`KERNEL_IMAGETYPES` are checked against this value during the
+      :ref:`ref-tasks-sizecheck` task. That task will warn about any of the
+      kernel images that exceed the maximum, and will fail only if all images
+      are too large.
 
       :term:`KERNEL_IMAGE_MAXSIZE` is useful for target devices that have a
       limited amount of space in which the kernel image must be stored.
 
       By default, this variable is not set, which means the size of the
-      kernel image is not checked.
+      kernel images are not checked.
 
    :term:`KERNEL_IMAGE_NAME`
       The base name of the kernel image. This variable is set in the