diff --git a/lisp/erc/erc-backend.el b/lisp/erc/erc-backend.el
index e2b7c0b6f48..a4a78c66b02 100644
--- a/lisp/erc/erc-backend.el
+++ b/lisp/erc/erc-backend.el
@@ -1649,6 +1649,10 @@ Would expand to:
 
   See also `erc-server-311'.\"))
 
+  Note that while all ALIASES share the same handler function, each gets
+  its own distinct hook variable.  The default value of these variables
+  may be a list or a function.  Robust code should handle both.
+
 \(fn (NAME &rest ALIASES) &optional EXTRA-FN-DOC EXTRA-VAR-DOC &rest FN-BODY)"
   (declare (debug (&define [&name "erc-response-handler@"
                                   ;; No `def-edebug-elem-spec' in 27.
diff --git a/lisp/erc/erc.el b/lisp/erc/erc.el
index 025bfbc0a5f..b728dd59fa3 100644
--- a/lisp/erc/erc.el
+++ b/lisp/erc/erc.el
@@ -676,10 +676,11 @@ Also remove members from the server table if this was their only buffer."
     (erc-remove-channel-users)))
 
 (defmacro erc--define-channel-user-status-compat-getter (name c d)
-  "Define a gv getter for historical `erc-channel-user' status slot NAME.
-Expect NAME to be a string, C to be its traditionally associated
-letter, and D to be its fallback power-of-2 integer for non-ERC
-buffers."
+  "Define accessor with gv getter for historical `erc-channel-user' slot NAME.
+Expect NAME to be a string, C to be its traditionally associated letter,
+and D to be its fallback power-of-2 integer for non-ERC buffers.  Unlike
+pre-ERC-5.6 accessors, do not bother generating a compiler macro for
+inlining calls to these adapters."
   `(defun ,(intern (concat "erc-channel-user-" name)) (u)
      ,(format "Get equivalent of pre-5.6 `%s' slot for `erc-channel-user'."
               name)