diff --git a/include/linux/percpu-refcount.h b/include/linux/percpu-refcount.h
index 864d167a1073..009cdf3d65b6 100644
--- a/include/linux/percpu-refcount.h
+++ b/include/linux/percpu-refcount.h
@@ -30,10 +30,14 @@
  * calls io_destroy() or the process exits.
  *
  * In the aio code, kill_ioctx() is called when we wish to destroy a kioctx; it
- * calls percpu_ref_kill(), then hlist_del_rcu() and synchronize_rcu() to remove
- * the kioctx from the proccess's list of kioctxs - after that, there can't be
- * any new users of the kioctx (from lookup_ioctx()) and it's then safe to drop
- * the initial ref with percpu_ref_put().
+ * removes the kioctx from the proccess's table of kioctxs and kills percpu_ref.
+ * After that, there can't be any new users of the kioctx (from lookup_ioctx())
+ * and it's then safe to drop the initial ref with percpu_ref_put().
+ *
+ * Note that the free path, free_ioctx(), needs to go through explicit call_rcu()
+ * to synchronize with RCU protected lookup_ioctx().  percpu_ref operations don't
+ * imply RCU grace periods of any kind and if a user wants to combine percpu_ref
+ * with RCU protection, it must be done explicitly.
  *
  * Code that does a two stage shutdown like this often needs some kind of
  * explicit synchronization to ensure the initial refcount can only be dropped
@@ -113,8 +117,10 @@ void percpu_ref_reinit(struct percpu_ref *ref);
  * Must be used to drop the initial ref on a percpu refcount; must be called
  * precisely once before shutdown.
  *
- * Puts @ref in non percpu mode, then does a call_rcu() before gathering up the
- * percpu counters and dropping the initial ref.
+ * Switches @ref into atomic mode before gathering up the percpu counters
+ * and dropping the initial ref.
+ *
+ * There are no implied RCU grace periods between kill and release.
  */
 static inline void percpu_ref_kill(struct percpu_ref *ref)
 {
diff --git a/lib/percpu-refcount.c b/lib/percpu-refcount.c
index 30e7dd88148b..9f96fa7bc000 100644
--- a/lib/percpu-refcount.c
+++ b/lib/percpu-refcount.c
@@ -322,6 +322,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(percpu_ref_switch_to_percpu);
  * This function normally doesn't block and can be called from any context
  * but it may block if @confirm_kill is specified and @ref is in the
  * process of switching to atomic mode by percpu_ref_switch_to_atomic().
+ *
+ * There are no implied RCU grace periods between kill and release.
  */
 void percpu_ref_kill_and_confirm(struct percpu_ref *ref,
 				 percpu_ref_func_t *confirm_kill)