diff --git a/ghc/compiler/stgSyn/StgSyn.lhs b/ghc/compiler/stgSyn/StgSyn.lhs
index 4e8ab4539b6b2ddd2796754c376e14811834eded..1f676346be2285c623cbaa4afec6e069b434990e 100644
--- a/ghc/compiler/stgSyn/StgSyn.lhs
+++ b/ghc/compiler/stgSyn/StgSyn.lhs
@@ -445,6 +445,12 @@ type StgCaseDefault = GenStgCaseDefault	Id Id
 
 This is also used in @LambdaFormInfo@ in the @ClosureInfo@ module.
 
+A @ReEntrant@ closure may be entered multiple times, but should not be
+updated or blackholed.  An @Updatable@ closure should be updated after
+evaluation (and may be blackholed during evaluation).  A @SingleEntry@
+closure will only be entered once, and so need not be updated but may
+safely be blackholed.
+
 \begin{code}
 data UpdateFlag = ReEntrant | Updatable | SingleEntry