diff --git a/man7/man-pages.7 b/man7/man-pages.7
index 5d43ed7cd..3c3c3c711 100644
--- a/man7/man-pages.7
+++ b/man7/man-pages.7
@@ -316,6 +316,14 @@ values that may be placed in
 in the event of an error, along with information about the cause
 of the errors.
 
+Where several different conditions produce the same error,
+the preferred approach is to create separate list entries
+(with duplicate error names) for each of the conditions.
+This makes the separate conditions clear, may make the list easier to read,
+and allows metainformation
+(e.g., kernel version number where the condition first became applicable)
+to be more easily marked for each condition.
+
 .IR "The error list should be in alphabetical order" .
 .TP
 .B ENVIRONMENT