diff --git a/man2/getrandom.2 b/man2/getrandom.2
index 32c55bde2..e662a2168 100644
--- a/man2/getrandom.2
+++ b/man2/getrandom.2
@@ -157,6 +157,23 @@ was introduced in version 3.17 of the Linux kernel.
 .SH CONFORMING TO
 This system call is Linux-specific.
 .SH NOTES
+Unlike
+.IR /dev/random
+and
+.IR /dev/random ,
+.BR getrandom ()
+does not involve the use of pathnames or file descriptors.
+Thus,
+.BR getrandom ()
+can be useful in cases where
+.BR chroot (2)
+makes
+.I /dev
+pathnames invisible,
+and where an application (e.g., a daemon during start-up)
+closes a file descriptor for one of these files
+that was opened by a library.
+.\"
 .SS Maximum number of bytes returned
 As of Linux 3.19 the following limits apply:
 .IP * 3