diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/pcase.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/pcase.el
index 5a7f3995311..fd6b0c8db5c 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/pcase.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/pcase.el
@@ -241,9 +241,14 @@ pcase-exhaustive
 ;;;###autoload
 (defmacro pcase-lambda (lambda-list &rest body)
   "Like `lambda' but allow each argument to be a pattern.
-I.e. accepts the usual &optional and &rest keywords, but every
-formal argument can be any pattern accepted by `pcase' (a mere
-variable name being but a special case of it)."
+I.e. accepts the usual &optional and &rest keywords, but every formal
+argument can be any pattern destructed by `pcase-let' (a mere variable
+name being but a special case of it).
+
+Each argument should match its respective pattern in the parameter
+list (i.e. be of a compatible structure); a mismatch may signal an error
+or may go undetected, binding arguments to arbitrary values, such as
+nil."
   (declare (doc-string 2) (indent defun)
            (debug (&define (&rest pcase-PAT) lambda-doc def-body)))
   (let* ((bindings ())