diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/cvs.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/cvs.html
index 8612f0874..69d1921e9 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/cvs.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/cvs.html
@@ -54,7 +54,10 @@ from the command line in the target directory in which you are working.
   </tr>
   <tr>
     <td valign="top">dest</td>
-    <td valign="top">the directory where the checked out files should be placed.</td>
+    <td valign="top">the directory where the checked out files should
+    be placed.  Note that this is different from CVS's -d command line
+    switch as Ant will never shorten pathnames to avoid empty
+    directories.</td>
     <td align="center" valign="top">No, default is project's basedir.</td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AbstractCvsTask.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AbstractCvsTask.java
index c03868e33..ecd0745d8 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AbstractCvsTask.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/AbstractCvsTask.java
@@ -571,6 +571,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractCvsTask extends Task {
     /**
      * The directory where the checked out files should be placed.
      *
+     * <p>Note that this is different from CVS's -d command line
+     * switch as Ant will never shorten pathnames to avoid empty
+     * directories.</p>
+     *
      * @param dest directory where the checked out files should be placed
      */
     public void setDest(File dest) {