diff --git a/documentation/kernel-dev/kernel-dev-common.xml b/documentation/kernel-dev/kernel-dev-common.xml
index d76580dd02..ed513ea36d 100644
--- a/documentation/kernel-dev/kernel-dev-common.xml
+++ b/documentation/kernel-dev/kernel-dev-common.xml
@@ -38,6 +38,19 @@
                     development.</para></listitem>
             </itemizedlist>
         </para>
+
+        <para>
+            <literallayout class='monospaced'>
+Customizing recipes is best done in a layer with bbappend files. Layers also
+provide a convenient mechanism to create your own recipes. This guide assumes
+you will be working from within a layer independent from those released with the
+Yocto Project. For details on how to create and work with layers, refer to
+section 5.1 Understanding and Creating Layers in the Yocto Project Development
+Manual. 
+
+(Kernel specific directions in 5.7.4)
+            </literallayout>
+        </para>
     </section>
 
     <section id='modifying-an-existing-recipe'>