diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
index 6be2b7a097..5f82602f1d 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
@@ -3751,8 +3751,10 @@ recipes-graphics/xorg-font/font-alias_1.0.3.bb:PR = "${INC_PR}.3"
 
         <glossentry id='var-PARALLEL_MAKE'><glossterm>PARALLEL_MAKE</glossterm>
             <glossdef>
-                <para>Specifies extra options that are passed to the <filename>make</filename> command during the
-                    compile tasks.
+                <para>Extra options that are passed to the
+                    <filename>make</filename> command during the
+                    <filename>do_compile</filename> task in order to specify
+                    parallel compilation.
                     This variable is usually in the form <filename>-j 4</filename>, where the number
                     represents the maximum number of parallel threads make can run.
                     If you development host supports multiple cores a good rule of thumb is to set