diff --git a/documentation/kernel-dev/kernel-dev-advanced.xml b/documentation/kernel-dev/kernel-dev-advanced.xml
index 785076026d..9b35a422db 100644
--- a/documentation/kernel-dev/kernel-dev-advanced.xml
+++ b/documentation/kernel-dev/kernel-dev-advanced.xml
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@
     <title>Using Kernel Metadata in a Recipe</title>
 
     <para>
-        The kernel sources in the Yocto Project contain kernel Metadata, which is
-        located in the <filename>meta</filename> branches of the kernel source
-        Git repositories.
+        The kernel sources in the Yocto Project contain kernel Metadata, which
+        is located in the <filename>meta</filename> branches of the kernel
+        source Git repositories.
         This Metadata defines Board Support Packages (BSPs) that
         correspond to definitions in linux-yocto recipes for the same BSPs.
         A BSP consists of an aggregation of kernel policy and hardware-specific
@@ -60,21 +60,27 @@
         for more information.
     </para>
 
+    <para>
+        Every linux-yocto style recipe must also indicate the Linux kernel
+        source repository branch used to build the Linux kernel.
+        The <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-KBRANCH'>KBRANCH</ulink>
+        variable must be set to indicate the branch.
+        <note>
+            You can use the <filename>KBRANCH</filename> value to define an
+            alternate branch typically with a machine override as follows:
+            <literallayout class='monospaced'>
+     KBRANCH_fri2 ?= "standard/fri2"
+            </literallayout>
+        </note>
+    </para>
+
     <para>
         The linux-yocto style recipes can optionally define the following
         variables:
         <literallayout class='monospaced'>
-     <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-KBRANCH'>KBRANCH</ulink>
      <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-KERNEL_FEATURES'>KERNEL_FEATURES</ulink>
      <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE'>LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE</ulink>
         </literallayout>
-        <filename>KBRANCH</filename> defines the Linux kernel source
-        repository's branch to use to build the Linux kernel.
-        You can use the value to define an alternate branch typically with a
-        machine override as follows:
-        <literallayout class='monospaced'>
-     KBRANCH_fri2 ?= "standard/fri2"
-        </literallayout>
     </para>
 
     <para>
diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
index 6bcbbb316f..98799d5c95 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
@@ -5758,10 +5758,9 @@ recipes-graphics/xorg-font/font-alias_1.0.3.bb:PR = "${INC_PR}.3"
             <glossdef>
                 <para role="glossdeffirst"><imagedata fileref="figures/define-generic.png" />
                     A regular expression used by the build process to explicitly
-                    identify the kernel branch that is validated, patched
+                    identify the kernel branch that is validated, patched,
                     and configured during a build.
-                    The <filename>KBRANCH</filename> variable is optional.
-                    You can use it to trigger checks to ensure the exact kernel
+                    You must set this variable to ensure the exact kernel
                     branch you want is being used by the build process.
                 </para>