diff --git a/src/api/Makefile.am b/src/api/Makefile.am
index 73b1f5b7c3d8c7e7a799c3aa3e747464dd868e75..b5634c6e73cd9eecbd9f936d734152f0da03e775 100644
--- a/src/api/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/api/Makefile.am
@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@ libslurm_la_LDFLAGS        = \
         -version-info $(current):$(rev):$(age) \
         $(OTHER_FLAGS)
 
+#
+# The libpmi_la_LIBADD specification below causes libpmi.la to relink
+# when running "make install", but removing it prevents essential slurm
+# symbols from being available in programs linking with libpmi
+#
 libpmi_la_SOURCES = pmi.c
 libpmi_la_LIBADD = $(top_builddir)/src/api/libslurm.la
 libpmi_la_LDFLAGS = $(LIB_LDFLAGS) \
diff --git a/src/api/Makefile.in b/src/api/Makefile.in
index 6759a724a52f34ac60a4594f90f70502561786d2..cfeee9318e206c1a443713307ebc6a7212b6cb5b 100644
--- a/src/api/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/api/Makefile.in
@@ -382,6 +382,11 @@ libslurm_la_LDFLAGS = \
         -version-info $(current):$(rev):$(age) \
         $(OTHER_FLAGS)
 
+#
+# The libpmi_la_LIBADD specification below causes libpmi.la to relink
+# when running "make install", but removing it prevents essential slurm
+# symbols from being available in programs linking with libpmi
+#
 libpmi_la_SOURCES = pmi.c
 libpmi_la_LIBADD = $(top_builddir)/src/api/libslurm.la
 libpmi_la_LDFLAGS = $(LIB_LDFLAGS) \