diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES b/RELEASE_NOTES
index f848dd22650d6477a589de7ba74e2180f15faa5d..a58699376846b821099eb997276824c38fe8249f 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ Slurm can be upgraded from version 2.6 or 14.03 to version 14.11 without loss of
 jobs or other state information. Upgrading directly from an earlier version of
 Slurm will result in loss of state information.
 
-If using SPANK plugins, they should be recompiled against this version.
+If using SPANK plugins that use the Slurm APIs, they should be recompiled when
+ugprading Slurm to a new major release.
 
 
 HIGHLIGHTS
diff --git a/doc/man/man8/spank.8 b/doc/man/man8/spank.8
index 765b003c51138405bb42eabffd166caf36d6746e..15ca1ee89e142f8dc1511d184d8c63c915ee1bc2 100644
--- a/doc/man/man8/spank.8
+++ b/doc/man/man8/spank.8
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ the \fBSPANK\fR infrastructure provides administrators and other developers
 a low cost, low effort ability to dynamically modify the runtime
 behavior of SLURM job launch.
 .LP
-\fBNote\fR: \fBSPANK\fR plugins must be recompiled for each new version.
+\fBNote\fR: \fBSPANK\fR plugins using the Slurm APIs need to be recompiled when
+ugprading Slurm to a new major release.
 .LP
 
 .SH "SPANK PLUGINS"