diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/nio/file/Files.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/nio/file/Files.java
index 5dd8d219ba9..fa8ff8029e9 100644
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/nio/file/Files.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/nio/file/Files.java
@@ -982,7 +982,10 @@ public final class Files {
      * The {@code existing} parameter is the path to an existing file. This
      * method creates a new directory entry for the file so that it can be
      * accessed using {@code link} as the path. On some file systems this is
-     * known as creating a "hard link". Whether the file attributes are
+     * known as creating a "hard link". If the {@code existing} parameter
+     * is the path to a symbolic link, then whether the new link is for the
+     * target of the symbolic link or for the symbolic link itself is platform
+     * dependent and therefore not specified. Whether the file attributes are
      * maintained for the file or for each directory entry is file system
      * specific and therefore not specified. Typically, a file system requires
      * that all links (directory entries) for a file be on the same file system.