diff --git a/System/Posix/Files.hsc b/System/Posix/Files.hsc
index 4243bc3..6750d55 100644
--- a/System/Posix/Files.hsc
+++ b/System/Posix/Files.hsc
@@ -242,9 +242,12 @@ access name flags =
                    else throwErrnoPath "fileAccess" name
 
 
--- | @getFileStatus path@ calls gets the @FileStatus@ information (user ID,
+-- | @getFileStatus path@ retrieves the @FileStatus@ information (user ID,
 -- size, access times, etc.) for the file @path@.
 --
+-- 'getFileStatus' dereferences symbolic links, to retrieve the status of a symlink
+-- use 'getSymbolicLinkStatus' instead.
+--
 -- Note: calls @stat@.
 getFileStatus :: FilePath -> IO FileStatus
 getFileStatus path = do
diff --git a/System/Posix/Files/ByteString.hsc b/System/Posix/Files/ByteString.hsc
index e9d22e4..656f757 100644
--- a/System/Posix/Files/ByteString.hsc
+++ b/System/Posix/Files/ByteString.hsc
@@ -240,6 +240,9 @@ access name flags =
 -- | @getFileStatus path@ calls gets the @FileStatus@ information (user ID,
 -- size, access times, etc.) for the file @path@.
 --
+-- 'getFileStatus' dereferences symbolic links, to retrieve the status of a symlink
+-- use 'getSymbolicLinkStatus' instead.
+--
 -- Note: calls @stat@.
 getFileStatus :: RawFilePath -> IO FileStatus
 getFileStatus path = do
diff --git a/System/Posix/Files/Common.hsc b/System/Posix/Files/Common.hsc
index 00ba5be..f73b03f 100644
--- a/System/Posix/Files/Common.hsc
+++ b/System/Posix/Files/Common.hsc
@@ -507,7 +507,8 @@ isSymbolicLink stat =
 isSocket stat =
   (fileMode stat `intersectFileModes` fileTypeModes) == socketMode
 
--- | @getFdStatus fd@ acts as 'getFileStatus' but uses a file descriptor @fd@.
+-- | @getFdStatus fd@ is similar to 'getFileStatus', but returns data about
+-- the file associated with the descriptor @fd@.
 --
 -- Note: calls @fstat@.
 getFdStatus :: Fd -> IO FileStatus
diff --git a/System/Posix/Files/PosixString.hsc b/System/Posix/Files/PosixString.hsc
index 3466f83..a97e2ee 100644
--- a/System/Posix/Files/PosixString.hsc
+++ b/System/Posix/Files/PosixString.hsc
@@ -239,6 +239,9 @@ access name flags =
 -- | @getFileStatus path@ calls gets the @FileStatus@ information (user ID,
 -- size, access times, etc.) for the file @path@.
 --
+-- 'getFileStatus' dereferences symbolic links, to retrieve the status of a symlink
+-- use 'getSymbolicLinkStatus' instead.
+--
 -- Note: calls @stat@.
 getFileStatus :: PosixPath -> IO FileStatus
 getFileStatus path = do