diff --git a/doc/dev-guide-source/guides/content-scripts/using-postmessage.md b/doc/dev-guide-source/guides/content-scripts/using-postmessage.md
index 594e429cc..e6ec5b9fd 100644
--- a/doc/dev-guide-source/guides/content-scripts/using-postmessage.md
+++ b/doc/dev-guide-source/guides/content-scripts/using-postmessage.md
@@ -59,6 +59,50 @@ argument to the constructor:
       }
     });
 
+## Timing Issues Using postMessage ##
+
+Content scripts are loaded according to the value of the
+[`contentScriptWhen`](dev-guide/guides/content-scripts/loading.html)
+option: until that point is reached, any attempt to send a message to
+the script using `postMessage()` will trigger an exception, probably
+the unintuitive message:
+
+<span class="aside">
+This is a generic message which is emitted whenever we try to
+send a message to a content script, but can't find the worker
+which is supposed to receive it.
+</span>
+
+<pre>
+Error: The page has been destroyed and can no longer be used.
+</pre>
+
+So code like this, where we create a panel and then
+synchronously send it a message using `postMessage()`, will not work:
+
+    var data = require("self").data;
+
+    var panel = require("panel").Panel({
+      contentURL: "http://www.bbc.co.uk/mobile/index.html",
+      contentScriptFile: data.url("panel.js")
+    });
+
+    panel.postMessage("hi from main.js");
+
+[`port.emit()`](dev-guide/guides/content-scripts/using-port.html)
+queues messages until the content script is ready to receive them,
+so the equivalent code using `port.emit()` will work:
+
+    var data = require("self").data;
+
+    var panel = require("panel").Panel({
+      contentURL: "http://www.bbc.co.uk/mobile/index.html",
+      contentScriptFile: data.url("panel.js")
+    });
+
+    panel.port.emit("hi from main.js");
+
+
 ## Message Events Versus User-Defined Events ##
 
 You can use message events as an alternative to user-defined events: