diff --git a/lisp/thingatpt.el b/lisp/thingatpt.el
index a593b6c6241..3cfd3905701 100644
--- a/lisp/thingatpt.el
+++ b/lisp/thingatpt.el
@@ -778,7 +778,10 @@ Signal an error if the entire string was not used."
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun sexp-at-point ()
-  "Return the sexp at point, or nil if none is found."
+  "Return the sexp at point, or nil if none is found.
+This is for returning the Lisp object represented by text at point;
+use (thing-at-point \\='sexp) instead if you rather want the balanced
+expression at point regardless of Lisp syntax."
   (form-at-point 'sexp))
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun symbol-at-point ()