diff --git a/libavutil/channel_layout.h b/libavutil/channel_layout.h
index 9e685fab72..ff2b57bbe3 100644
--- a/libavutil/channel_layout.h
+++ b/libavutil/channel_layout.h
@@ -266,6 +266,9 @@ typedef struct AVChannelCustom {
  * A channel layout here is defined as a set of channels ordered in a specific
  * way (unless the channel order is AV_CHANNEL_ORDER_UNSPEC, in which case an
  * AVChannelLayout carries only the channel count).
+ * All orders may be treated as if they were AV_CHANNEL_ORDER_UNSPEC by
+ * ignoring everything but the channel count, as long as av_channel_layout_check()
+ * considers they are valid.
  *
  * Unlike most structures in Libav, sizeof(AVChannelLayout) is a part of the
  * public ABI and may be used by the caller. E.g. it may be allocated on stack
@@ -290,9 +293,6 @@ typedef struct AVChannelCustom {
 typedef struct AVChannelLayout {
     /**
      * Channel order used in this layout.
-     * Any value not defined in the AVChannelOrder enum in a layout that
-     * av_channel_layout_check() doesn't reject must be treated as if it was
-     * AV_CHANNEL_ORDER_UNSPEC.
      * This is a mandatory field.
      */
     enum AVChannelOrder order;