diff --git a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/mir/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/mir/mod.rs
index 9ef3a1b30e4..6484c30167c 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/mir/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/mir/mod.rs
@@ -1275,9 +1275,11 @@ pub fn is_optional_overflow_check(&self) -> bool {
         matches!(self, OverflowNeg(..) | Overflow(Add | Sub | Mul | Shl | Shr, ..))
     }
 
-    /// Getting a description does not require `O` to be printable, and does not
-    /// require allocation.
-    /// The caller is expected to handle `BoundsCheck` and `MisalignedPointerDereference` separately.
+    /// Get the message that is printed at runtime when this assertion fails.
+    ///
+    /// The caller is expected to handle `BoundsCheck` and `MisalignedPointerDereference` by
+    /// invoking the appropriate lang item (panic_bounds_check/panic_misaligned_pointer_dereference)
+    /// instead of printing a static message.
     pub fn description(&self) -> &'static str {
         use AssertKind::*;
         match self {
@@ -1303,6 +1305,11 @@ pub fn description(&self) -> &'static str {
     }
 
     /// Format the message arguments for the `assert(cond, msg..)` terminator in MIR printing.
+    ///
+    /// Needs to be kept in sync with the run-time behavior (which is defined by
+    /// `AssertKind::description` and the lang items mentioned in its docs).
+    /// Note that we deliberately show more details here than we do at runtime, such as the actual
+    /// numbers that overflowed -- it is much easier to do so here than at runtime.
     pub fn fmt_assert_args<W: Write>(&self, f: &mut W) -> fmt::Result
     where
         O: Debug,
@@ -1358,6 +1365,12 @@ pub fn fmt_assert_args<W: Write>(&self, f: &mut W) -> fmt::Result
         }
     }
 
+    /// Format the diagnostic message for use in a lint (e.g. when the assertion fails during const-eval).
+    ///
+    /// Needs to be kept in sync with the run-time behavior (which is defined by
+    /// `AssertKind::description` and the lang items mentioned in its docs).
+    /// Note that we deliberately show more details here than we do at runtime, such as the actual
+    /// numbers that overflowed -- it is much easier to do so here than at runtime.
     pub fn diagnostic_message(&self) -> DiagnosticMessage {
         use crate::fluent_generated::*;
         use AssertKind::*;
diff --git a/library/core/src/panicking.rs b/library/core/src/panicking.rs
index d5e4c113018..ab6aa0df428 100644
--- a/library/core/src/panicking.rs
+++ b/library/core/src/panicking.rs
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ fn panic_misaligned_pointer_dereference(required: usize, found: usize) -> ! {
 #[lang = "panic_cannot_unwind"] // needed by codegen for panic in nounwind function
 #[rustc_nounwind]
 fn panic_cannot_unwind() -> ! {
+    // Keep the text in sync with `UnwindTerminateReason::as_str` in `rustc_middle`.
     panic_nounwind("panic in a function that cannot unwind")
 }
 
@@ -203,6 +204,7 @@ fn panic_cannot_unwind() -> ! {
 #[lang = "panic_in_cleanup"] // needed by codegen for panic in nounwind function
 #[rustc_nounwind]
 fn panic_in_cleanup() -> ! {
+    // Keep the text in sync with `UnwindTerminateReason::as_str` in `rustc_middle`.
     panic_nounwind("panic in a destructor during cleanup")
 }