diff --git a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/config.rs b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/config.rs
index 7df60229648d..323f2744f7ac 100644
--- a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/config.rs
@@ -142,7 +142,9 @@ config_data! {
 
         /// Controls file watching implementation.
         files_watcher: String = "\"client\"",
-        /// These directories will be ignored by rust-analyzer.
+        /// These directories will be ignored by rust-analyzer. They are
+        /// relative to the workspace root, and globs are not supported. You may
+        /// also need to add the folders to Code's 'watcher exclude'.
         files_excludeDirs: Vec<PathBuf> = "[]",
 
         /// Use semantic tokens for strings.
diff --git a/docs/user/generated_config.adoc b/docs/user/generated_config.adoc
index 86d147ee8bcc..35342a810970 100644
--- a/docs/user/generated_config.adoc
+++ b/docs/user/generated_config.adoc
@@ -204,7 +204,9 @@ Controls file watching implementation.
 [[rust-analyzer.files.excludeDirs]]rust-analyzer.files.excludeDirs (default: `[]`)::
 +
 --
-These directories will be ignored by rust-analyzer.
+These directories will be ignored by rust-analyzer. They are
+relative to the workspace root, and globs are not supported. You may
+also need to add the folders to Code's 'watcher exclude'.
 --
 [[rust-analyzer.highlighting.strings]]rust-analyzer.highlighting.strings (default: `true`)::
 +
diff --git a/editors/code/package.json b/editors/code/package.json
index c4ed4b59814e..cf60b6eba5ab 100644
--- a/editors/code/package.json
+++ b/editors/code/package.json
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@
                     "type": "string"
                 },
                 "rust-analyzer.files.excludeDirs": {
-                    "markdownDescription": "These directories will be ignored by rust-analyzer.",
+                    "markdownDescription": "These directories will be ignored by rust-analyzer. They are\nrelative to the workspace root, and globs are not supported. You may\nalso need to add the folders to Code's 'watcher exclude'.",
                     "default": [],
                     "type": "array",
                     "items": {