diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/classes.rst b/documentation/ref-manual/classes.rst
index 4e5083a79c..5903a4b9a5 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/classes.rst
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/classes.rst
@@ -966,6 +966,14 @@ software that uses the GNU ``gettext`` internationalization and localization
 system. All recipes building software that use ``gettext`` should inherit this
 class.
 
+This class will configure recipes to build translations *unless*:
+
+-  the :term:`USE_NLS` variable is set to ``no``, or
+
+-  the :term:`INHIBIT_DEFAULT_DEPS` variable is set and the recipe inheriting
+   the :ref:`ref-classes-gettext` class does not also inherit the
+   :ref:`ref-classes-cross-canadian` class.
+
 .. _ref-classes-github-releases:
 
 ``github-releases``