diff --git a/Documentation/CodingGuidelines b/Documentation/CodingGuidelines
index d0fc7cfe60..3263245b03 100644
--- a/Documentation/CodingGuidelines
+++ b/Documentation/CodingGuidelines
@@ -262,8 +262,9 @@ For C programs:
    like "error: unused parameter 'foo' [-Werror=unused-parameter]",
    which indicates that a function ignores its argument. If the unused
    parameter can't be removed (e.g., because the function is used as a
-   callback and has to match a certain interface), you can annotate the
-   individual parameters with the UNUSED keyword, like "int foo UNUSED".
+   callback and has to match a certain interface), you can annotate
+   the individual parameters with the UNUSED (or MAYBE_UNUSED)
+   keyword, like "int foo UNUSED".
 
  - We try to support a wide range of C compilers to compile Git with,
    including old ones.  As of Git v2.35.0 Git requires C99 (we check
diff --git a/git-compat-util.h b/git-compat-util.h
index 71b4d23f03..e4a306dd56 100644
--- a/git-compat-util.h
+++ b/git-compat-util.h
@@ -195,6 +195,19 @@ struct strbuf;
 #define _NETBSD_SOURCE 1
 #define _SGI_SOURCE 1
 
+/*
+ * UNUSED marks a function parameter that is always unused.  It also
+ * can be used to annotate a function, a variable, or a type that is
+ * always unused.
+ *
+ * A callback interface may dictate that a function accepts a
+ * parameter at that position, but the implementation of the function
+ * may not need to use the parameter.  In such a case, mark the parameter
+ * with UNUSED.
+ *
+ * When a parameter may be used or unused, depending on conditional
+ * compilation, consider using MAYBE_UNUSED instead.
+ */
 #if GIT_GNUC_PREREQ(4, 5)
 #define UNUSED __attribute__((unused)) \
 	__attribute__((deprecated ("parameter declared as UNUSED")))
@@ -649,6 +662,17 @@ static inline int git_has_dir_sep(const char *path)
 #define RESULT_MUST_BE_USED
 #endif
 
+/*
+ * MAYBE_UNUSED marks a function parameter that may be unused, but
+ * whose use is not an error.  It also can be used to annotate a
+ * function, a variable, or a type that may be unused.
+ *
+ * Depending on a configuration, all uses of such a thing may become
+ * #ifdef'ed away.  Marking it with UNUSED would give a warning in a
+ * compilation where it is indeed used, and not marking it at all
+ * would give a warning in a compilation where it is unused.  In such
+ * a case, MAYBE_UNUSED is the appropriate annotation to use.
+ */
 #define MAYBE_UNUSED __attribute__((__unused__))
 
 #include "compat/bswap.h"