diff --git a/app/pdb/display-cmds.c b/app/pdb/display-cmds.c
index 89a5e1a0cd..d4d49ddc65 100644
--- a/app/pdb/display-cmds.c
+++ b/app/pdb/display-cmds.c
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ register_display_procs (GimpPDB *pdb)
   gimp_procedure_set_static_strings (procedure,
                                      "gimp-display-new",
                                      "Create a new display for the specified image.",
-                                     "Creates a new display for the specified image. If the image already has a display, another is added. Multiple displays are handled transparently by GIMP. The newly created display is returned and can be subsequently destroyed with a call to 'gimp-display-delete'. This procedure only makes sense for use with the GIMP UI.",
+                                     "Creates a new display for the specified image. If the image already has a display, another is added. Multiple displays are handled transparently by GIMP. The newly created display is returned and can be subsequently destroyed with a call to 'gimp-display-delete'. This procedure only makes sense for use with the GIMP UI, and will result in an execution error if called when GIMP has no UI.",
                                      "Spencer Kimball & Peter Mattis",
                                      "Spencer Kimball & Peter Mattis",
                                      "1995-1996",
diff --git a/libgimp/gimpdisplay_pdb.c b/libgimp/gimpdisplay_pdb.c
index 7e704b4e97..1a3c2972b5 100644
--- a/libgimp/gimpdisplay_pdb.c
+++ b/libgimp/gimpdisplay_pdb.c
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ gimp_display_is_valid (gint32 display_ID)
  * has a display, another is added. Multiple displays are handled
  * transparently by GIMP. The newly created display is returned and can
  * be subsequently destroyed with a call to gimp_display_delete(). This
- * procedure only makes sense for use with the GIMP UI.
+ * procedure only makes sense for use with the GIMP UI, and will result
+ * in an execution error if called when GIMP has no UI.
  *
  * Returns: The new display.
  **/
diff --git a/tools/pdbgen/pdb/display.pdb b/tools/pdbgen/pdb/display.pdb
index 96061914bc..3ee6124d71 100644
--- a/tools/pdbgen/pdb/display.pdb
+++ b/tools/pdbgen/pdb/display.pdb
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ Creates a new display for the specified image. If the image already has a
 display, another is added. Multiple displays are handled transparently by
 GIMP. The newly created display is returned and can be subsequently destroyed
 with a call to gimp_display_delete(). This procedure only makes sense for use
-with the GIMP UI.
+with the GIMP UI, and will result in an execution error if called when
+GIMP has no UI.
 HELP
 
     &std_pdb_misc;