diff --git a/Documentation/user-changeid.txt b/Documentation/user-changeid.txt
index 0b6720553a..a4224bd453 100644
--- a/Documentation/user-changeid.txt
+++ b/Documentation/user-changeid.txt
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ drafts of it.  By including a unique Change-Id in the commit message,
 Gerrit can automatically associate a new version of a change back
 to its original review, even across cherry-picks and rebases.
 
-To be picked up by Gerrit, a Change-Id line must be in the bottom
-portion (last paragraph) of a commit message, and may be mixed
-together with the Signed-off-by, Acked-by, or other such footers.
-For example:
+To be picked up by Gerrit, a Change-Id line must be in the footer
+(last paragraph) of a commit message, and may be mixed
+together with link:user-signedoffby.html[Signed-off-by], Acked-by,
+or other such lines. For example:
 
 ----
   $ git log -1
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/validators/CommitValidators.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/validators/CommitValidators.java
index 97af5ac929..8abe501cde 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/validators/CommitValidators.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/validators/CommitValidators.java
@@ -486,7 +486,8 @@ public class CommitValidators {
         sb.append('\n');
         sb.append(changeId).append(" I").append(c.name());
         sb.append('\n');
-        sb.append("Hint: A potential Change-Id was found, but it was not in the footer of the commit message.");
+        sb.append("Hint: A potential Change-Id was found, but it was not in the ");
+        sb.append("footer (last paragraph) of the commit message.");
       }
     }
     sb.append('\n');