diff --git a/accel/tcg/cputlb.c b/accel/tcg/cputlb.c
index 05439039e9..31f7695cb2 100644
--- a/accel/tcg/cputlb.c
+++ b/accel/tcg/cputlb.c
@@ -664,6 +664,18 @@ void tlb_set_page_with_attrs(CPUState *cpu, target_ulong vaddr,
     env->iotlb_v[mmu_idx][vidx] = env->iotlb[mmu_idx][index];
 
     /* refill the tlb */
+    /*
+     * At this point iotlb contains a physical section number in the lower
+     * TARGET_PAGE_BITS, and either
+     *  + the ram_addr_t of the page base of the target RAM (if NOTDIRTY or ROM)
+     *  + the offset within section->mr of the page base (otherwise)
+     * We subtract the vaddr (which is page aligned and thus won't
+     * disturb the low bits) to give an offset which can be added to the
+     * (non-page-aligned) vaddr of the eventual memory access to get
+     * the MemoryRegion offset for the access. Note that the vaddr we
+     * subtract here is that of the page base, and not the same as the
+     * vaddr we add back in io_readx()/io_writex()/get_page_addr_code().
+     */
     env->iotlb[mmu_idx][index].addr = iotlb - vaddr;
     env->iotlb[mmu_idx][index].attrs = attrs;
 
diff --git a/include/exec/cpu-defs.h b/include/exec/cpu-defs.h
index e43ff8346b..a171ffc1a4 100644
--- a/include/exec/cpu-defs.h
+++ b/include/exec/cpu-defs.h
@@ -127,6 +127,15 @@ QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(sizeof(CPUTLBEntry) != (1 << CPU_TLB_ENTRY_BITS));
  * structs into one.)
  */
 typedef struct CPUIOTLBEntry {
+    /*
+     * @addr contains:
+     *  - in the lower TARGET_PAGE_BITS, a physical section number
+     *  - with the lower TARGET_PAGE_BITS masked off, an offset which
+     *    must be added to the virtual address to obtain:
+     *     + the ram_addr_t of the target RAM (if the physical section
+     *       number is PHYS_SECTION_NOTDIRTY or PHYS_SECTION_ROM)
+     *     + the offset within the target MemoryRegion (otherwise)
+     */
     hwaddr addr;
     MemTxAttrs attrs;
 } CPUIOTLBEntry;