diff --git a/doc/getting-started.rst b/doc/getting-started.rst
index b3e6f2966f2..97cafeb8cf6 100644
--- a/doc/getting-started.rst
+++ b/doc/getting-started.rst
@@ -211,10 +211,9 @@ the following file named ``myscript``:
.. note::
- Version bounds are recommended but widening or dropping version bound
- constraints on some packages, especially boot packages like base, for
- single-file scripts will allow the script to run with a wider range of GHC
- versions.
+ Widening or dropping version bound constraints on *packages included with
+ the compiler* [#boot-packages]_, like ``base``, may allow single-file
+ scripts to run with a wider range of compiler versions.
.. code-block:: diff
@@ -253,3 +252,9 @@ Now that you know how to set up a simple Haskell package using Cabal, check out
some of the resources on the Haskell website's `documentation page
`__ or read more about packages and
Cabal on the :doc:`What Cabal does ` page.
+
+.. [#boot-packages] Packages included with the compiler are also called boot
+ packages. Each GHC compiler version has accompanying `release notes`_ that
+ list these included packages.
+
+.. _release notes: https://downloads.haskell.org/ghc/latest/docs/users_guide/release-notes.html