diff --git a/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi b/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
index aca29910b7d3..8f31fa168c23 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ Version Control Systems
 @cindex SRC
 @cindex src
 @item
-SRC (src) is RCS, reloaded - a specialized version-control system
+SRC (src) is RCS, reloaded---a specialized version-control system
 designed for single-file projects worked on by only one person.  It
 allows multiple files with independent version-control histories to
 exist in one directory, and is thus particularly well suited for
@@ -233,6 +233,22 @@ Version Control Systems
 supports almost all SRC operations.
 @end itemize
 
+@defun vc-responsible-backend file
+This function can be used to determine the responsible VC backend of
+the given file path @var{file}.  For example, if @code{emacs.c} is a
+file tracked by git, @code{(vc-responsible-backend "emacs.c")} returns
+@code{"Git"}.  Note that if @var{file} is a symbolic link,
+@code{vc-responsible-backend} will not resolve it---it always reports
+the backend of the symbolic link file itself.  Instead, to get the
+backend VC of the file to which @var{file} refers, wrap @var{file}
+with a symbolic link resolving function such as
+@code{file-chase-links}:
+
+@smallexample
+(vc-responsible-backend (file-chase-links "emacs.c"))
+@end smallexample
+@end defun
+
 @node VCS Concepts
 @subsubsection Concepts of Version Control
 
diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc.el b/lisp/vc/vc.el
index ac020d095397..a1e4388f6e5c 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc.el
@@ -959,7 +959,11 @@ vc-responsible-backend
 If FILE is already registered, return the
 backend of FILE.  If FILE is not registered, then the
 first backend in `vc-handled-backends' that declares itself
-responsible for FILE is returned."
+responsible for FILE is returned.
+
+Note that if FILE is a symbolic link, it will not be resolved --
+it will report the responsible backend system for the symbolic
+link itself."
   (or (and (not (file-directory-p file)) (vc-backend file))
       (catch 'found
 	;; First try: find a responsible backend.  If this is for registration,