diff --git a/docs/content-services/document-list.component.md b/docs/content-services/document-list.component.md
index 8f45a591fb..0124fd6142 100644
--- a/docs/content-services/document-list.component.md
+++ b/docs/content-services/document-list.component.md
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ Displays the documents from a repository.
 | showHeader | `boolean` | true | Toggles the header |
 | skipCount | `number` | 0 | (**Deprecated:** 2.3.0 - define it in pagination) Number of elements to skip over for pagination purposes |
 | sorting | `string[]` | ['name', 'asc'] | Defines default sorting. The format is an array of 2 strings `[key, direction]` i.e. `['name', 'desc']` or `['name', 'asc']`. Set this value only if you want to override the default sorting detected by the component based on columns. |
-| sortingMode | `string` | "client" | Defines sorting mode. Can be either `client` or `server`. |
+| sortingMode | `string` | "client" | Defines sorting mode. Can be either `client` (items in the list are sorted client-side) or `server` (the ordering supplied by the server is used without further client-side sorting). Note that the `server` option _does not_ request the server to sort the data before delivering it. |
 | thumbnails | `boolean` | false | Show document thumbnails rather than icons |
 
 ### Events
diff --git a/lib/content-services/document-list/components/document-list.component.ts b/lib/content-services/document-list/components/document-list.component.ts
index 2b16894aa7..3589d675bf 100644
--- a/lib/content-services/document-list/components/document-list.component.ts
+++ b/lib/content-services/document-list/components/document-list.component.ts
@@ -134,7 +134,12 @@ export class DocumentListComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges, OnDestroy, Afte
     @Input()
     sorting = ['name', 'asc'];
 
-    /** Defines sorting mode. Can be either `client` or `server`. */
+    /** Defines sorting mode. Can be either `client` (items in the list
+     * are sorted client-side) or `server` (the ordering supplied by the
+     * server is used without further client-side sorting).
+     * Note that the `server` option *does not* request the server to sort the data
+     * before delivering it.
+     */
     @Input()
     sortingMode = 'client';