diff --git a/doc/manual/src/language/operators.md b/doc/manual/src/language/operators.md
index a07d976ad..3e929724d 100644
--- a/doc/manual/src/language/operators.md
+++ b/doc/manual/src/language/operators.md
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 ## Attribute selection
 
 Select the attribute denoted by attribute path *attrpath* from [attribute set] *attrset*.
-If the attribute doesn’t exist, return *value* if provided, otherwise abort evaluation.
+If the attribute doesn’t exist, return the *expr* after `or` if provided, otherwise abort evaluation.
 
 <!-- FIXME: the following should to into its own language syntax section, but that needs more work to fit in well -->
 
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/language/values.md b/doc/manual/src/language/values.md
index c85124278..9d0301753 100644
--- a/doc/manual/src/language/values.md
+++ b/doc/manual/src/language/values.md
@@ -190,13 +190,17 @@ instance,
 ```
 
 evaluates to `"Foo"`. It is possible to provide a default value in an
-attribute selection using the `or` keyword. For example,
+attribute selection using the `or` keyword:
 
 ```nix
 { a = "Foo"; b = "Bar"; }.c or "Xyzzy"
 ```
 
-will evaluate to `"Xyzzy"` because there is no `c` attribute in the set.
+```nix
+{ a = "Foo"; b = "Bar"; }.c.d.e.f.g or "Xyzzy"
+```
+
+will both evaluate to `"Xyzzy"` because there is no `c` attribute in the set.
 
 You can use arbitrary double-quoted strings as attribute names: