diff --git a/Documentation/gpu/drm-kms.rst b/Documentation/gpu/drm-kms.rst
index 7f788caebea3..47c2835b7c2d 100644
--- a/Documentation/gpu/drm-kms.rst
+++ b/Documentation/gpu/drm-kms.rst
@@ -128,6 +128,12 @@ Connector Functions Reference
 Encoder Abstraction
 ===================
 
+.. kernel-doc:: drivers/gpu/drm/drm_encoder.c
+   :doc: overview
+
+Encoder Functions Reference
+---------------------------
+
 .. kernel-doc:: include/drm/drm_encoder.h
    :internal:
 
@@ -207,46 +213,6 @@ future); drivers that do not wish to provide special handling for
 primary planes may make use of the helper functions described in ? to
 create and register a primary plane with standard capabilities.
 
-Encoders (:c:type:`struct drm_encoder <drm_encoder>`)
------------------------------------------------------
-
-An encoder takes pixel data from a CRTC and converts it to a format
-suitable for any attached connectors. On some devices, it may be
-possible to have a CRTC send data to more than one encoder. In that
-case, both encoders would receive data from the same scanout buffer,
-resulting in a "cloned" display configuration across the connectors
-attached to each encoder.
-
-Encoder Initialization
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-As for CRTCs, a KMS driver must create, initialize and register at least
-one :c:type:`struct drm_encoder <drm_encoder>` instance. The
-instance is allocated and zeroed by the driver, possibly as part of a
-larger structure.
-
-Drivers must initialize the :c:type:`struct drm_encoder
-<drm_encoder>` possible_crtcs and possible_clones fields before
-registering the encoder. Both fields are bitmasks of respectively the
-CRTCs that the encoder can be connected to, and sibling encoders
-candidate for cloning.
-
-After being initialized, the encoder must be registered with a call to
-:c:func:`drm_encoder_init()`. The function takes a pointer to the
-encoder functions and an encoder type. Supported types are
-
--  DRM_MODE_ENCODER_DAC for VGA and analog on DVI-I/DVI-A
--  DRM_MODE_ENCODER_TMDS for DVI, HDMI and (embedded) DisplayPort
--  DRM_MODE_ENCODER_LVDS for display panels
--  DRM_MODE_ENCODER_TVDAC for TV output (Composite, S-Video,
-   Component, SCART)
--  DRM_MODE_ENCODER_VIRTUAL for virtual machine displays
-
-Encoders must be attached to a CRTC to be used. DRM drivers leave
-encoders unattached at initialization time. Applications (or the fbdev
-compatibility layer when implemented) are responsible for attaching the
-encoders they want to use to a CRTC.
-
 Cleanup
 -------
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_encoder.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_encoder.c
index bce781b7bb5f..977d8cad9321 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_encoder.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_encoder.c
@@ -26,6 +26,29 @@
 
 #include "drm_crtc_internal.h"
 
+/**
+ * DOC: overview
+ *
+ * Encoders represent the connecting element between the CRTC (as the overall
+ * pixel pipeline, represented by struct &drm_crtc) and the connectors (as the
+ * generic sink entity, represented by struct &drm_connector). Encoders are
+ * objects exposed to userspace, originally to allow userspace to infer cloning
+ * and connector/CRTC restrictions. Unfortunately almost all drivers get this
+ * wrong, making the uabi pretty much useless. On top of that the exposed
+ * restrictions are too simple for todays hardware, and the recommend way to
+ * infer restrictions is by using the DRM_MODE_ATOMIC_TEST_ONLY flag for the
+ * atomic IOCTL.
+ *
+ * Otherwise encoders aren't used in the uapi at all (any modeset request from
+ * userspace directly connects a connector with a CRTC), drivers are therefore
+ * free to use them however they wish. Modeset helper libraries make strong use
+ * of encoders to facilitate code sharing. But for more complex settings it is
+ * usually better to move shared code into a separate &drm_bridge, which also
+ * doesn't have any issues with being exposed to userspace.
+ *
+ * Encoders are initialized with drm_encoder_init() and cleaned up using
+ * drm_encoder_cleanup().
+ */
 static const struct drm_prop_enum_list drm_encoder_enum_list[] = {
 	{ DRM_MODE_ENCODER_NONE, "None" },
 	{ DRM_MODE_ENCODER_DAC, "DAC" },
@@ -71,8 +94,9 @@ void drm_encoder_unregister_all(struct drm_device *dev)
  * @encoder_type: user visible type of the encoder
  * @name: printf style format string for the encoder name, or NULL for default name
  *
- * Initialises a preallocated encoder. Encoder should be
- * subclassed as part of driver encoder objects.
+ * Initialises a preallocated encoder. Encoder should be subclassed as part of
+ * driver encoder objects. At driver unload time drm_encoder_cleanup() should be
+ * called from the driver's destroy hook in &drm_encoder_funcs.
  *
  * Returns:
  * Zero on success, error code on failure.
@@ -176,19 +200,6 @@ static struct drm_crtc *drm_encoder_get_crtc(struct drm_encoder *encoder)
 	return encoder->crtc;
 }
 
-/**
- * drm_mode_getencoder - get encoder configuration
- * @dev: drm device for the ioctl
- * @data: data pointer for the ioctl
- * @file_priv: drm file for the ioctl call
- *
- * Construct a encoder configuration structure to return to the user.
- *
- * Called by the user via ioctl.
- *
- * Returns:
- * Zero on success, negative errno on failure.
- */
 int drm_mode_getencoder(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 			struct drm_file *file_priv)
 {
diff --git a/include/drm/drm_encoder.h b/include/drm/drm_encoder.h
index 2712fd1a686b..b049748b2514 100644
--- a/include/drm/drm_encoder.h
+++ b/include/drm/drm_encoder.h
@@ -84,9 +84,6 @@ struct drm_encoder_funcs {
  * @head: list management
  * @base: base KMS object
  * @name: human readable name, can be overwritten by the driver
- * @encoder_type: one of the DRM_MODE_ENCODER_<foo> types in drm_mode.h
- * @possible_crtcs: bitmask of potential CRTC bindings
- * @possible_clones: bitmask of potential sibling encoders for cloning
  * @crtc: currently bound CRTC
  * @bridge: bridge associated to the encoder
  * @funcs: control functions
@@ -101,6 +98,31 @@ struct drm_encoder {
 
 	struct drm_mode_object base;
 	char *name;
+	/**
+	 * @encoder_type:
+	 *
+	 * One of the DRM_MODE_ENCODER_<foo> types in drm_mode.h. The following
+	 * encoder types are defined thus far:
+	 *
+	 * - DRM_MODE_ENCODER_DAC for VGA and analog on DVI-I/DVI-A.
+	 *
+	 * - DRM_MODE_ENCODER_TMDS for DVI, HDMI and (embedded) DisplayPort.
+	 *
+	 * - DRM_MODE_ENCODER_LVDS for display panels, or in general any panel
+	 *   with a proprietary parallel connector.
+	 *
+	 * - DRM_MODE_ENCODER_TVDAC for TV output (Composite, S-Video,
+	 *   Component, SCART).
+	 *
+	 * - DRM_MODE_ENCODER_VIRTUAL for virtual machine displays
+	 *
+	 * - DRM_MODE_ENCODER_DSI for panels connected using the DSI serial bus.
+	 *
+	 * - DRM_MODE_ENCODER_DPI for panels connected using the DPI parallel bus.
+	 *
+	 * - DRM_MODE_ENCODER_DPMST for special fake encoders used to allow
+	 *   mutliple DP MST streams to share one physical encoder.
+	 */
 	int encoder_type;
 
 	/**
@@ -109,7 +131,34 @@ struct drm_encoder {
 	 */
 	unsigned index;
 
+	/**
+	 * @possible_crtcs: Bitmask of potential CRTC bindings, using
+	 * drm_crtc_index() as the index into the bitfield. The driver must set
+	 * the bits for all &drm_crtc objects this encoder can be connected to
+	 * before calling drm_encoder_init().
+	 *
+	 * In reality almost every driver gets this wrong.
+	 *
+	 * Note that since CRTC objects can't be hotplugged the assigned indices
+	 * are stable and hence known before registering all objects.
+	 */
 	uint32_t possible_crtcs;
+
+	/**
+	 * @possible_clones: Bitmask of potential sibling encoders for cloning,
+	 * using drm_encoder_index() as the index into the bitfield. The driver
+	 * must set the bits for all &drm_encoder objects which can clone a
+	 * &drm_crtc together with this encoder before calling
+	 * drm_encoder_init(). Drivers should set the bit representing the
+	 * encoder itself, too. Cloning bits should be set such that when two
+	 * encoders can be used in a cloned configuration, they both should have
+	 * each another bits set.
+	 *
+	 * In reality almost every driver gets this wrong.
+	 *
+	 * Note that since encoder objects can't be hotplugged the assigned indices
+	 * are stable and hence known before registering all objects.
+	 */
 	uint32_t possible_clones;
 
 	struct drm_crtc *crtc;
@@ -146,7 +195,7 @@ static inline uint32_t drm_crtc_mask(struct drm_crtc *crtc);
  * @encoder: encoder to test
  * @crtc: crtc to test
  *
- * Return false if @encoder can't be driven by @crtc, true otherwise.
+ * Returns false if @encoder can't be driven by @crtc, true otherwise.
  */
 static inline bool drm_encoder_crtc_ok(struct drm_encoder *encoder,
 				       struct drm_crtc *crtc)
@@ -154,6 +203,14 @@ static inline bool drm_encoder_crtc_ok(struct drm_encoder *encoder,
 	return !!(encoder->possible_crtcs & drm_crtc_mask(crtc));
 }
 
+/**
+ * drm_encoder_find - find a &drm_encoder
+ * @dev: DRM device
+ * @id: encoder id
+ *
+ * Returns the encoder with @id, NULL if it doesn't exist. Simple wrapper around
+ * drm_mode_object_find().
+ */
 static inline struct drm_encoder *drm_encoder_find(struct drm_device *dev,
 	uint32_t id)
 {
