diff --git a/doc/ethereal.pod.template b/doc/ethereal.pod.template
index 63f2a67af2..e5e8ebd90d 100644
--- a/doc/ethereal.pod.template
+++ b/doc/ethereal.pod.template
@@ -491,6 +491,9 @@ not be displayed.  For example, disabling TCP will prevent the dissection
 and display of TCP, HTTP, SMTP, Telnet, and any other protocol exclusively
 dependent on TCP.
 
+The list of protocols can be saved, so that Ethereal will start up with
+the protocols in that list disabled.
+
 =item Capture:Start
 
 Initiate a live packet capture (see L<"Capture Options"> below).  A
@@ -1496,6 +1499,21 @@ in the I<Edit:Preferences> dialog box, your personal preferences file
 will be overwritten with the new settings, destroying any comments that
 were in the file.
 
+The disabled protocols file, which is F<$HOME/.ethereal/disabled_protos>
+on UNIX-compatible systems and F<%APPDATA%\Ethereal\disabled_protos>
+(or, if %APPDATA% isn't defined, F<%USERPROFILE%\Application
+Data\Ethereal\disabled_protos>) on Windows systems, contain a list of
+protocols that have been disabled, so that their dissectors are never
+called.  The file contains protocol names, one per line, where the
+protocol name is the same name that would be used in a display filter
+for the protocol.  A B<#> character starts a comment that runs to the
+end of the line.
+
+Note that whenever the disabled protocols list is saved by using the
+I<Save> button in the I<Edit:Protocols> dialog box, your disabled
+protocols file will be overwritten with the new settings, destroying any
+comments that were in the file.
+
 The F<ethers> file, which is found in the F</etc> directory on
 UNIX-compatible systems, and in the main installation directory (for
 example, F<C:\Program Files\Ethereal>) on Windows systems, is consulted
diff --git a/doc/tethereal.pod.template b/doc/tethereal.pod.template
index d24e8fe195..cef55deb78 100644
--- a/doc/tethereal.pod.template
+++ b/doc/tethereal.pod.template
@@ -831,6 +831,16 @@ B<Tethereal>'s default values; the personal preferences file is then
 read, if it exists, overriding default values and values read from the
 system-wide preference file.
 
+The disabled protocols file, which is F<$HOME/.ethereal/disabled_protos>
+on UNIX-compatible systems and F<%APPDATA%\Ethereal\disabled_protos>
+(or, if %APPDATA% isn't defined, F<%USERPROFILE%\Application
+Data\Ethereal\disabled_protos>) on Windows systems, contain a list of
+protocols that have been disabled, so that their dissectors are never
+called.  The file contains protocol names, one per line, where the
+protocol name is the same name that would be used in a display filter
+for the protocol.  A B<#> character starts a comment that runs to the
+end of the line.
+
 The F<ethers> file, which is found in the F</etc> directory on
 UNIX-compatible systems, and in the main installation directory (for
 example, F<C:\Program Files\Ethereal>) on Windows systems, is consulted