diff --git a/changelog.d/5543.misc b/changelog.d/5543.misc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..793620a73120
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/5543.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Make the config clearer in that email.template_dir is relative to the Synapse's root directory, not the `synapse/` folder within it.
diff --git a/docs/sample_config.yaml b/docs/sample_config.yaml
index da10788e96c3..18be376e1e5d 100644
--- a/docs/sample_config.yaml
+++ b/docs/sample_config.yaml
@@ -1070,11 +1070,13 @@ password_config:
 #   app_name: Matrix
 #
 #   # Enable email notifications by default
+#   #
 #   notif_for_new_users: True
 #
 #   # Defining a custom URL for Riot is only needed if email notifications
 #   # should contain links to a self-hosted installation of Riot; when set
 #   # the "app_name" setting is ignored
+#   #
 #   riot_base_url: "http://localhost/riot"
 #
 #   # Enable sending password reset emails via the configured, trusted
@@ -1087,16 +1089,22 @@ password_config:
 #   #
 #   # If this option is set to false and SMTP options have not been
 #   # configured, resetting user passwords via email will be disabled
+#   #
 #   #trust_identity_server_for_password_resets: false
 #
 #   # Configure the time that a validation email or text message code
 #   # will expire after sending
 #   #
 #   # This is currently used for password resets
+#   #
 #   #validation_token_lifetime: 1h
 #
 #   # Template directory. All template files should be stored within this
-#   # directory
+#   # directory. If not set, default templates from within the Synapse
+#   # package will be used
+#   #
+#   # For the list of default templates, please see
+#   # https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/tree/master/synapse/res/templates
 #   #
 #   #template_dir: res/templates
 #
diff --git a/synapse/config/emailconfig.py b/synapse/config/emailconfig.py
index cf39936da70e..fcd55d3e3d76 100644
--- a/synapse/config/emailconfig.py
+++ b/synapse/config/emailconfig.py
@@ -233,11 +233,13 @@ def generate_config_section(self, config_dir_path, server_name, **kwargs):
         #   app_name: Matrix
         #
         #   # Enable email notifications by default
+        #   #
         #   notif_for_new_users: True
         #
         #   # Defining a custom URL for Riot is only needed if email notifications
         #   # should contain links to a self-hosted installation of Riot; when set
         #   # the "app_name" setting is ignored
+        #   #
         #   riot_base_url: "http://localhost/riot"
         #
         #   # Enable sending password reset emails via the configured, trusted
@@ -250,16 +252,22 @@ def generate_config_section(self, config_dir_path, server_name, **kwargs):
         #   #
         #   # If this option is set to false and SMTP options have not been
         #   # configured, resetting user passwords via email will be disabled
+        #   #
         #   #trust_identity_server_for_password_resets: false
         #
         #   # Configure the time that a validation email or text message code
         #   # will expire after sending
         #   #
         #   # This is currently used for password resets
+        #   #
         #   #validation_token_lifetime: 1h
         #
         #   # Template directory. All template files should be stored within this
-        #   # directory
+        #   # directory. If not set, default templates from within the Synapse
+        #   # package will be used
+        #   #
+        #   # For the list of default templates, please see
+        #   # https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/tree/master/synapse/res/templates
         #   #
         #   #template_dir: res/templates
         #