diff --git a/changelog.d/8734.doc b/changelog.d/8734.doc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3bff9021c7a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/8734.doc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Clarify the usecase for an msisdn delegate. Contributed by Adrian Wannenmacher.
diff --git a/docs/sample_config.yaml b/docs/sample_config.yaml
index 7e2cf97c3efc..fbb0fd7eeb42 100644
--- a/docs/sample_config.yaml
+++ b/docs/sample_config.yaml
@@ -1230,8 +1230,9 @@ account_validity:
 # email will be globally disabled.
 #
 # Additionally, if `msisdn` is not set, registration and password resets via msisdn
-# will be disabled regardless. This is due to Synapse currently not supporting any
-# method of sending SMS messages on its own.
+# will be disabled regardless, and users will not be able to associate an msisdn
+# identifier to their account. This is due to Synapse currently not supporting
+# any method of sending SMS messages on its own.
 #
 # To enable using an identity server for operations regarding a particular third-party
 # identifier type, set the value to the URL of that identity server as shown in the
diff --git a/synapse/config/registration.py b/synapse/config/registration.py
index b0a77a2e431e..cc5f75123c32 100644
--- a/synapse/config/registration.py
+++ b/synapse/config/registration.py
@@ -347,8 +347,9 @@ def generate_config_section(self, generate_secrets=False, **kwargs):
         # email will be globally disabled.
         #
         # Additionally, if `msisdn` is not set, registration and password resets via msisdn
-        # will be disabled regardless. This is due to Synapse currently not supporting any
-        # method of sending SMS messages on its own.
+        # will be disabled regardless, and users will not be able to associate an msisdn
+        # identifier to their account. This is due to Synapse currently not supporting
+        # any method of sending SMS messages on its own.
         #
         # To enable using an identity server for operations regarding a particular third-party
         # identifier type, set the value to the URL of that identity server as shown in the