diff --git a/docs/reference/config.rst b/docs/reference/config.rst
index edf0f5027..cf10ef48d 100644
--- a/docs/reference/config.rst
+++ b/docs/reference/config.rst
@@ -163,6 +163,24 @@ Format to use when listing *albums* with :ref:`list-cmd` and other
 commands. Defaults to ``$albumartist - $album``. The ``-f`` command-line
 option overrides this setting.
 
+.. _sort_item:
+
+sort_item
+~~~~~~~~~
+
+Sort order to use when listing *individual items* with the :ref:`list-cmd`
+command and other commands that need to print out items. Defaults to
+``smartartist+``. Any command-line sort order overrides this setting.
+
+.. _sort_album:
+
+sort_album
+~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Sort order to use when listing *albums* with the :ref:`list-cmd`
+command. Defaults to ``smartartist+``. Any command-line sort order overrides
+this setting.
+
 .. _original_date:
 
 original_date
diff --git a/docs/reference/query.rst b/docs/reference/query.rst
index a224c8dc9..1702aa215 100644
--- a/docs/reference/query.rst
+++ b/docs/reference/query.rst
@@ -198,6 +198,11 @@ if you want ascending or descending sort. For example this command::
 
 will list all albums in chronological order.
 
+There is a special ``smartartist`` sort that uses sort-specific field (
+``artist_sort`` for items and ``albumartist_sort`` for albums) but falls back to
+standard artist fields if these are empty. When no sort order is specified,
+``smartartist+`` is used (but this is configurable).
+
 You can also specify several sort orders, which will be used in the same order at
 which they appear in your query::