diff --git a/docs/ref/applications.txt b/docs/ref/applications.txt
index ba0ddeb5324..833ec12e34b 100644
--- a/docs/ref/applications.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/applications.txt
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ interact with installed applications, mainly for configuration and also for
 introspection. That's why the application registry maintains metadata in an
 :class:`~django.apps.AppConfig` instance for each installed application.
 
+.. _configuring-applications-ref:
+
 Configuring applications
 ========================
 
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.9.txt b/docs/releases/1.9.txt
index 8e9d059cb08..0116a017d24 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.9.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.9.txt
@@ -431,7 +431,11 @@ Management Commands
 * The :djadmin:`createcachetable` command now has a ``--dry-run`` flag to
   print out the SQL rather than execute it.
 
-* The :djadmin:`startapp` command creates an ``apps.py`` file.
+* The :djadmin:`startapp` command creates an ``apps.py`` file. Since it doesn't
+  use ``default_app_config`` (:ref:`a discouraged API
+  <configuring-applications-ref>`), you must specify the app config's path,
+  e.g. ``'polls.apps.PollsConfig'``, in :setting:`INSTALLED_APPS` for it to be
+  used (instead of just ``'polls'``).
 
 * When using the PostgreSQL backend, the :djadmin:`dbshell` command can connect
   to the database using the password from your settings file (instead of