diff --git a/documentation/content/en/books/porters-handbook/makefiles/chapter.adoc b/documentation/content/en/books/porters-handbook/makefiles/chapter.adoc
index b9ff670d2f..9daeb08d3f 100644
--- a/documentation/content/en/books/porters-handbook/makefiles/chapter.adoc
+++ b/documentation/content/en/books/porters-handbook/makefiles/chapter.adoc
@@ -4631,6 +4631,13 @@ The first entry match versions `2.0` through `2.3`, the second all the revisions
 package:deskutils/gnotime[] does not have any conflicts line because its current version does not conflict with anything else.
 ====
 
+The variable `DISABLE_CONFLICTS` may be temporarily set when making targets that are not affected by conflicts.  The variable is not to be set in port Makefiles.
+
+[source,bash]
+....
+% make -DDISABLE_CONFLICTS patch
+....
+
 [[install]]
 == Installing Files