diff --git a/doc/api/cli.md b/doc/api/cli.md
index 886d17c6d5e185..ee659f49df69a4 100644
--- a/doc/api/cli.md
+++ b/doc/api/cli.md
@@ -1175,6 +1175,10 @@ options property is explicitly specified for a TLS or HTTPS client or server.
 This environment variable is ignored when `node` runs as setuid root or
 has Linux file capabilities set.
 
+The `NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS` environment variable is only read when the Node.js
+process is first launched. Changing the value at runtime using
+`process.env.NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS` has no effect on the current process.
+
 ### `NODE_ICU_DATA=file`
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.11.15
diff --git a/doc/node.1 b/doc/node.1
index 835fdf179e2df9..1ea04a4c6e8db8 100644
--- a/doc/node.1
+++ b/doc/node.1
@@ -544,6 +544,13 @@ but any errors are otherwise ignored.
 .Pp
 This environment variable is ignored when `node` runs as setuid root or
 has Linux file capabilities set.
+.Pp
+The
+.Ar NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS
+environment variable is only read when the Node.js process is first launched.
+Changing the value at runtime using
+.Ar process.env.NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS
+has no effect on the current process.
 .
 .It Ev NODE_ICU_DATA Ar file
 Data path for ICU (Intl object) data.
diff --git a/lib/internal/main/print_help.js b/lib/internal/main/print_help.js
index 34a8e19f08ec31..2ca405746c5a5d 100644
--- a/lib/internal/main/print_help.js
+++ b/lib/internal/main/print_help.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const envVars = new Map([
   ['NODE_DISABLE_COLORS', { helpText: 'set to 1 to disable colors in ' +
     'the REPL' }],
   ['NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS', { helpText: 'path to additional CA certificates ' +
-    'file' }],
+    'file. Only read once during process startup.' }],
   ['NODE_NO_WARNINGS', { helpText: 'set to 1 to silence process warnings' }],
   ['NODE_PATH', { helpText: `'${require('path').delimiter}'-separated list ` +
     'of directories prefixed to the module search path' }],