diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 60d97bcf40f..02f9f625e42 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ Features added
 * #9129: html search: Show search summaries when html_copy_source = False
 * #9120: html theme: Eliminate prompt characters of code-block from copyable
   text
+* #9176: i18n: Emit a debug message if message catalog file not found under
+  :confval:`locale_dirs`
 * #9097: Optimize the paralell build
 * #9131: Add :confval:`nitpick_ignore_regex` to ignore nitpicky warnings using
   regular expressions
diff --git a/doc/usage/configuration.rst b/doc/usage/configuration.rst
index 95a4b6267d6..0b2bd4e3eab 100644
--- a/doc/usage/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/usage/configuration.rst
@@ -794,6 +794,10 @@ documentation on :ref:`intl` for details.
 
    The default is ``['locales']``.
 
+   .. note:: The :option:`-v option for sphinx-build command <sphinx-build -v>`
+             is useful to check the locale_dirs config works as expected.  It
+             emits debug messages if message catalog directory not found.
+
    .. versionchanged:: 1.5
       Use ``locales`` directory as a default value