diff --git a/tokio/src/sync/oneshot.rs b/tokio/src/sync/oneshot.rs
index d5fc811da2a..8ee0ef702d4 100644
--- a/tokio/src/sync/oneshot.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/sync/oneshot.rs
@@ -229,6 +229,14 @@ pub struct Sender<T> {
 /// This channel has no `recv` method because the receiver itself implements the
 /// [`Future`] trait. To receive a value, `.await` the `Receiver` object directly.
 ///
+/// The `poll` method on the `Future` trait is allowed to spuriously return
+/// `Poll::Pending` even if the message has been sent. If such a spurious
+/// failure happens, then the caller will be woken when the spurious failure has
+/// been resolved so that the caller can attempt to receive the message again.
+/// Note that receiving such a wakeup does not guarantee that the next call will
+/// succeed — it could fail with another spurious failure. (A spurious failure
+/// does not mean that the message is lost. It is just delayed.)
+///
 /// [`Future`]: trait@std::future::Future
 ///
 /// # Examples
@@ -923,12 +931,16 @@ impl<T> Receiver<T> {
     /// This function is useful to call from outside the context of an
     /// asynchronous task.
     ///
+    /// Note that unlike the `poll` method, the `try_recv` method cannot fail
+    /// spuriously. Any send or close event that happens before this call to
+    /// `try_recv` will be correctly returned to the caller.
+    ///
     /// # Return
     ///
     /// - `Ok(T)` if a value is pending in the channel.
     /// - `Err(TryRecvError::Empty)` if no value has been sent yet.
     /// - `Err(TryRecvError::Closed)` if the sender has dropped without sending
-    ///   a value.
+    ///   a value, or if the message has already been received.
     ///
     /// # Examples
     ///
diff --git a/tokio/tests/sync_oneshot.rs b/tokio/tests/sync_oneshot.rs
index 44d09e8adeb..7714f80be93 100644
--- a/tokio/tests/sync_oneshot.rs
+++ b/tokio/tests/sync_oneshot.rs
@@ -212,6 +212,18 @@ fn try_recv_after_completion() {
     rx.close();
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn try_recv_after_completion_await() {
+    let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel::<i32>();
+    let mut rx = task::spawn(rx);
+
+    tx.send(17).unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(Ok(17), assert_ready!(rx.poll()));
+    assert_eq!(Err(TryRecvError::Closed), rx.try_recv());
+    rx.close();
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn drops_tasks() {
     let (mut tx, mut rx) = oneshot::channel::<i32>();