diff --git a/base/essentials.jl b/base/essentials.jl
index 32c44a9571f23..a169d224bc59b 100644
--- a/base/essentials.jl
+++ b/base/essentials.jl
@@ -846,13 +846,14 @@ macro boundscheck(blk)
 end
 
 """
-    @inbounds(blk)
+    @inbounds block
 
-Eliminates array bounds checking within expressions.
-
-In the example below the in-range check for referencing
-element `i` of array `A` is skipped to improve performance.
+Eliminates bounds checking within the block.
+This macro can be used to improve performance by informing the compiler that accesses to
+array elements or object fields are assuredly within bounds.
 
+In the example below the in-range check for referencing element `i` of array `A` is skipped
+to improve performance.
 ```julia
 function sum(A::AbstractArray)
     r = zero(eltype(A))
@@ -864,7 +865,6 @@ end
 ```
 
 !!! warning
-
     Using `@inbounds` may return incorrect results/crashes/corruption
     for out-of-bounds indices. The user is responsible for checking it manually.
     Only use `@inbounds` when you are certain that all accesses are in bounds (as
@@ -872,6 +872,37 @@ end
     example, using `1:length(A)` instead of `eachindex(A)` in a function like
     the one above is _not_ safely inbounds because the first index of `A` may not
     be `1` for all user defined types that subtype `AbstractArray`.
+
+!!! note
+    `@inbounds` eliminates bounds checks in methods called within a given block, but not
+    those that are syntactically within the given block.
+    However, keep in mind that the `@inbounds` context propagates only one function call
+    layer deep. For example, if an `@inbounds` block includes a call to `f()`, which in turn
+    calls `g()`, bounds checks that are syntactically within `f()` will be eliminated,
+    while ones within `g()` will not.
+    If you want to eliminates bounds checks within `g()` also,
+    you need to annotate [`Base.@propagate_inbounds`](@ref) on `f()`.
+
+# Example
+
+```julia-repl
+julia> code_typed((Vector{Any},Int)) do a, i
+           a[i]
+       end |> only
+CodeInfo(
+1 ─ %1 = Base.arrayref(true, a, i)::Any
+└──      return %1
+) => Any
+
+julia> code_typed((Vector{Any},Int)) do a, i
+           @inbounds a[i] # The bounds check for `arrayref` is turned off.
+       end |> only
+CodeInfo(
+1 ─ %1 = Base.arrayref(false, a, i)::Any
+└──      return %1
+) => Any
+```
+
 """
 macro inbounds(blk)
     return Expr(:block,
diff --git a/base/expr.jl b/base/expr.jl
index c4f64b89de8b6..1cd3bd6e8c61e 100644
--- a/base/expr.jl
+++ b/base/expr.jl
@@ -876,9 +876,43 @@ macro nospecializeinfer(ex)
 end
 
 """
-    @propagate_inbounds
+    Base.@propagate_inbounds function f(args...)
+        ...
+    end
+    Base.@propagate_inbounds f(args...) = ...
+
+Tells the compiler to inline `f` while retaining the caller's `@inbounds` context.
+This macro can be used to pass along the `@inbounds` context within the caller of `f` to
+callee methods that are invoked within `f`. Without the `@propagate_inbounds` annotation,
+the caller's `@inbounds` context propagates only one function call layer deep.
 
-Tells the compiler to inline a function while retaining the caller's inbounds context.
+# Example
+
+```julia-repl
+julia> call_func(func, args...) = func(args...);
+
+julia> code_typed((Vector{Any},Int)) do a, i
+           # This `@inbounds` context does not propagate to `getindex`,
+           # and thus the bounds check for `arrayref` is not turned off.
+           @inbounds call_func(getindex, a, i)
+       end |> only
+CodeInfo(
+1 ─ %1 = Base.arrayref(true, a, i)::Any
+└──      return %1
+) => Any
+
+julia> Base.@propagate_inbounds call_func(func, args...) = func(args...);
+
+julia> code_typed((Vector{Any},Int)) do a, i
+           # Now this `@inbounds` context propagates to `getindex`,
+           # and the bounds check for `arrayref` is turned off.
+           @inbounds call_func(getindex, a, i)
+       end |> only
+CodeInfo(
+1 ─ %1 = Base.arrayref(false, a, i)::Any
+└──      return %1
+) => Any
+```
 """
 macro propagate_inbounds(ex)
     if isa(ex, Expr)