diff --git a/programs/x509/cert_req.c b/programs/x509/cert_req.c
index 89ab181be6..c16ec34987 100644
--- a/programs/x509/cert_req.c
+++ b/programs/x509/cert_req.c
@@ -276,7 +276,10 @@ usage:
                     /* Work around an API mismatch between string_to_names() and
                      * mbedtls_x509_subject_alternative_name, which holds an
                      * actual mbedtls_x509_name while a pointer to one would be
-                     * more convenient here. */
+                     * more convenient here. (Note mbedtls_x509_name and
+                     * mbedtls_asn1_named_data are synonymous, again
+                     * string_to_names() uses one while
+                     * cur->node.san.directory_name is nominally the other.) */
                     mbedtls_asn1_named_data *tmp_san_dirname = NULL;
                     if ((ret = mbedtls_x509_string_to_names(&tmp_san_dirname,
                                                             subtype_value)) != 0) {
diff --git a/programs/x509/cert_write.c b/programs/x509/cert_write.c
index 268036147d..f29eef0eb0 100644
--- a/programs/x509/cert_write.c
+++ b/programs/x509/cert_write.c
@@ -595,7 +595,10 @@ usage:
                     /* Work around an API mismatch between string_to_names() and
                      * mbedtls_x509_subject_alternative_name, which holds an
                      * actual mbedtls_x509_name while a pointer to one would be
-                     * more convenient here. */
+                     * more convenient here. (Note mbedtls_x509_name and
+                     * mbedtls_asn1_named_data are synonymous, again
+                     * string_to_names() uses one while
+                     * cur->node.san.directory_name is nominally the other.) */
                     mbedtls_asn1_named_data *tmp_san_dirname = NULL;
                     if ((ret = mbedtls_x509_string_to_names(&tmp_san_dirname,
                                                             subtype_value)) != 0) {