diff --git a/reference/mcrypt/functions/mcrypt-create-iv.xml b/reference/mcrypt/functions/mcrypt-create-iv.xml
index 77cf5cd3b7..af249b401d 100644
--- a/reference/mcrypt/functions/mcrypt-create-iv.xml
+++ b/reference/mcrypt/functions/mcrypt-create-iv.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
-<!-- $Revision: 1.2 $ -->
+<!-- $Revision: 1.3 $ -->
 <!-- splitted from ./en/functions/mcrypt.xml, last change in rev 1.2 -->
   <refentry id="function.mcrypt-create-iv">
    <refnamediv>
@@ -44,6 +44,19 @@ $iv = mcrypt_create_iv ($block_size, MCRYPT_DEV_RANDOM);
       </programlisting>
      </example>
     </para>
+    <para>
+     The IV is only meant to give an alternative seed to the encryption
+     routines. This IV does not need to be secret at all, though it can be
+     desirable. You even can send it along with your ciphertext without
+     loosing security.
+    </para>
+    <para>
+     More information can be found at <ulink
+     url="&url.mcrypt.iv;">&url.mcrypt.iv;</ulink>, <ulink
+     url="&url.mcrypt.bcm;">&url.mcrypt.bcm;</ulink> and in chapter 9.3 of
+     Applied Cryptography by Schneier (ISBN 0-471-11709-9) for a discussion of
+     this topic.
+    </para>
    </refsect1>
   </refentry>