diff --git a/src/libcollections/btree/map.rs b/src/libcollections/btree/map.rs
index 59ffc1bd36f82..1ad836f9bdfb9 100644
--- a/src/libcollections/btree/map.rs
+++ b/src/libcollections/btree/map.rs
@@ -315,8 +315,14 @@ impl<K: Ord, V> BTreeMap<K, V> {
     // 2) While ODS may potentially return the pair we *just* inserted after
     // the split, we will never do this. Again, this shouldn't effect the analysis.
 
-    /// Inserts a key-value pair into the map. If the key already had a value
-    /// present in the map, that value is returned. Otherwise, `None` is returned.
+    /// Inserts a key-value pair into the map.
+    ///
+    /// If the map did not have this key present, `None` is returned.
+    ///
+    /// If the map did have this key present, that value is returned, and the
+    /// entry is not updated. See the [module-level documentation] for more.
+    ///
+    /// [module-level documentation]: index.html#insert-and-complex-keys
     ///
     /// # Examples
     ///
diff --git a/src/libcollections/btree/set.rs b/src/libcollections/btree/set.rs
index eb2a6d5e08894..3ca0aa377c102 100644
--- a/src/libcollections/btree/set.rs
+++ b/src/libcollections/btree/set.rs
@@ -430,8 +430,14 @@ impl<T: Ord> BTreeSet<T> {
         other.is_subset(self)
     }
 
-    /// Adds a value to the set. Returns `true` if the value was not already
-    /// present in the set.
+    /// Adds a value to the set.
+    ///
+    /// If the set did not have a value present, `true` is returned.
+    ///
+    /// If the set did have this key present, that value is returned, and the
+    /// entry is not updated. See the [module-level documentation] for more.
+    ///
+    /// [module-level documentation]: index.html#insert-and-complex-keys
     ///
     /// # Examples
     ///
diff --git a/src/libstd/collections/hash/map.rs b/src/libstd/collections/hash/map.rs
index 0b7c5b0d84022..7c6add80337c0 100644
--- a/src/libstd/collections/hash/map.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/collections/hash/map.rs
@@ -1101,8 +1101,14 @@ impl<K, V, S> HashMap<K, V, S>
         self.search_mut(k).map(|bucket| bucket.into_mut_refs().1)
     }
 
-    /// Inserts a key-value pair into the map. If the key already had a value
-    /// present in the map, that value is returned. Otherwise, `None` is returned.
+    /// Inserts a key-value pair into the map.
+    ///
+    /// If the map did not have this key present, `None` is returned.
+    ///
+    /// If the map did have this key present, that value is returned, and the
+    /// entry is not updated. See the [module-level documentation] for more.
+    ///
+    /// [module-level documentation]: index.html#insert-and-complex-keys
     ///
     /// # Examples
     ///
diff --git a/src/libstd/collections/hash/set.rs b/src/libstd/collections/hash/set.rs
index 7264b5827c4fb..1f6b349399610 100644
--- a/src/libstd/collections/hash/set.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/collections/hash/set.rs
@@ -540,8 +540,14 @@ impl<T, S> HashSet<T, S>
         other.is_subset(self)
     }
 
-    /// Adds a value to the set. Returns `true` if the value was not already
-    /// present in the set.
+    /// Adds a value to the set.
+    ///
+    /// If the set did not have a value present, `true` is returned.
+    ///
+    /// If the set did have this key present, that value is returned, and the
+    /// entry is not updated. See the [module-level documentation] for more.
+    ///
+    /// [module-level documentation]: index.html#insert-and-complex-keys
     ///
     /// # Examples
     ///
diff --git a/src/libstd/collections/mod.rs b/src/libstd/collections/mod.rs
index 83e28e39a7253..77f571d580b5f 100644
--- a/src/libstd/collections/mod.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/collections/mod.rs
@@ -359,6 +359,52 @@
 //!     }
 //! }
 //! ```
+//!
+//! # Insert and complex keys
+//!
+//! If we have a more complex key, calls to `insert()` will
+//! not update the value of the key. For example:
+//!
+//! ```
+//! use std::cmp::Ordering;
+//! use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+//! use std::hash::{Hash, Hasher};
+//!
+//! #[derive(Debug)]
+//! struct Foo {
+//!     a: u32,
+//!     b: &'static str,
+//! }
+//!
+//! // we will compare `Foo`s by their `a` value only.
+//! impl PartialEq for Foo {
+//!     fn eq(&self, other: &Self) -> bool { self.a == other.a }
+//! }
+//!
+//! impl Eq for Foo {}
+//!
+//! // we will hash `Foo`s by their `a` value only.
+//! impl Hash for Foo {
+//!     fn hash<H: Hasher>(&self, h: &mut H) { self.a.hash(h); }
+//! }
+//!
+//! impl PartialOrd for Foo {
+//!     fn partial_cmp(&self, other: &Self) -> Option<Ordering> { self.a.partial_cmp(&other.a) }
+//! }
+//!
+//! impl Ord for Foo {
+//!     fn cmp(&self, other: &Self) -> Ordering { self.a.cmp(&other.a) }
+//! }
+//!
+//! let mut map = BTreeMap::new();
+//! map.insert(Foo { a: 1, b: "baz" }, ());
+//!
+//! // We already have a Foo with an a of 1, so this will be updating the value.
+//! map.insert(Foo { a: 1, b: "xyz" }, ());
+//!
+//! // ... but the key hasn't changed. b is still "baz", not "xyz"
+//! assert_eq!(map.keys().next().unwrap().b, "baz");
+//! ```
 
 #![stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]