diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/advanced.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/advanced.sgml
index ae5f3fac75..9ef9abf07d 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/advanced.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/advanced.sgml
@@ -247,7 +247,13 @@ COMMIT;
     is sometimes called a <firstterm>transaction block</firstterm>.
    </para>
 
+   <para>
+    Issuing <command>ROLLBACK</command> is only mandatory if you wish to end an otherwise
+    successfully executed transaction by rolling back its work.  Issuing
+    <command>COMMIT</command> on an aborted transaction will cause a rollback to occur
+    anyways.
    <note>
+
     <para>
      Some client libraries issue <command>BEGIN</command> and <command>COMMIT</command>
      commands automatically, so that you might get the effect of transaction
@@ -256,14 +262,16 @@ COMMIT;
     </para>
    </note>
 
+   <title>Sub-Transactions via Savepoints</title>
+
    <para>
     It's possible to control the statements in a transaction in a more
     granular fashion through the use of <firstterm>savepoints</firstterm>.  Savepoints
     allow you to selectively discard parts of the transaction, while
     committing the rest.  After defining a savepoint with
-    <command>SAVEPOINT</command>, you can if needed roll back to the savepoint
+    <command>SAVEPOINT</command>, you can roll back to the savepoint
     with <command>ROLLBACK TO</command>.  All the transaction's database changes
-    between defining the savepoint and rolling back to it are discarded, but
+    between defining the savepoint and rolling back to it are discarded while
     changes earlier than the savepoint are kept.
    </para>
 
@@ -272,8 +280,8 @@ COMMIT;
     roll back to it several times.  Conversely, if you are sure you won't need
     to roll back to a particular savepoint again, it can be released, so the
     system can free some resources.  Keep in mind that either releasing or
-    rolling back to a savepoint
-    will automatically release all savepoints that were defined after it.
+    rolling back to a savepoint will automatically release or rollback,
+    respectively, all savepoints that were defined after it.
    </para>
 
    <para>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/begin.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/begin.sgml
index c23bbfb4e7..7cdd272974 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/begin.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/begin.sgml
@@ -49,6 +49,14 @@ BEGIN [ WORK | TRANSACTION ] [ <replaceable class="parameter">transaction_mode</
   </para>
 
   <para>
+   Sub-transactions are created using <xref linkend="sql-savepoint"/>.
+   These are of particular use for client software to use when executing
+   user-supplied SQL statements and want to provide try/catch behavior.
+   See the advanced tutorial section <xref linkend="tutorial-transactions"/>
+   to learn how tranasctions and sub-transactions work in practice.
+  </para>
+
+  <para>
    Statements are executed more quickly in a transaction block, because
    transaction start/commit requires significant CPU and disk
    activity. Execution of multiple statements inside a transaction is
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/commit.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/commit.sgml
index b2e8d5d180..8bb368b771 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/commit.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/commit.sgml
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@ COMMIT [ WORK | TRANSACTION ]
   <title>Description</title>
 
   <para>
-   <command>COMMIT</command> commits the current transaction. All
+   <command>COMMIT</command> ends the current transaction. All
    changes made by the transaction become visible to others
-   and are guaranteed to be durable if a crash occurs.
+   and are guaranteed to be durable if a crash occurs. However,
+   if the transaction has failed a <xref linkend="sql-rollback"/>
+   will be processed instead.
   </para>
  </refsect1>
 
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/savepoint.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/savepoint.sgml
index 87243b1d20..66cee63966 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/savepoint.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/savepoint.sgml
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ SAVEPOINT <replaceable>savepoint_name</replaceable>
   <para>
    A savepoint is a special mark inside a transaction that allows all commands
    that are executed after it was established to be rolled back, restoring
-   the transaction state to what it was at the time of the savepoint.
+   the transaction state to what it was at the time of the savepoint. It can be
+   thought of as a kind of a pseudo sub-transaction.
   </para>
  </refsect1>
 
@@ -74,6 +75,11 @@ SAVEPOINT <replaceable>savepoint_name</replaceable>
    Savepoints can only be established when inside a transaction block.
    There can be multiple savepoints defined within a transaction.
   </para>
+
+  <para>
+    <application>psql</application> makes use of savepoints to implment its
+    <literal>ON_ERROR_ROLLBACK</literal> behavior.
+  </para>
  </refsect1>
 
  <refsect1>