diff --git a/fs/proc/proc_sysctl.c b/fs/proc/proc_sysctl.c
index 48f2d60bd78a..bf8c65e191e3 100644
--- a/fs/proc/proc_sysctl.c
+++ b/fs/proc/proc_sysctl.c
@@ -1281,7 +1281,7 @@ out:
  * __register_sysctl_table - register a leaf sysctl table
  * @set: Sysctl tree to register on
  * @path: The path to the directory the sysctl table is in.
- * @table: the top-level table structure
+ * @table: the top-level table structure without any child
  *
  * Register a sysctl table hierarchy. @table should be a filled in ctl_table
  * array. A completely 0 filled entry terminates the table.
@@ -1302,9 +1302,12 @@ out:
  * proc_handler - the text handler routine (described below)
  *
  * extra1, extra2 - extra pointers usable by the proc handler routines
+ * XXX: we should eventually modify these to use long min / max [0]
+ * [0] https://lkml.kernel.org/87zgpte9o4.fsf@email.froward.int.ebiederm.org
  *
  * Leaf nodes in the sysctl tree will be represented by a single file
- * under /proc; non-leaf nodes will be represented by directories.
+ * under /proc; non-leaf nodes (where child is not NULL) are not allowed,
+ * sysctl_check_table() verifies this.
  *
  * There must be a proc_handler routine for any terminal nodes.
  * Several default handlers are available to cover common cases -
@@ -1346,7 +1349,7 @@ struct ctl_table_header *__register_sysctl_table(
 
 	spin_lock(&sysctl_lock);
 	dir = &set->dir;
-	/* Reference moved down the diretory tree get_subdir */
+	/* Reference moved down the directory tree get_subdir */
 	dir->header.nreg++;
 	spin_unlock(&sysctl_lock);
 
@@ -1363,6 +1366,11 @@ struct ctl_table_header *__register_sysctl_table(
 		if (namelen == 0)
 			continue;
 
+		/*
+		 * namelen ensures if name is "foo/bar/yay" only foo is
+		 * registered first. We traverse as if using mkdir -p and
+		 * return a ctl_dir for the last directory entry.
+		 */
 		dir = get_subdir(dir, name, namelen);
 		if (IS_ERR(dir))
 			goto fail;