diff --git a/Doc/library/curses.rst b/Doc/library/curses.rst
index 32d328283671d7..8ed73b58996d6a 100644
--- a/Doc/library/curses.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/curses.rst
@@ -306,6 +306,8 @@ The module :mod:`curses` defines the following functions:
    Initialize the library. Return a :ref:`window <curses-window-objects>` object
    which represents the whole screen.
 
+   See :func:`setupterm` for a caveat about calling it before this function.
+
    .. note::
 
       If there is an error opening the terminal, the underlying curses library may
@@ -568,6 +570,13 @@ The module :mod:`curses` defines the following functions:
    terminfo database entry could not be read.  If the terminal has already
    been initialized, this function has no effect.
 
+   .. note::
+
+      Calling :func:`initscr` after :func:`setupterm`
+      leaks the terminal that :func:`setupterm` allocated:
+      the curses library keeps only a single current terminal
+      and does not free the previously allocated one.
+
 
 .. function:: start_color()