diff --git a/src/zicsr.adoc b/src/zicsr.adoc
index f5096c2c7..0e16de4da 100644
--- a/src/zicsr.adoc
+++ b/src/zicsr.adoc
@@ -157,7 +157,8 @@ Some CSRs, such as the instructions-retired counter, `instret`, may be
 modified as side effects of instruction execution. In these cases, if a
 CSR access instruction reads a CSR, it reads the value prior to the
 execution of the instruction. If a CSR access instruction writes such a
-CSR, the write is done instead of the increment. In particular, a value
+CSR, the explicit write is done instead of the update from the side effect.
+In particular, a value
 written to `instret` by one instruction will be the value read by the
 following instruction.