diff --git a/doc/man3/SSL_CTX_use_certificate.pod b/doc/man3/SSL_CTX_use_certificate.pod
index 0d9ba74042..ed9659f1f8 100644
--- a/doc/man3/SSL_CTX_use_certificate.pod
+++ b/doc/man3/SSL_CTX_use_certificate.pod
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ SSL_use_certificate() loads B<x> into B<ssl>. The rest of the
 certificates needed to form the complete certificate chain can be
 specified using the
 L<SSL_CTX_add_extra_chain_cert(3)>
-function.
+function. On success the reference counter of the B<x> is incremented.
 
 SSL_CTX_use_certificate_ASN1() loads the ASN1 encoded certificate from
 the memory location B<d> (with length B<len>) into B<ctx>,
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ to the certificate an error is returned. To change a [certificate/private-key]
 pair, the new certificate needs to be set first with SSL_use_certificate() or
 SSL_CTX_use_certificate() before setting the private key with
 SSL_CTX_use_PrivateKey() or SSL_use_PrivateKey().
+On success the reference counter of the B<pkey>/B<rsa> is incremented.
 
 SSL_CTX_use_cert_and_key() and SSL_use_cert_and_key() assign the X.509
 certificate B<x>, private key B<key>, and certificate B<chain> onto the