diff --git a/docs/src/reference/docbook/event.xml b/docs/src/reference/docbook/event.xml
index 29aa0217fc..0e0952da8b 100644
--- a/docs/src/reference/docbook/event.xml
+++ b/docs/src/reference/docbook/event.xml
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
 In the above example, all Application Context events that match one of the types specified by the 'event-types' (optional) attribute will be
 delivered as Spring Integration Messages to the Message Channel named 'eventChannel'. If a downstream component throws
 an exception, a MessagingException containing the failed message and exception will be sent to the channel named
-'eventErrorChannel'.  If no "error-channel" is specified, the exception will be propagated to the caller.
+'eventErrorChannel'.  If no "error-channel" is specified and the downstream channels are synchronous, the Exception 
+will be propagated to the caller.
     </para>
   </section>
 
diff --git a/docs/src/reference/docbook/ip.xml b/docs/src/reference/docbook/ip.xml
index f8a5f7c8f5..001063f497 100644
--- a/docs/src/reference/docbook/ip.xml
+++ b/docs/src/reference/docbook/ip.xml
@@ -808,7 +808,7 @@
             <row>
               <entry>error-channel</entry>
               <entry></entry>
-              <entry>If a synchronous Exception is thrown by a downstream 
+              <entry>If an Exception is thrown by a downstream 
                      component, the MessagingException message containing the exception 
                      and failed message is sent to this channel.</entry>
             </row>
@@ -964,7 +964,7 @@
             <row>
               <entry>error-channel</entry>
               <entry></entry>
-              <entry>If a synchronous Exception is thrown by a downstream 
+              <entry>If an Exception is thrown by a downstream 
                      component, the MessagingException message containing the exception 
                      and failed message is sent to this channel.</entry>
             </row>
@@ -1043,7 +1043,7 @@
             <row>
               <entry>error-channel</entry>
               <entry></entry>
-              <entry>If a synchronous Exception is thrown by a downstream 
+              <entry>If an Exception is thrown by a downstream 
                      component, the MessagingException message containing the exception 
                      and failed message is sent to this channel;
                      any reply from that flow will then be returned as a response by
diff --git a/docs/src/reference/docbook/mail.xml b/docs/src/reference/docbook/mail.xml
index b4a5585574..1382a66cc4 100644
--- a/docs/src/reference/docbook/mail.xml
+++ b/docs/src/reference/docbook/mail.xml
@@ -158,9 +158,10 @@
     </para>
     <para>
       Finally, the &lt;imap-idle-channel-adapter/&gt; also accepts the 'error-channel' attribute. 
-      If a synchronous downstream exception is thrown and an 'error-channel' is specified,
-      the MessagingException containing the failed message and exception, will be sent to this channel. 
-      Otherwise, any such exception will simply be logged as a warning by the channel adapter.
+      If a downstream exception is thrown and an 'error-channel' is specified, 
+      a MessagingException message containing the failed message and exception, will be sent to this channel. 
+      Otherwise, if the downstream channels are synchronous, any such exception will simply be logged as a 
+      warning by the channel adapter.
     </para>
   </section>