diff --git a/client/README.md b/client/README.md
index 16f7f9d19..0bab9589c 100644
--- a/client/README.md
+++ b/client/README.md
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ etcd/client is the Go client library for etcd.
 
 [![GoDoc](https://godoc.org/github.com/coreos/etcd/client?status.png)](https://godoc.org/github.com/coreos/etcd/client)
 
-etcd uses go's `vendor` directory to manage external dependencies. If `client` is imported
-outside of etcd, simply copy `client` to the `vendor` directory or use tools like godep to
-manage your own dependency, as in [vendor directories](https://golang.org/cmd/go/#hdr-Vendor_Directories).
+etcd uses `cmd/vendor` directory to store external dependencies, which are
+to be compiled into etcd release binaries. `client` can be imported without
+vendoring. For full compatibility, it is recommended to vendor builds using
+etcd's vendored packages, using tools like godep, as in
+[vendor directories](https://golang.org/cmd/go/#hdr-Vendor_Directories).
 For more detail, please read [Go vendor design](https://golang.org/s/go15vendor).
 
 ## Install
diff --git a/clientv3/README.md b/clientv3/README.md
index e67d68a11..964114fbb 100644
--- a/clientv3/README.md
+++ b/clientv3/README.md
@@ -40,9 +40,11 @@ if err != nil {
 // use the response
 ```
 
-etcd uses go's `vendor` directory to manage external dependencies. If `clientv3` is imported
-outside of etcd, simply copy `clientv3` to the `vendor` directory or use tools like godep to
-manage your own dependency, as in [vendor directories](https://golang.org/cmd/go/#hdr-Vendor_Directories).
+etcd uses `cmd/vendor` directory to store external dependencies, which are
+to be compiled into etcd release binaries. `client` can be imported without
+vendoring. For full compatibility, it is recommended to vendor builds using
+etcd's vendored packages, using tools like godep, as in
+[vendor directories](https://golang.org/cmd/go/#hdr-Vendor_Directories).
 For more detail, please read [Go vendor design](https://golang.org/s/go15vendor).
 
 ## Error Handling