diff --git a/sdk/lib/io/process.dart b/sdk/lib/io/process.dart
index bff169190be..f53ac18f0a6 100644
--- a/sdk/lib/io/process.dart
+++ b/sdk/lib/io/process.dart
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ class _ProcessUtils {
 /// This does not wait for any asynchronous operations to terminate nor execute
 /// `finally` blocks. Using [exit] is therefore very likely to lose data.
 ///
+/// Child processes are not explicitly terminated (but they may terminate
+/// themselves when they detect that their parent has exited).
+///
 /// While debugging, the VM will not respect the `--pause-isolates-on-exit`
 /// flag if [exit] is called as invoking this method causes the Dart VM
 /// process to shutdown immediately. To properly break on exit, consider
@@ -347,7 +350,10 @@ abstract interface class Process {
   /// ```
   /// If [mode] is [ProcessStartMode.normal] (the default) a child
   /// process will be started with `stdin`, `stdout` and `stderr`
-  /// connected.
+  /// connected to its parent. The parent process will not exit so long as the
+  /// child is running, unless [exit] is called by the parent. If [exit] is
+  /// called by the parent then the parent will be terminated but the child
+  /// will continue running.
   ///
   /// If `mode` is [ProcessStartMode.detached] a detached process will
   /// be created. A detached process has no connection to its parent,
@@ -360,8 +366,8 @@ abstract interface class Process {
   /// process will be created where the `stdin`, `stdout` and `stderr`
   /// are connected. The creator can communicate with the child through
   /// these. The detached process will keep running even if these
-  /// communication channels are closed. The process' exit code will
-  /// not become available when it terminated.
+  /// communication channels are closed or the parent dies. The process'
+  /// exit code will not become available when it terminated.
   ///
   /// The default value for `mode` is `ProcessStartMode.normal`.
   external static Future<Process> start(