diff --git a/src/common/aes/aes.h b/src/common/aes/aes.h
index ce0cb36160..83649dbe72 100644
--- a/src/common/aes/aes.h
+++ b/src/common/aes/aes.h
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 /**
  * \file aes.h
- * \brief Header defining the API for OQS AES
+ * \brief Header defining the API for OQS AES; not part of the public OQS API
+ *
+ * <b>Note this is not part of the OQS public API: implementations within liboqs can use these
+ * functions, but external consumers of liboqs should not use these functions.</b>
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
  */
diff --git a/src/oqs.h b/src/oqs.h
index 8a166c4d3c..3acedd11bf 100644
--- a/src/oqs.h
+++ b/src/oqs.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  * \file oqs.h
- * \brief Overall header file for liboqs.
+ * \brief Overall header file for the liboqs public API.
  *
  * C programs using liboqs can include just this one file, and it will include all
  * other necessary headers from liboqs.