diff --git a/src/libstd/net/udp.rs b/src/libstd/net/udp.rs
index 35001833383c0..cefe7af8ff321 100644
--- a/src/libstd/net/udp.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/net/udp.rs
@@ -48,11 +48,12 @@ use time::Duration;
 /// {
 ///     let mut socket = UdpSocket::bind("127.0.0.1:34254")?;
 ///
-///     // read from the socket
+///     // Receives a single datagram message on the socket. If `buf` is too small to hold
+///     // the message, it will be cut off.
 ///     let mut buf = [0; 10];
 ///     let (amt, src) = socket.recv_from(&mut buf)?;
 ///
-///     // send a reply to the socket we received data from
+///     // Redeclare `buf` as slice of the received data and send reverse data back to origin.
 ///     let buf = &mut buf[..amt];
 ///     buf.reverse();
 ///     socket.send_to(buf, &src)?;
@@ -103,8 +104,12 @@ impl UdpSocket {
         super::each_addr(addr, net_imp::UdpSocket::bind).map(UdpSocket)
     }
 
-    /// Receives data from the socket. On success, returns the number of bytes
-    /// read and the address from whence the data came.
+    /// Receives a single datagram message on the socket. On success, returns the number
+    /// of bytes read and the origin.
+    ///
+    /// The function must be called with valid byte array `buf` of sufficient size to
+    /// hold the message bytes. If a message is too long to fit in the supplied buffer,
+    /// excess bytes may be discarded.
     ///
     /// # Examples
     ///
@@ -115,19 +120,25 @@ impl UdpSocket {
     /// let mut buf = [0; 10];
     /// let (number_of_bytes, src_addr) = socket.recv_from(&mut buf)
     ///                                         .expect("Didn't receive data");
+    /// let filled_buf = &mut buf[..number_of_bytes];
     /// ```
     #[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
     pub fn recv_from(&self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> io::Result<(usize, SocketAddr)> {
         self.0.recv_from(buf)
     }
 
-    /// Receives data from the socket, without removing it from the queue.
+    /// Receives a single datagram message on the socket, without removing it from the
+    /// queue. On success, returns the number of bytes read and the origin.
+    ///
+    /// The function must be called with valid byte array `buf` of sufficient size to
+    /// hold the message bytes. If a message is too long to fit in the supplied buffer,
+    /// excess bytes may be discarded.
     ///
     /// Successive calls return the same data. This is accomplished by passing
     /// `MSG_PEEK` as a flag to the underlying `recvfrom` system call.
     ///
-    /// On success, returns the number of bytes peeked and the address from
-    /// whence the data came.
+    /// Do not use this function to implement busy waiting, instead use `libc::poll` to
+    /// synchronize IO events on one or more sockets.
     ///
     /// # Examples
     ///
@@ -138,6 +149,7 @@ impl UdpSocket {
     /// let mut buf = [0; 10];
     /// let (number_of_bytes, src_addr) = socket.peek_from(&mut buf)
     ///                                         .expect("Didn't receive data");
+    /// let filled_buf = &mut buf[..number_of_bytes];
     /// ```
     #[stable(feature = "peek", since = "1.18.0")]
     pub fn peek_from(&self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> io::Result<(usize, SocketAddr)> {
@@ -642,8 +654,12 @@ impl UdpSocket {
         self.0.send(buf)
     }
 
-    /// Receives data on the socket from the remote address to which it is
-    /// connected.
+    /// Receives a single datagram message on the socket from the remote address to
+    /// which it is connected. On success, returns the number of bytes read.
+    ///
+    /// The function must be called with valid byte array `buf` of sufficient size to
+    /// hold the message bytes. If a message is too long to fit in the supplied buffer,
+    /// excess bytes may be discarded.
     ///
     /// The [`connect`] method will connect this socket to a remote address. This
     /// method will fail if the socket is not connected.
@@ -659,7 +675,7 @@ impl UdpSocket {
     /// socket.connect("127.0.0.1:8080").expect("connect function failed");
     /// let mut buf = [0; 10];
     /// match socket.recv(&mut buf) {
-    ///     Ok(received) => println!("received {} bytes", received),
+    ///     Ok(received) => println!("received {} bytes {:?}", received, &buf[..received]),
     ///     Err(e) => println!("recv function failed: {:?}", e),
     /// }
     /// ```
@@ -668,13 +684,25 @@ impl UdpSocket {
         self.0.recv(buf)
     }
 
-    /// Receives data on the socket from the remote address to which it is
-    /// connected, without removing that data from the queue. On success,
-    /// returns the number of bytes peeked.
+    /// Receives single datagram on the socket from the remote address to which it is
+    /// connected, without removing the message from input queue. On success, returns
+    /// the number of bytes peeked.
+    ///
+    /// The function must be called with valid byte array `buf` of sufficient size to
+    /// hold the message bytes. If a message is too long to fit in the supplied buffer,
+    /// excess bytes may be discarded.
     ///
     /// Successive calls return the same data. This is accomplished by passing
     /// `MSG_PEEK` as a flag to the underlying `recv` system call.
     ///
+    /// Do not use this function to implement busy waiting, instead use `libc::poll` to
+    /// synchronize IO events on one or more sockets.
+    ///
+    /// The [`connect`] method will connect this socket to a remote address. This
+    /// method will fail if the socket is not connected.
+    ///
+    /// [`connect`]: #method.connect
+    ///
     /// # Errors
     ///
     /// This method will fail if the socket is not connected. The `connect` method