diff --git a/docs/basic-features/environment-variables.md b/docs/basic-features/environment-variables.md
index 7f9d7d70e914..d68a614627ed 100644
--- a/docs/basic-features/environment-variables.md
+++ b/docs/basic-features/environment-variables.md
@@ -46,8 +46,7 @@ export async function getStaticProps() {
 }
 ```
 
-> **Note**: In order to keep server-only secrets safe, Next.js replaces `process.env.*` with the correct values
-> at build time. This means that `process.env` is not a standard JavaScript object, so you’re not able to
+> **Note**: In order to keep server-only secrets safe, environment variables are evaluated at build time, so only environment variables _actually_ used will be included. This means that `process.env` is not a standard JavaScript object, so you’re not able to
 > use [object destructuring](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/Destructuring_assignment).
 > Environment variables must be referenced as e.g. `process.env.PUBLISHABLE_KEY`, _not_ `const { PUBLISHABLE_KEY } = process.env`.