diff --git a/docs/manual/contribute.txt b/docs/manual/contribute.txt
index 0106df0a84..f4e1a0ea5d 100644
--- a/docs/manual/contribute.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/contribute.txt
@@ -42,10 +42,6 @@ To generate it, run:
 This will generate patch files in the +outgoing+ subdirectory,
 automatically adding the +signed-off-by+ line.
 
-If you want to present the whole patch set in a separate mail, add
-+--cover-letter+ to the previous command line (+man git-format-patch+
-for further information).
-
 Once patch files are generated, you can review/edit the commit message
 before submitting them using your favorite text editor.
 
@@ -62,6 +58,77 @@ Make sure posted *patches are not line-wrapped*, otherwise they cannot
 easily be applied. In such a case, fix your e-mail client, or better,
 use +git send-email+ to send your patches.
 
+Cover letter
+~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+If you want to present the whole patch set in a separate mail, add
++--cover-letter+ to the +git format-patch+ command (see +man
+git-format-patch+ for further information). This will generate a
+template for an introduction e-mail to your patch series.
+
+A 'cover letter' may be useful to introduce the changes you propose
+in the following cases:
+
+* large number of commits in the series;
+
+* deep impact of the changes in the rest of the project;
+
+* RFC footnote:[RFC: (Request for comments) change proposal];
+
+* whenever you feel it will help presenting your work, your choices,
+  the review process, etc.
+
+Patch revision changelog
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+When improvements are requested, the new revision of each commit
+should include a changelog of the modifications between each
+submission. Note that when your patch series is introduced by a cover
+letter, the changelog may be added in the cover letter rather than in
+the individual commits.
+
+When added to the individual commits, this changelog is added when
+editing the commit message.  Below the +Signed-off-by+ section, add
++---+ and your changelog.
+
+Although the changelog will be visible for the reviewers in the mail
+thread, as well as in http://patchwork.buildroot.org[patchwork], +git+
+will automatically ignores lines below +---+ when the patch will be
+merged. This is the intended behavior: the changelog is not meant to
+be preserved forever in the +git+ history of the project.
+
+Hereafter the recommended layout:
+
+---------------
+Patch title less than 80-character length
+
+Some more paragraph giving some more details.
+
+And yet another paragraph giving more details.
+
+Signed-off-by John Doe <john.doe@noname.org>
+---
+Changes v2 -> v3:
+  - foo bar  (suggested by Jane)
+  - bar buz
+
+Changes v1 -> v2:
+  - alpha bravo  (suggested by John)
+  - charly delta
+---------------
+
+Any patch revision should include the version number. The version number
+is simply composed of the letter +v+ followed by an +integer+ greater or
+equal to two (i.e. "PATCH v2", "PATCH v3" ...).
+
+This can be easily handled with +git format-patch+ by using the option
++--subject-prefix+:
+
+---------------------
+$ git format-patch --subject-prefix "PATCH v4" \
+    -M -o outgoing origin/master
+---------------------
+
 Reviewing/Testing patches
 -------------------------