diff --git a/compiler/sempass2.nim b/compiler/sempass2.nim
index eb254dc6fa..63bf9ad5f7 100644
--- a/compiler/sempass2.nim
+++ b/compiler/sempass2.nim
@@ -1437,7 +1437,8 @@ proc trackProc*(c: PContext; s: PSym, body: PNode) =
   let p = s.ast[pragmasPos]
   let raisesSpec = effectSpec(p, wRaises)
   if not isNil(raisesSpec):
-    checkRaisesSpec(g, false, raisesSpec, t.exc, "can raise an unlisted exception: ",
+    let useWarning = s.name.s == "=destroy"
+    checkRaisesSpec(g, useWarning, raisesSpec, t.exc, "can raise an unlisted exception: ",
                     hints=on, subtypeRelation, hintsArg=s.ast[0])
     # after the check, use the formal spec:
     effects[exceptionEffects] = raisesSpec
diff --git a/compiler/semstmts.nim b/compiler/semstmts.nim
index 65922794f7..bf5fcaae8a 100644
--- a/compiler/semstmts.nim
+++ b/compiler/semstmts.nim
@@ -1784,6 +1784,11 @@ proc semOverride(c: PContext, s: PSym, n: PNode) =
   case name
   of "=destroy":
     bindTypeHook(c, s, n, attachedDestructor)
+    if s.ast != nil:
+      if s.ast[pragmasPos].kind == nkEmpty:
+        s.ast[pragmasPos] = newNodeI(nkPragma, s.info)
+      s.ast[pragmasPos].add newTree(nkExprColonExpr,
+          newIdentNode(c.cache.getIdent("raises"),  s.info), newNodeI(nkBracket, s.info))
   of "deepcopy", "=deepcopy":
     if s.typ.len == 2 and
         s.typ[1].skipTypes(abstractInst).kind in {tyRef, tyPtr} and
diff --git a/doc/destructors.rst b/doc/destructors.rst
index 600758ba29..a57e07ffef 100644
--- a/doc/destructors.rst
+++ b/doc/destructors.rst
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ Nim Destructors and Move Semantics
 About this document
 ===================
 
-This document describes the upcoming Nim runtime which does
+This document describes the ARC/ORC Nim runtime which does
 not use classical GC algorithms anymore but is based on destructors and
-move semantics. The new runtime's advantages are that Nim programs become
+move semantics. The advantages are that Nim programs become
 oblivious to the involved heap sizes and programs are easier to write to make
 effective use of multi-core machines. As a nice bonus, files and sockets and
-the like will not require manual `close` calls anymore.
+the like can be written not to require manual `close` calls anymore.
 
 This document aims to be a precise specification about how
 move semantics and destructors work in Nim.
@@ -134,6 +134,14 @@ The general pattern in `=destroy` looks like:
       freeResource(x.field)
 
 
+A `=destroy` is implicitly annotated with `.raises: []`; a destructor
+should not raise exceptions. For backwards compatibility the compiler
+produces a warning for a `=destroy` that does raise.
+
+A `=destroy` can explicitly list the exceptions it can raise, if any,
+but this of little utility as a raising destructor is implementation defined
+behavior. Later versions of the language specification might cover this case precisely.
+
 
 `=sink` hook
 ------------