diff --git a/spec/function.dd b/spec/function.dd
index 8404ae42d7..da68bb5cd4 100644
--- a/spec/function.dd
+++ b/spec/function.dd
@@ -1241,8 +1241,13 @@ int foo(in int x, out int y, ref int z, int q);
     $(TROW $(D scope), references in the parameter
     cannot be escaped (e.g. assigned to a global variable).
     Ignored for parameters with no references)
+    $(TROW $(D return), $(ARGS Parameter may be returned or copied to the first parameter,
+    but otherwise does not escape from the function.
+    Such copies are required not to outlive the argument(s) they were derived from.
+    Ignored for parameters with no references.
+    See $(DDSUBLINK spec/memory-safe-d, scope-return-params, Scope Parameters).))
     $(TROW $(D lazy), argument is evaluated by the called function and not by the caller)
-        $(TROW $(D const), argument is implicitly converted to a const type)
+    $(TROW $(D const), argument is implicitly converted to a const type)
     $(TROW $(D immutable), argument is implicitly converted to an immutable type)
     $(TROW $(D shared), argument is implicitly converted to a shared type)
     $(TROW $(D inout), argument is implicitly converted to an inout type)
diff --git a/spec/memory-safe-d.dd b/spec/memory-safe-d.dd
index ab6aebdd45..222ce19267 100644
--- a/spec/memory-safe-d.dd
+++ b/spec/memory-safe-d.dd
@@ -24,19 +24,52 @@ $(HEADERNAV_TOC)
 
 $(H2 $(LNAME2 usage, Usage))
 
-        $(P Memory safety can be enabled on a per-function basis using
-        the $(DDSUBLINK spec/function, safe-functions, $(D @safe) attribute).
-        This can be inferred when the compiler has the function body
-        available. The $(DDSUBLINK spec/function, trusted-functions, `@trusted` attribute) can be used when a function has a safe
-        interface, but uses unsafe code internally. These functions can
-        be called from $(D @safe) code.
+        $(P There are three categories of functions from the perspective of memory safety:)
+        $(UL
+                $(LI $(DDSUBLINK spec/function, safe-functions, `@safe`) functions)
+                $(LI $(DDSUBLINK spec/function, trusted-functions, `@trusted`) functions)
+                $(LI $(DDSUBLINK spec/function, system-functions, `@system`) functions)
         )
 
+        $(P `@system` functions may perform any operation legal from the perspective of the language including inherently
+        memory unsafe operations like returning pointers to expired stackframes. These functions may not be called directly from
+        `@safe` functions.)
+
+        $(P `@trusted` functions have all the capabilities of `@system` functions but may be called from
+        `@safe` functions. For this reason they should be very limited in the scope of their use. Typical uses of
+        `@trusted` functions include wrapping system calls that take buffer pointer and length arguments separately so that
+        @safe` functions may call them with arrays.)
+
+        $(P `@safe` functions have a number of restrictions on what they may do and are intended to disallow operations that
+        may cause memory corruption. See $(DDSUBLINK spec/function, safe-functions, `@safe` functions).)
+
+        $(P These attributes may be inferred when the compiler has the function body available, such as with templates.)
+
         $(P Array bounds checks are necessary to enforce memory safety, so
-        these are enabled (by default) for $(D @safe) code even in $(B
-        -release) mode.
+        these are enabled (by default) for `@safe` code even in $(B -release) mode.
         )
 
+    $(H3 $(LNAME2 scope-return-params, Scope and Return Parameters))
+
+         $(P The function parameter attributes `return` and `scope` are used to track what happens to low-level pointers
+         passed to functions. Such pointers include: raw pointers, arrays, `this`, classes, `ref` parameters, delegate/lazy parameters,
+         and aggregates containing a pointer.)
+
+         $(P $(D scope) ensures that no references to the pointed-to object are retained, in global variables or pointers passed to the
+         function (and recursively to other functions called in the function), as a result of calling the function.
+         Variables in the function body and parameter list that are `scope` may have their allocations elided as a result.)
+
+         $(P $(D return) indicates that either the return value of the function or the first parameter is a pointer derived from the
+         `return` parameter or any other parameters also marked `return`.
+         For constructors, `return` applies to the (implicitly returned) `this` reference.
+         For void functions, `return` applies to the first parameter $(I iff) it is `ref`; this is to support UFCS,
+         property setters and non-member functions (e.g. `put` used like `put(dest, source)`).)
+
+         $(P These attributes may appear after the formal parameter list, in which case they apply either to a method's `this` parameter, or to
+         a free function's first parameter $(I iff) it is `ref`.
+         `return` or `scope` is ignored when applied to a type that is not a low-level pointer.)
+
+
 $(H2 $(LNAME2 limitations, Limitations))
 
         $(P Memory safety does not imply that code is portable, uses only