diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index c047930b6..3db16ac94 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ linux-2.6 (2.6.32-6) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * ftdi_sio: Add device ids for new B&B Electronics devices
   * saa7134: Add device id and description for Asus Europa DVB-T card
   * x86/iTCO-wdt: Add device ids for Intel 'Ibex Peak' PCH
+  * Documentation/3c509: document ethtool support (Closes: #564743)
 
  -- Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk>  Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:38:50 +0000
 
diff --git a/debian/patches/bugfix/all/Documentation-3c509-document-ethtool-support.patch b/debian/patches/bugfix/all/Documentation-3c509-document-ethtool-support.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..289d96a97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/patches/bugfix/all/Documentation-3c509-document-ethtool-support.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+From 9e251f34b1994d31c9553437c7896777df00a410 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk>
+Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:28:51 +0000
+Subject: [PATCH] Documentation/3c509: document ethtool support
+
+3c509 was changed to support ethtool in 2002, making the 'xcvr' module
+parameter obsolete in most cases.  More recently 3c509 was converted
+to the modern driver model and this parameter was removed.  Fix the
+documentation to refer to ethtool rather than the module parameter.
+
+Signed-off-by: Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk>
+---
+ Documentation/networking/3c509.txt |   12 ++++++++----
+ 1 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/Documentation/networking/3c509.txt b/Documentation/networking/3c509.txt
+index 0643e3b..3c45d5d 100644
+--- a/Documentation/networking/3c509.txt
++++ b/Documentation/networking/3c509.txt
+@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@ for LILO parameters for doing this:
+ This configures the first found 3c509 card for IRQ 10, base I/O 0x310, and
+ transceiver type 3 (10base2). The flag "0x3c509" must be set to avoid conflicts
+ with other card types when overriding the I/O address. When the driver is
+-loaded as a module, only the IRQ and transceiver setting may be overridden.
+-For example, setting two cards to 10base2/IRQ10 and AUI/IRQ11 is done by using
+-the xcvr and irq module options:
++loaded as a module, only the IRQ may be overridden. For example,
++setting two cards to IRQ10 and IRQ11 is done by using the irq module
++option:
+ 
+-   options 3c509 xcvr=3,1 irq=10,11
++   options 3c509 irq=10,11
+ 
+ 
+ (2) Full-duplex mode
+@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ operation.
+ itself full-duplex capable. This is almost certainly one of two things: a full-
+ duplex-capable  Ethernet switch (*not* a hub), or a full-duplex-capable NIC on
+ another system that's connected directly to the 3c509B via a crossover cable.
++
++Full-duplex mode can be enabled using 'ethtool'.
+  
+ /////Extremely important caution concerning full-duplex mode/////
+ Understand that the 3c509B's hardware's full-duplex support is much more
+@@ -113,6 +115,8 @@ This insured that merely upgrading the driver from an earlier version would
+ never automatically enable full-duplex mode in an existing installation;
+ it must always be explicitly enabled via one of these code in order to be
+ activated.
++
++The transceiver type can be changed using 'ethtool'.
+   
+ 
+ (4a) Interpretation of error messages and common problems
+-- 
+1.6.5.7
+
diff --git a/debian/patches/series/6 b/debian/patches/series/6
index f993a5558..dd8c76904 100644
--- a/debian/patches/series/6
+++ b/debian/patches/series/6
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@
 + features/all/ftdi_sio-add-USB-device-ID-s-for-B-B-Electronics.patch
 + features/all/saa7134-Add-support-for-Asus-Europa-Hybrid-DVB.patch
 + features/x86/iTCO_wdt-Add-support-for-Intel-Ibex-Peak.patch
++ bugfix/all/Documentation-3c509-document-ethtool-support.patch