diff --git a/documentation/bsp-guide/bsp.xml b/documentation/bsp-guide/bsp.xml
index a53ea98d8a..020e3508fa 100644
--- a/documentation/bsp-guide/bsp.xml
+++ b/documentation/bsp-guide/bsp.xml
@@ -52,12 +52,17 @@
                 definition and from it build an image.
                 Here is an example:
                 <literallayout class='monospaced'>
-     BBLAYERS = " \
-        /usr/local/src/yocto/meta \
-        /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-yocto \
-        /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-yocto-bsp \
-        /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-&lt;bsp_name&gt; \
-        "
+     BBLAYERS = ?" \
+       /usr/local/src/yocto/meta \
+       /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-yocto \
+       /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-yocto-bsp \
+       /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-mylayer \
+       "
+
+     BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE ?= " \
+       /usr/local/src/yocto/meta \
+       /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-yocto \
+       "
                 </literallayout>
             </para>
 
@@ -1293,11 +1298,16 @@
                     <filename>bblayers.conf</filename> file.
                     Here is an example:
                     <literallayout class='monospaced'>
-     BBLAYERS = " \
+     BBLAYERS = ?" \
         /usr/local/src/yocto/meta \
         /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-yocto \
         /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-yocto-bsp \
         /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-myarm \
+        "
+
+     BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE ?= " \
+        /usr/local/src/yocto/meta \
+        /usr/local/src/yocto/meta-yocto \
         "
                     </literallayout> 
                     Adding the layer to this file allows the build system to build the BSP and 
diff --git a/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml b/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml
index e9f55ce1db..1e2ddefda0 100644
--- a/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml
+++ b/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-common-tasks.xml
@@ -217,10 +217,15 @@
      BBFILES ?= ""
 
      BBLAYERS ?= " \
-       /path/to/poky/meta \
-       /path/to/poky/meta-yocto \
-       /path/to/poky/meta-yocto-bsp \
-       /path/to/poky/meta-mylayer \
+       $HOME/poky/meta \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-yocto \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-yocto-bsp \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-mylayer \
+       "
+
+     BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE ?= " \
+       $HOME/poky/meta \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-yocto \
        "                
                 </literallayout>
             </para>
@@ -232,14 +237,6 @@
                 During the processing of each <filename>conf/layer.conf</filename> file, BitBake adds the 
                 recipes, classes and configurations contained within the particular layer to the source
                 directory.
-                <note>
-                    Removing the <filename>meta-yocto</filename> layer exposes a bug for the 
-                    current release of the Yocto Project.
-                    If for some reason you do remove this layer from the 
-                    <filename>bblayers.conf</filename>, you must set the 
-                    <filename>LCONF_VERSION</filename> variable to "5".
-                    See <ulink url='https://bugzilla.yoctoproject.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3176'>[YOCTO_#3176]</ulink>
-                    for more information.</note>
             </para>
         </section>
 
@@ -1816,14 +1813,18 @@
                         <filename>meta</filename>, <filename>meta-yocto</filename>, and 
                         <filename>meta-yocto-bsp</filename> in the 
                         <filename>poky</filename> Git repository.
-                        Add the path to your <filename>meta-mylayer</filename> location.
-                        Be sure to substitute your user information in the statement:
+                        Add the path to your <filename>meta-mylayer</filename> location:
                         <literallayout class='monospaced'>
-     BBLAYERS = " \
-       /home/&lt;user&gt;/poky/meta \
-       /home/&lt;user&gt;/poky/meta-yocto \
-       /home/&lt;user&gt;/poky/meta-yocto-bsp \
-       /home/&lt;user&gt;/poky/meta-mylayer \
+     BBLAYERS ?= " \
+       $HOME/poky/meta \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-yocto \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-yocto-bsp \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-mylayer \
+       "
+
+     BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE ?= " \
+       $HOME/poky/meta \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-yocto \
        "
                         </literallayout></para></listitem>
                 </itemizedlist>
@@ -3048,11 +3049,15 @@
      BBFILES ?= ""
 
      BBLAYERS ?= " \
-       ##COREBASE##/meta \
-       ##COREBASE##/meta-yocto \
-       ##COREBASE##/meta-yocto-bsp \
-       ##COREBASE##/meta-my-bsp-layer \
-       ##COREBASE##/meta-my-software-layer \
+       $HOME/poky/meta \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-yocto \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-yocto-bsp \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-mylayer \
+       "
+
+     BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE ?= " \
+       $HOME/poky/meta \
+       $HOME/poky/meta-yocto \
        "
                 </literallayout>
                 Creating and providing an archive of the metadata layers
diff --git a/documentation/poky-ref-manual/ref-structure.xml b/documentation/poky-ref-manual/ref-structure.xml
index c2644df374..166907ceef 100644
--- a/documentation/poky-ref-manual/ref-structure.xml
+++ b/documentation/poky-ref-manual/ref-structure.xml
@@ -247,11 +247,20 @@
         <title><filename>build/conf/bblayers.conf</filename></title>
 
         <para>
-            This file defines layers, which is a directory tree, traversed (or walked) by BitBake. 
+            This file defines layers, which are directory trees, traversed (or walked) by BitBake.
             If <filename>bblayers.conf</filename> 
             is not present, it is created from <filename>bblayers.conf.sample</filename> when 
             you <filename>source</filename> the environment setup script.
         </para>
+
+        <para>
+            The <filename>bblayers.conf</filename> file uses the
+            <link linkend='var-BBLAYERS'><filename>BBLAYERS</filename></link> variable to
+            list the layers BitBake tries to find.
+            The file uses the
+            <link linkend='var-BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE'><filename>BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE</filename></link>
+            variable to list layers that must not be removed.
+        </para>
     </section>
 
     <section id='structure-build-conf-sanity_info'>
diff --git a/documentation/poky-ref-manual/ref-variables.xml b/documentation/poky-ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
index 9ced42499e..0de6bfcf5c 100644
--- a/documentation/poky-ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
+++ b/documentation/poky-ref-manual/ref-variables.xml
@@ -421,6 +421,11 @@
        /home/scottrif/poky/meta-yocto \
        /home/scottrif/poky/meta-yocto-bsp \
        /home/scottrif/poky/meta-mykernel \
+       "
+
+     BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE ?= " \
+       /home/scottrif/poky/meta \
+       /home/scottrif/poky/meta-yocto \
        "
                     </literallayout>
                     This example enables four layers, one of which is a custom, user-defined layer 
@@ -429,6 +434,34 @@
             </glossdef>
         </glossentry>
 
+        <glossentry id='var-BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE'><glossterm>BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE</glossterm>
+            <glossdef>
+Core layer for images cannot be removed
+                <para>Lists core layers that cannot be removed from the
+                    <filename>bblayers.conf</filename> file.
+                    In order for BitBake to build your image, your
+                    <filename>bblayers.conf</filename> file must include the
+                    <filename>meta</filename> and <filename>meta-yocto</filename>
+                    core layers.
+                    Here is an example that shows these two layers listed in
+                    the <filename>BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE</filename> statement:
+                    <literallayout class='monospaced'>
+     BBLAYERS = " \
+       /home/scottrif/poky/meta \
+       /home/scottrif/poky/meta-yocto \
+       /home/scottrif/poky/meta-yocto-bsp \
+       /home/scottrif/poky/meta-mykernel \
+       "
+
+     BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE ?= " \
+       /home/scottrif/poky/meta \
+       /home/scottrif/poky/meta-yocto \
+       "
+                    </literallayout>
+                </para>
+            </glossdef>
+        </glossentry>
+
         <glossentry id='var-BP'><glossterm>BP</glossterm>
             <glossdef>
                 <para>The base recipe name and version but without any special 
diff --git a/documentation/poky-ref-manual/technical-details.xml b/documentation/poky-ref-manual/technical-details.xml
index 654d9252a9..042a96ed87 100644
--- a/documentation/poky-ref-manual/technical-details.xml
+++ b/documentation/poky-ref-manual/technical-details.xml
@@ -662,7 +662,11 @@
         /home/nitin/prj/poky.git/meta-yocto \
         /home/nitin/prj/poky.git/meta-yocto-bsp \
         /home/nitin/prj/meta-x32.git \
-     "
+        "
+     BBLAYERS_NON_REMOVABLE ?= " \
+        /home/nitin/prj/poky.git/meta \
+        /home/nitin/prj/poky.git/meta-yocto \
+        "
                     </literallayout></para></listitem>
                 <listitem><para>Enable the x32 psABI tuning file for <filename>x86_64</filename>
                     machines by editing the <filename>conf/local.conf</filename> like this: