diff --git a/docs/merge-requests/approval-rules.md b/docs/merge-requests/approval-rules.md
index 65fbd52d4..f2837f7bd 100644
--- a/docs/merge-requests/approval-rules.md
+++ b/docs/merge-requests/approval-rules.md
@@ -50,14 +50,7 @@ cases, before merging, in addition to the regular approvals, it is required to:
   device-specific MRs that the team can't test, instead require confirmation of
   device maintainer that it works.
 
-## Backporting
+## Stable branches
 
-Backporting features from edge to stable is done at request of the MR author or
-package maintainer. All patches for stable branches must go through edge first
-and get backported from there to get additional testing before they potentially
-breaks something in stable, and should be tested in the MR too. The only
-exception are patches for failures that only happen on stable.
-
-While backporting patches to stable, label the MR with the corresponding
-`backport-to-v*` label, and cherry-pick the commits with the `-x` option, to
-make sure that the original commit is mentioned.
+[MRs to stable branches](./stable-branches) follow the same approval rules as
+to the `main` branch.
diff --git a/docs/merge-requests/stable-branches.md b/docs/merge-requests/stable-branches.md
index 042f24a02..f93dc840e 100644
--- a/docs/merge-requests/stable-branches.md
+++ b/docs/merge-requests/stable-branches.md
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ release](../releases) branch.
   edge.
 
 * For packages that have a higher version in `main`: if upstream releases a
-  [patch-release](https://semver.org), an upgrade MR can directly be sent to
-  the stable branch without the usual main-first-then-backport approach
-  described below.
+  patch-release for an older version that we are using in our stable branch, an
+  upgrade MR can directly be sent to the stable branch without the usual
+  main-first-then-backport approach described below.
 
 ## Workflow
 
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ release](../releases) branch.
   which commits were already picked and which were not.
 
 * Avoid cherry-picking multiple patches that touch the same pmaports in the
-  wrong order.
+  wrong order. If there's a conflict, consider additionally cherry-picking a
+  dependent patch beforehand if it's non-intrusive.
 
 ### Initial Release Branch Bringup