diff --git a/app/vmalert/README.md b/app/vmalert/README.md
index 43332d03d..6e06c822b 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/README.md
+++ b/app/vmalert/README.md
@@ -357,19 +357,24 @@ For recording rules to work `-remoteWrite.url` must be specified.
 
 ### Alerts state on restarts
 
-`vmalert` has no local storage, so alerts state is stored in the process memory. Hence, after restart of `vmalert`
-the process alerts state will be lost. To avoid this situation, `vmalert` should be configured via the following flags:
+`vmalert` is stateless, it holds alerts state in the process memory. Restarting of `vmalert` process
+will reset alerts state in memory. To prevent `vmalert` from losing alerts state it should be configured
+to persist the state to the remote destination via the following flags:
 
 * `-remoteWrite.url` - URL to VictoriaMetrics (Single) or vminsert (Cluster). `vmalert` will persist alerts state
-  into the configured address in the form of time series named `ALERTS` and `ALERTS_FOR_STATE` via remote-write protocol.
-  These are regular time series and maybe queried from VM just as any other time series.
-  The state is stored to the configured address on every rule evaluation.
+  to the configured address in the form of [time series](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/keyConcepts.html#time-series)
+  `ALERTS` and `ALERTS_FOR_STATE` via remote-write protocol.
+  These time series can be queried from VictoriaMetrics just as any other time series.
+  The state will be persisted to the configured address on each evaluation.
 * `-remoteRead.url` - URL to VictoriaMetrics (Single) or vmselect (Cluster). `vmalert` will try to restore alerts state
-  from configured address by querying time series with name `ALERTS_FOR_STATE`.
+  from the configured address by querying time series with name `ALERTS_FOR_STATE`. The restore happens only once when
+  `vmalert` process starts, and only for the configured rules. Config [hot reload](#hot-config-reload) doesn't trigger 
+  state restore.
 
 Both flags are required for proper state restoration. Restore process may fail if time series are missing
 in configured `-remoteRead.url`, weren't updated in the last `1h` (controlled by `-remoteRead.lookback`)
-or received state doesn't match current `vmalert` rules configuration.
+or received state doesn't match current `vmalert` rules configuration. `vmalert` marks successfully restored rules
+with `restored` label in [web UI](#WEB).
 
 ### Multitenancy
 
diff --git a/docs/vmalert.md b/docs/vmalert.md
index 8585af0e8..2e2704815 100644
--- a/docs/vmalert.md
+++ b/docs/vmalert.md
@@ -368,19 +368,24 @@ For recording rules to work `-remoteWrite.url` must be specified.
 
 ### Alerts state on restarts
 
-`vmalert` has no local storage, so alerts state is stored in the process memory. Hence, after restart of `vmalert`
-the process alerts state will be lost. To avoid this situation, `vmalert` should be configured via the following flags:
+`vmalert` is stateless, it holds alerts state in the process memory. Restarting of `vmalert` process
+will reset alerts state in memory. To prevent `vmalert` from losing alerts state it should be configured
+to persist the state to the remote destination via the following flags:
 
 * `-remoteWrite.url` - URL to VictoriaMetrics (Single) or vminsert (Cluster). `vmalert` will persist alerts state
-  into the configured address in the form of time series named `ALERTS` and `ALERTS_FOR_STATE` via remote-write protocol.
-  These are regular time series and maybe queried from VM just as any other time series.
-  The state is stored to the configured address on every rule evaluation.
+  to the configured address in the form of [time series](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/keyConcepts.html#time-series)
+  `ALERTS` and `ALERTS_FOR_STATE` via remote-write protocol.
+  These time series can be queried from VictoriaMetrics just as any other time series.
+  The state will be persisted to the configured address on each evaluation.
 * `-remoteRead.url` - URL to VictoriaMetrics (Single) or vmselect (Cluster). `vmalert` will try to restore alerts state
-  from configured address by querying time series with name `ALERTS_FOR_STATE`.
+  from the configured address by querying time series with name `ALERTS_FOR_STATE`. The restore happens only once when
+  `vmalert` process starts, and only for the configured rules. Config [hot reload](#hot-config-reload) doesn't trigger 
+  state restore.
 
 Both flags are required for proper state restoration. Restore process may fail if time series are missing
 in configured `-remoteRead.url`, weren't updated in the last `1h` (controlled by `-remoteRead.lookback`)
-or received state doesn't match current `vmalert` rules configuration.
+or received state doesn't match current `vmalert` rules configuration. `vmalert` marks successfully restored rules
+with `restored` label in [web UI](#WEB).
 
 ### Multitenancy