diff --git a/docs/pages/release_notes.md b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
index 9e22dabc36..b99f8d5969 100644
--- a/docs/pages/release_notes.md
+++ b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ This is a {{ site.pmd.release_type }} release.
 *   java
     *   [#1330](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1330): \[java] PMD crashes with java.lang.ClassFormatError: Absent Code attribute in method that is not native or abstract in class file javax/xml/ws/Service
 *   java-bestpractices
+    *   [#1202](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1202): \[java] GuardLogStatement: "There is log block not surrounded by if" doesn't sound right
     *   [#1365](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1365): \[java] JUnitTestsShouldIncludeAssert false positive
 *   java-codestyle
     *   [#1356](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1356): \[java] UnnecessaryModifier wrong message public-\>static
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ This is a {{ site.pmd.release_type }} release.
 *   [#1375](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/pull/1375): \[java] Add missing null check AbstractJavaAnnotatableNode - [Will Winder](https://github.com/winder)
 *   [#1376](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/pull/1376): \[core] Upgrading Apache Commons IO from 2.4 to 2.6 - [Thunderforge](https://github.com/Thunderforge)
 *   [#1378](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/pull/1378): \[core] Upgrading Apache Commons Lang 3 from 3.7 to 3.8.1 - [Thunderforge](https://github.com/Thunderforge)
+*   [#1383](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/pull/1383): \[java] Improved message for GuardLogStatement rule - [Felix Lampe](https://github.com/fblampe)
 
 {% endtocmaker %}
 
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/resources/category/java/bestpractices.xml b/pmd-java/src/main/resources/category/java/bestpractices.xml
index 0b875ad295..727d4750ff 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/resources/category/java/bestpractices.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/resources/category/java/bestpractices.xml
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ public class MyClass {
     <rule name="GuardLogStatement"
           language="java"
           since="5.1.0"
-          message="There is log block not surrounded by if"
+          message="Logger calls should be surrounded by log level guards."
           class="net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.rule.bestpractices.GuardLogStatementRule"
           externalInfoUrl="${pmd.website.baseurl}/pmd_rules_java_bestpractices.html#guardlogstatement">
         <description>