diff --git a/docs/pages/release_notes.md b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
index 78259a13a2..ac7b4e1bfc 100644
--- a/docs/pages/release_notes.md
+++ b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ AbstractTokenizer and the custom tokenizers of Fortran, Perl and Ruby are deprec
 * {% jdoc !!fortran::cpd.FortranTokenizer %}. Was replaced by an {% jdoc core::cpd.AnyTokenizer %}. Use {% jdoc !!fortran::cpd.FortranLanguage#getTokenizer() %} anyway.
 * {% jdoc !!perl::cpd.PerlTokenizer %}. Was replaced by an {% jdoc core::cpd.AnyTokenizer %}. Use {% jdoc !!perl::cpd.PerlLanguage#getTokenizer() %} anyway.
 * {% jdoc !!ruby::cpd.RubyTokenizer %}. Was replaced by an {% jdoc core::cpd.AnyTokenizer %}. Use {% jdoc !!ruby::cpd.RubyLanguage#getTokenizer() %} anyway.
+* {% jdoc !!core::lang.rule.RuleReference#getOverriddenLanguage() %} and
+  {% jdoc !!core::lang.rule.RuleReference#setLanguage(net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.Language) %}
 
 
 ### External Contributions
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/rule/RuleReference.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/rule/RuleReference.java
index 29dec60d4c..4d3582010b 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/rule/RuleReference.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/rule/RuleReference.java
@@ -86,13 +86,21 @@ public class RuleReference extends AbstractDelegateRule {
         this.setRule(ref.getRule().deepCopy());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @deprecated overriding the language of a rule is not supported.
+     */
+    @Deprecated
     public Language getOverriddenLanguage() {
         return language;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @deprecated overriding the language of a rule is not supported.
+     */
     // FIXME should we really allow overriding the language of a rule?
     // I don't see any case where this wouldn't just make the rule fail during execution
     @Override
+    @Deprecated
     public void setLanguage(Language language) {
         // Only override if different than current value, or if already
         // overridden.