diff --git a/source/includes/fact-set-global-write-concern-before-reconfig.rst b/source/includes/fact-set-global-write-concern-before-reconfig.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d5dd545b5c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/includes/fact-set-global-write-concern-before-reconfig.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Starting in MongoDB 5.0, you must explicitly set the global default
+:ref:`write concern <write-concern>` before attempting to reconfigure a
+:term:`replica set <replica set>` with a 
+:doc:`configuration </reference/replica-configuration>` 
+that would change the implicit default write concern. To set the global
+default write concern, use the :dbcommand:`setDefaultRWConcern` command.
diff --git a/source/reference/command/replSetReconfig.txt b/source/reference/command/replSetReconfig.txt
index 8bddc18bd4e..2ed32e4043a 100644
--- a/source/reference/command/replSetReconfig.txt
+++ b/source/reference/command/replSetReconfig.txt
@@ -72,6 +72,11 @@ replSetReconfig
 Behavior
 --------
 
+Global Write Concern
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+.. include:: /includes/fact-set-global-write-concern-before-reconfig.rst
+
 ``term`` Replica Configuration Field
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/source/reference/method/rs.reconfig.txt b/source/reference/method/rs.reconfig.txt
index bfa7bc79e96..284fb61989a 100644
--- a/source/reference/method/rs.reconfig.txt
+++ b/source/reference/method/rs.reconfig.txt
@@ -96,6 +96,11 @@ Definition
 Behavior
 --------
 
+Global Write Concern
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+.. include:: /includes/fact-set-global-write-concern-before-reconfig.rst
+
 ``term`` Replica Configuration Field
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/source/release-notes/5.0-compatibility.txt b/source/release-notes/5.0-compatibility.txt
index 2baf5e2ca90..92732f6cda4 100644
--- a/source/release-notes/5.0-compatibility.txt
+++ b/source/release-notes/5.0-compatibility.txt
@@ -270,6 +270,8 @@ General Changes
   currently logged in as an existing user will write a warning to the 
   log once per authentication attempt.
 
+- .. include:: /includes/fact-set-global-write-concern-before-reconfig.rst
+
 Deprecations
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~