diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-packages.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-packages.nix
index f213ba396a7..3106336a48d 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-packages.nix
@@ -4,11 +4,12 @@
 
 To update the list of packages from MELPA,
 
-1. Clone https://github.com/ttuegel/emacs2nix
-2. Clone https://github.com/milkypostman/melpa
-3. Run `./melpa-packages.sh PATH_TO_MELPA_CLONE` from emacs2nix
-4. Copy the new melpa-packages.json file into Nixpkgs
-5. `git commit -m "melpa-packages $(date -Idate)"`
+1. Clone https://github.com/ttuegel/emacs2nix.
+2. Clone https://github.com/milkypostman/melpa.
+3. Run `./melpa-packages.sh --melpa PATH_TO_MELPA_CLONE` from emacs2nix.
+4. Copy the new `melpa-generated.nix` file into Nixpkgs.
+5. Check for evaluation errors: `nix-instantiate ./. -A emacsPackagesNg.melpaPackages`.
+6. `git add pkgs/applications/editors/emacs-modes/melpa-generated.nix && git commit -m "melpa-packages $(date -Idate)"`
 
 */