diff --git a/conf/master b/conf/master
index ce2e26872af..b718de160b4 100644
--- a/conf/master
+++ b/conf/master
@@ -671,7 +671,9 @@
 
 # The master_roots setting configures a master-only copy of the file_roots dictionary,
 # used by the state compiler.
-#master_roots: /srv/salt-master
+#master_roots:
+#  base:
+#    - /srv/salt-master
 
 # When using multiple environments, each with their own top file, the
 # default behaviour is an unordered merge. To prevent top files from
diff --git a/doc/ref/configuration/master.rst b/doc/ref/configuration/master.rst
index 64f94b1b430..d0da4bc8ae1 100644
--- a/doc/ref/configuration/master.rst
+++ b/doc/ref/configuration/master.rst
@@ -2629,14 +2629,18 @@ nothing is ignored.
 ``master_roots``
 ----------------
 
-Default: ``/srv/salt-master``
+Default: ``''``
 
 A master-only copy of the :conf_master:`file_roots` dictionary, used by the
 state compiler.
 
+Example:
+
 .. code-block:: yaml
 
-    master_roots: /srv/salt-master
+    master_roots:
+      base:
+        - /srv/salt-master
 
 roots: Master's Local File Server
 ---------------------------------