diff --git a/docs/src/js/classes/MaterializedView.md b/docs/src/js/classes/MaterializedView.md
index f08758fbf..d0c187597 100644
--- a/docs/src/js/classes/MaterializedView.md
+++ b/docs/src/js/classes/MaterializedView.md
@@ -65,8 +65,9 @@ refresh(options?): Promise<RefreshMaterializedViewResult>
 
 Recompute the view from its source.
 
-Every refresh rebuilds the complete view. `sourceVersion` refreshes to
-that source version instead of the latest.
+Every refresh rebuilds the complete view. For local views, `sourceVersion`
+refreshes to that source version instead of the latest; remote SQL refreshes
+do not support source-version pinning.
 
 #### Parameters
 
diff --git a/nodejs/lancedb/materialized_view.ts b/nodejs/lancedb/materialized_view.ts
index d46bd9d2e..7cf1690e0 100644
--- a/nodejs/lancedb/materialized_view.ts
+++ b/nodejs/lancedb/materialized_view.ts
@@ -187,8 +187,9 @@ export class MaterializedView {
   /**
    * Recompute the view from its source.
    *
-   * Every refresh rebuilds the complete view. `sourceVersion` refreshes to
-   * that source version instead of the latest.
+   * Every refresh rebuilds the complete view. For local views,
+   * `sourceVersion` refreshes to that source version instead of the latest;
+   * remote SQL refreshes do not support source-version pinning.
    */
   async refresh(options?: {
     sourceVersion?: number;
diff --git a/python/python/lancedb/materialized_view.py b/python/python/lancedb/materialized_view.py
index bf2841eb6..6342641ff 100644
--- a/python/python/lancedb/materialized_view.py
+++ b/python/python/lancedb/materialized_view.py
@@ -183,8 +183,9 @@ class AsyncMaterializedView:
     ) -> "RefreshMaterializedViewResult":
         """Recompute the view from its source.
 
-        Every refresh rebuilds the complete view. ``source_version`` refreshes
-        to that source version instead of the latest.
+        Every refresh rebuilds the complete view. For local views,
+        ``source_version`` refreshes to that source version instead of the
+        latest; remote SQL refreshes do not support source-version pinning.
         """
         return await self._table._inner.refresh_materialized_view(
             source_version=source_version
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/materialized_view.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/materialized_view.rs
index c96b67ca7..204129918 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/materialized_view.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/materialized_view.rs
@@ -1713,7 +1713,8 @@ pub struct RefreshMaterializedViewBuilder {
 }
 
 impl RefreshMaterializedViewBuilder {
-    /// Refresh to this source table version instead of the latest.
+    /// Refresh a local view to this source table version instead of the latest.
+    /// Remote SQL refreshes do not support source-version pinning.
     pub fn source_version(mut self, version: u64) -> Self {
         self.source_version = Some(version);
         self