diff --git a/cranelift/codegen/meta/src/cdsl/operands.rs b/cranelift/codegen/meta/src/cdsl/operands.rs
index 1d26ec3624..915b8b6380 100644
--- a/cranelift/codegen/meta/src/cdsl/operands.rs
+++ b/cranelift/codegen/meta/src/cdsl/operands.rs
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ impl Operand {
         self
     }
 
-    pub fn doc(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+    pub fn doc(&self) -> &str {
         if let Some(doc) = &self.doc {
-            return Some(doc);
+            return doc;
         }
         match &self.kind.fields {
-            OperandKindFields::TypeVar(tvar) => Some(&tvar.doc),
+            OperandKindFields::TypeVar(tvar) => &tvar.doc,
             _ => self.kind.doc(),
         }
     }
@@ -139,12 +139,14 @@ impl OperandKind {
             doc: Some(doc),
         }
     }
-    fn doc(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+    fn doc(&self) -> &str {
         if let Some(doc) = &self.doc {
-            return Some(doc);
+            return doc;
         }
         match &self.fields {
-            OperandKindFields::TypeVar(type_var) => Some(&type_var.doc),
+            OperandKindFields::TypeVar(type_var) => &type_var.doc,
+            // The only method to create an OperandKind with `doc` set to None is using a TypeVar,
+            // so all other options are unreachable here.
             OperandKindFields::ImmEnum(_)
             | OperandKindFields::ImmValue
             | OperandKindFields::EntityRef
diff --git a/cranelift/codegen/meta/src/gen_inst.rs b/cranelift/codegen/meta/src/gen_inst.rs
index 887ef878ad..5e28e0b24b 100644
--- a/cranelift/codegen/meta/src/gen_inst.rs
+++ b/cranelift/codegen/meta/src/gen_inst.rs
@@ -946,21 +946,11 @@ fn gen_inst_builder(inst: &Instruction, format: &InstructionFormat, fmt: &mut Fo
             op.kind.rust_type.to_string()
         };
         args.push(format!("{}: {}", op.name, t));
-        args_doc.push(format!(
-            "- {}: {}",
-            op.name,
-            op.doc()
-                .expect("every instruction's input operand must be documented")
-        ));
+        args_doc.push(format!("- {}: {}", op.name, op.doc()));
     }
 
     for op in &inst.operands_out {
-        rets_doc.push(format!(
-            "- {}: {}",
-            op.name,
-            op.doc()
-                .expect("every instruction's output operand must be documented")
-        ));
+        rets_doc.push(format!("- {}: {}", op.name, op.doc()));
     }
 
     let rtype = match inst.value_results.len() {