diff --git a/docs/source/guides/admin-guides/references/man1/makentp.1.rst b/docs/source/guides/admin-guides/references/man1/makentp.1.rst
index 16a259df4..c0a3572d6 100644
--- a/docs/source/guides/admin-guides/references/man1/makentp.1.rst
+++ b/docs/source/guides/admin-guides/references/man1/makentp.1.rst
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ By default, it sets up the NTP server for xCAT management node. If \ **-a**\  fl
 
 \ *site.ntpservers*\  -- the NTP servers for the service node and compute node to sync with. The keyword <xcatmaster> means that the node's NTP server is the node that is managing it (either its service node or the management node).
 
+\ *site.ntpbackend*\  -- the NTP daemon to configure. Valid values are auto, chrony, and ntpd. The default is auto, which selects chrony on distributions that ship it and ntpd on older ones such as EL6 and SLES 12. If the selected daemon is not installed, \ **makentp**\  uses the other one and reports the change. The same value reaches the service nodes and the compute nodes, which the \ *setupntp*\  postscript also accepts as \ **-**\ **-backend chrony|ntpd**\ .
+
 To setup NTP on the compute node, add \ *setupntp*\  postscript to the \ *postscripts*\  table and run \ **updatenode node -P setupntp**\  command.
 
 
diff --git a/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Schema.pm b/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Schema.pm
index 4fcc49c6d..e1317827d 100644
--- a/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Schema.pm
+++ b/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Schema.pm
@@ -1283,6 +1283,11 @@ passed as argument rather than by table value',
 "              give stable output. You can increase the timeout value by specifying \n" .
 "              '--min-rtt-timeout 1s'. xCAT will append the options defined here to \n" .
 "              the nmap command.\n\n" .
+" ntpbackend:  The NTP daemon used by makentp and the setupntp postscript. Valid\n" .
+"              values are auto, chrony, and ntpd. The default is auto. In auto\n" .
+"              mode, xCAT uses chrony on distributions that ship it and ntpd on\n" .
+"              older ones such as EL6 and SLES 12. If the selected daemon is not\n" .
+"              installed, xCAT uses the other one and reports the change.\n\n" .
 " ntpservers:  A comma delimited list of NTP servers for the service node and\n" .
 "              the compute node to sync with. The keyword <xcatmaster> means that\n" .
 "              the node's NTP server is the node that is managing it\n" .
diff --git a/xCAT-client/pods/man1/makentp.1.pod b/xCAT-client/pods/man1/makentp.1.pod
index 092d58793..6394c515a 100644
--- a/xCAT-client/pods/man1/makentp.1.pod
+++ b/xCAT-client/pods/man1/makentp.1.pod
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ I<site.extntpservers> -- the NTP servers for the management node to sync with. I
 
 I<site.ntpservers> -- the NTP servers for the service node and compute node to sync with. The keyword <xcatmaster> means that the node's NTP server is the node that is managing it (either its service node or the management node).
 
+I<site.ntpbackend> -- the NTP daemon to configure. Valid values are auto, chrony, and ntpd. The default is auto, which selects chrony on distributions that ship it and ntpd on older ones such as EL6 and SLES 12. If the selected daemon is not installed, B<makentp> uses the other one and reports the change. The same value reaches the service nodes and the compute nodes, which the I<setupntp> postscript also accepts as B<--backend chrony|ntpd>.
+
 =back
 
 To setup NTP on the compute node, add I<setupntp> postscript to the I<postscripts> table and run B<updatenode node -P setupntp> command.