diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/eldoc.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/eldoc.el
index ef5dbf8103..8909e8d431 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/eldoc.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/eldoc.el
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 ;; Author: Noah Friedman <friedman@splode.com>
 ;; Keywords: extensions
 ;; Created: 1995-10-06
-;; Version: 1.0.0
+;; Version: 1.1.0
 ;; Package-Requires: ((emacs "26.3"))
 
 ;; This is a GNU ELPA :core package.  Avoid functionality that is not
@@ -338,12 +338,26 @@ eldoc-display-message-no-interference-p
 
 
 (defvar eldoc-documentation-functions nil
-  "Hook for functions to call to return doc string.
-Each function should accept no arguments and return a one-line
-string for displaying doc about a function etc. appropriate to
-the context around point.  It should return nil if there's no doc
-appropriate for the context.  Typically doc is returned if point
-is on a function-like name or in its arg list.
+  "Hook of functions that produce doc strings.
+Each hook function should accept no arguments and decide whether
+to display a doc short string about the context around point.
+
+Typically doc is returned if point is on a function-like name or
+in its arg list.
+
+If the decision and the doc string can be produced quickly, the
+hook function should immediately return the doc string, or nil if
+there's no doc appropriate for the context.  Otherwise, if its
+computation is expensive or can't be performed directly, the
+function can instead return a cons (:async . FETCHER) where where
+FETCHER is a function of one argument, CALLBACK.  When the result
+arrives, FETCHER must call CALLBACK and pass it the doc string to
+be displayed.
+
+A current limitation of the asynchronous case is that it is only
+guaranteed to work correctly if the value of
+`eldoc-documentation-function' (notice the singular) is
+`eldoc-documentation-default'.
 
 Major modes should modify this hook locally, for example:
   (add-hook \\='eldoc-documentation-functions #\\='foo-mode-eldoc nil t)
@@ -351,14 +365,18 @@ eldoc-documentation-functions
 taken into account if the major mode specific function does not
 return any documentation.")
 
+(defun eldoc--handle-multiline (res)
+  "Helper for handling a bit of `eldoc-echo-area-use-multiline-p'."
+  (if eldoc-echo-area-use-multiline-p res
+    (truncate-string-to-width
+     res (1- (window-width (minibuffer-window))))))
+
 (defun eldoc-documentation-default ()
   "Show first doc string for item at point.
 Default value for `eldoc-documentation-function'."
   (let ((res (run-hook-with-args-until-success 'eldoc-documentation-functions)))
-    (when res
-      (if eldoc-echo-area-use-multiline-p res
-        (truncate-string-to-width
-         res (1- (window-width (minibuffer-window))))))))
+    (cond ((stringp res) (eldoc--handle-multiline res))
+          (t res))))
 
 (defun eldoc-documentation-compose ()
   "Show multiple doc string results at once.
@@ -368,13 +386,11 @@ eldoc-documentation-compose
      'eldoc-documentation-functions
      (lambda (f)
        (let ((str (funcall f)))
-         (when str (push str res))
+         (when (stringp str) (push str res))
          nil)))
     (when res
       (setq res (mapconcat #'identity (nreverse res) ", "))
-      (if eldoc-echo-area-use-multiline-p res
-        (truncate-string-to-width
-         res (1- (window-width (minibuffer-window))))))))
+      (eldoc--handle-multiline res))))
 
 (defcustom eldoc-documentation-function #'eldoc-documentation-default
   "Function to call to return doc string.
@@ -417,11 +433,30 @@ eldoc-print-current-symbol-info
         ;; Erase the last message if we won't display a new one.
         (when eldoc-last-message
           (eldoc-message nil))
-      (let ((non-essential t))
+      (let ((non-essential t)
+            (buffer (current-buffer)))
         ;; Only keep looking for the info as long as the user hasn't
         ;; requested our attention.  This also locally disables inhibit-quit.
         (while-no-input
-          (eldoc-message (funcall eldoc-documentation-function)))))))
+          (let*
+              ((waiting-for-callback t)
+               (callback
+                (lambda (string)
+                  (with-current-buffer buffer
+                    ;; JT@2020-05-25: Currently, we expect one single
+                    ;; docstring from the client, we silently swallow
+                    ;; anything the client unexpectedly gives us,
+                    ;; including updates.  This could change.
+                    (when waiting-for-callback
+                      (setq waiting-for-callback nil)
+                      (eldoc-message (eldoc--handle-multiline string))))))
+               (res
+                (funcall eldoc-documentation-function)))
+            (cond ((stringp res) (eldoc-message res))
+                  ((and (consp res)
+                        (eq (car res) :async))
+                   (funcall (cdr res) callback))
+                  (t (eldoc-message nil)))))))))
 
 ;; If the entire line cannot fit in the echo area, the symbol name may be
 ;; truncated or eliminated entirely from the output to make room for the