diff --git a/docs/README.md b/docs/README.md
index 3658cf6d6..f2dfc52e8 100644
--- a/docs/README.md
+++ b/docs/README.md
@@ -392,7 +392,35 @@ Each issue has its own dropdown-menu, which typically contains:
 But note that there might be more possible solutions, some of which may actually be more preferred.
 * A navigation-command to go to a page for more details.
 
-## Custom command documentation
+## Command documentation
+
+### Internal documentation
+When at least a part of a command is entered, the documentation will have a menu item to run a salt command that collects the internal documentation.
+When the target field is still empty, all minions are asked to produce the documentation.
+Otherwise the given target is used. When using identical minions, there is not much difference, but with minions on different operating systems,  this helps to get the best matching documentation.
+Although multiple minions may return the documentation, only the first answer is actually presented.
+When some minions are offline, it may be useful to specify a target that does not include the offline minions, e.g. by specifying a single minion that is known to be online.
+
+### External documentation
+When the function "Online reference for ..." is used, a set of URLs is produced. The URLs point to the SaltStack documentation on the `docs.saltproject.io` website.
+When more parts of the command are already typed in, then more specific URLs become available.
+This function does not execute a command to any minion.
+When the command-box is opened for the first time, a list of command-providers is retrieved from all minions to determine which providers (categories) are available.
+An alternative target can be specified in the configurationfile for retrieving the list.
+
+To skip retrieving this information, use value `SKIP`.
+```
+test_providers_target: "SKIP"
+```
+
+To specify an alternative target to retrieve this information, use any other value.
+This may be single minion-id, or any other minion pattern.
+The target-type is automatically decided, just like in the "Target" field.
+```
+test_providers_target: "minion7"
+```
+
+### Custom command documentation
 A custom HTML help text can be shown from the "Manual Run" overlay.
 
 To use it,
diff --git a/saltgui/static/scripts/Api.js b/saltgui/static/scripts/Api.js
index af447572b..be17b4fee 100644
--- a/saltgui/static/scripts/Api.js
+++ b/saltgui/static/scripts/Api.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import {Character} from "./Character.js";
 import {CommandBox} from "./CommandBox.js";
 import {Router} from "./Router.js";
+import {TargetType} from "./TargetType.js";
 import {Utils} from "./Utils.js";
 
 export class HTTPError extends Error {
@@ -180,11 +181,12 @@ export class API {
     return this.apiRequest("POST", "/", params);
   }
 
-  getLocalTestProviders () {
+  getLocalTestProviders (pTgt) {
     const params = {
       "client": "local",
       "fun": "test.providers",
-      "tgt": "*"
+      "tgt": pTgt,
+      "tgt_type": TargetType.getTargetTypeFromTarget(pTgt)
     };
     return this.apiRequest("POST", "/", params);
   }
diff --git a/saltgui/static/scripts/CommandBox.js b/saltgui/static/scripts/CommandBox.js
index bc0112328..44228690a 100644
--- a/saltgui/static/scripts/CommandBox.js
+++ b/saltgui/static/scripts/CommandBox.js
@@ -485,12 +485,17 @@ export class CommandBox {
       return;
     }
 
-    const localTestProviders = pApi.getLocalTestProviders();
+    const target = Utils.getStorageItem("session", "test_providers_target", "*");
+    if (target === "SKIP") {
+      Documentation.PROVIDERS = {"SKIPPED": []};
+      return;
+    }
 
+    const localTestProviders = pApi.getLocalTestProviders(target);
     localTestProviders.then((pData) => {
       Documentation._handleLocalTestProviders(pData);
     }, () => {
-      // VOID
+      Documentation.PROVIDERS = {"ERROR": []};
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/saltgui/static/scripts/Documentation.js b/saltgui/static/scripts/Documentation.js
index c0abe5901..04d622376 100644
--- a/saltgui/static/scripts/Documentation.js
+++ b/saltgui/static/scripts/Documentation.js
@@ -291,6 +291,12 @@ export class Documentation {
       if (Object.keys(Documentation.PROVIDERS).length === 0) {
         html += "<p>The documentation index has not been retrieved yet. We'll just assume this is a regular command.</p>";
         concreteModules = [cmd[1]];
+      } else if ("SKIPPED" in Documentation.PROVIDERS) {
+        html += "<p>The documentation index is skipped on this system. We'll just assume this is a regular command.</p>";
+        concreteModules = [cmd[1]];
+      } else if ("ERROR" in Documentation.PROVIDERS) {
+        html += "<p>The documentation index could not be retrieved. We'll just assume this is a regular command.</p>";
+        concreteModules = [cmd[1]];
       }
 
       switch (concreteModules.length) {
diff --git a/saltgui/static/scripts/TargetType.js b/saltgui/static/scripts/TargetType.js
index f57ae8f4f..54020bfea 100644
--- a/saltgui/static/scripts/TargetType.js
+++ b/saltgui/static/scripts/TargetType.js
@@ -87,30 +87,37 @@ export class TargetType {
     }
   }
 
-  static autoSelectTargetType (pTarget) {
-
-    if (!TargetType.menuTargetType._system) {
-      // user has selected the value, do not touch it
-      return;
-    }
-
+  static getTargetTypeFromTarget (pTarget) {
     if (Array.isArray(pTarget)) {
-      TargetType.menuTargetType._value = "list";
-    } else if (pTarget.includes("@") || pTarget.includes(" ") ||
+      return "list";
+    }
+    if (pTarget.includes("@") || pTarget.includes(" ") ||
       pTarget.includes("(") || pTarget.includes(")")) {
       // "@" is a strong indicator for compound target
       // but "space", "(" and ")" are also typical for compound target
-      TargetType.menuTargetType._value = "compound";
-    } else if (pTarget.includes(",")) {
+      return "compound";
+    }
+    if (pTarget.includes(",")) {
       // "," is a strong indicator for list target (when it is also not compound)
-      TargetType.menuTargetType._value = "list";
-    } else if (pTarget.startsWith("#")) {
+      return "list";
+    }
+    if (pTarget.startsWith("#")) {
       // "#" at the start of a line is a strong indicator for nodegroup target
       // this is not a SALTSTACK standard, but our own invention
-      TargetType.menuTargetType._value = "nodegroup";
-    } else {
-      TargetType.menuTargetType._value = "glob";
+      return "nodegroup";
     }
+    return "glob";
+  }
+
+  static autoSelectTargetType (pTarget) {
+
+    if (!TargetType.menuTargetType._system) {
+      // user has selected the value, do not touch it
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const targetType = TargetType.getTargetTypeFromTarget (pTarget);
+    TargetType.menuTargetType._value = targetType;
 
     // show the new title
     TargetType._updateTargetTypeText();
diff --git a/saltgui/static/scripts/panels/Login.js b/saltgui/static/scripts/panels/Login.js
index f88f1cd6b..8a5b207a9 100644
--- a/saltgui/static/scripts/panels/Login.js
+++ b/saltgui/static/scripts/panels/Login.js
@@ -484,6 +484,12 @@ export class LoginPanel extends Panel {
       const clusterInfo = "This is node " + id + " from cluster " + clusterId + " " + JSON.stringify(clusterPeers).replace(/"/g, "");
       Utils.setStorageItem("session", "cluster_info", clusterInfo);
     }
+
+    let testProvidersTarget = wheelConfigValuesData.test_providers_target;
+    if (!testProvidersTarget) {
+      testProvidersTarget = "*";
+    }
+    Utils.setStorageItem("session", "test_providers_target", testProvidersTarget);
   }
 
   _onLoginFailure (error) {