diff --git a/doc/topics/master_tops/index.rst b/doc/topics/master_tops/index.rst
index a078eb9c30..34e8e1c240 100644
--- a/doc/topics/master_tops/index.rst
+++ b/doc/topics/master_tops/index.rst
@@ -8,10 +8,9 @@ In 0.10.4 the `external_nodes` system was upgraded to allow for modular
 subsystems to be used to generate the top file data for a :ref:`highstate
 <running-highstate>` run on the master.
 
-The old `external_nodes` option has been removed.
-The master tops system contains a number of subsystems that
-are loaded via the Salt loader interfaces like modules, states, returners,
-runners, etc.
+The old `external_nodes` option has been removed. The master tops system
+provides a pluggable and extendable replacement for it, allowing for multiple
+different subsystems to provide top file data.
 
 Using the new `master_tops` option is simple:
 
@@ -38,24 +37,25 @@ for :mod:`Reclass <salt.tops.reclass_adapter>`.
 
 for :mod:`Varstack <salt.tops.varstack>`.
 
-It's also possible to create custom master_tops modules. These modules must go
-in a subdirectory called `tops` in the `extension_modules` directory.
-The `extension_modules` directory is not defined by default (the
-default `/srv/salt/_modules` will NOT work as of this release)
+It's also possible to create custom master_tops modules. Simply place them into
+``salt://_tops`` in the Salt fileserver and use the
+:py:func:`saltutil.sync_tops <salt.runners.saltutil.sync_tops>` runner to sync
+them. If this runner function is not available, they can manually be placed
+into ``extmods/tops``, relative to the master cachedir (in most cases the full
+path will be ``/var/cache/salt/master/extmods/tops``).
 
 Custom tops modules are written like any other execution module, see the source
-for the two modules above for examples of fully functional ones. Below is
-a degenerate example:
+for the two modules above for examples of fully functional ones. Below is a
+bare-bones example:
 
-/etc/salt/master:
+**/etc/salt/master:**
 
 .. code-block:: yaml
 
-   extension_modules: /srv/salt/modules
    master_tops:
      customtop: True
 
-/srv/salt/modules/tops/customtop.py:
+**customtop.py:** (custom master_tops module)
 
 .. code-block:: python
 
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ a degenerate example:
 
     log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+
     def __virtual__():
         return __virtualname__
 
@@ -84,3 +85,10 @@ a degenerate example:
        ----------
        base:
          - test
+
+.. note::
+    If a master_tops module returns :ref:`top file <states-top>` data for a
+    given minion, it will be added to the states configured in the top file. It
+    will *not* replace it altogether. The Nitrogen release adds additional
+    functionality allowing a minion to treat master_tops as the single source
+    of truth, irrespective of the top file.
diff --git a/salt/runners/saltutil.py b/salt/runners/saltutil.py
index 5e6a43b480..75abfcf9f7 100644
--- a/salt/runners/saltutil.py
+++ b/salt/runners/saltutil.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ def sync_all(saltenv='base'):
     ret['queues'] = sync_queues(saltenv=saltenv)
     ret['pillar'] = sync_pillar(saltenv=saltenv)
     ret['utils'] = sync_utils(saltenv=saltenv)
+    ret['tops'] = sync_tops(saltenv=saltenv)
     return ret
 
 
@@ -268,3 +269,22 @@ def sync_utils(saltenv='base'):
         salt-run saltutil.sync_utils
     '''
     return salt.utils.extmods.sync(__opts__, 'utils', saltenv=saltenv)[0]
+
+
+def sync_tops(saltenv='base'):
+    '''
+    .. versionadded:: 2016.3.7,2016.11.4,Nitrogen
+
+    Sync master_tops modules from ``salt://_tops`` to the master
+
+    saltenv : base
+        The fileserver environment from which to sync. To sync from more than
+        one environment, pass a comma-separated list.
+
+    CLI Example:
+
+    .. code-block:: bash
+
+        salt-run saltutil.sync_tops
+    '''
+    return salt.utils.extmods.sync(__opts__, 'tops', saltenv=saltenv)[0]