diff --git a/ports/esp32/boards/GENERIC_S3/board.json b/ports/esp32/boards/GENERIC_S3/board.json
index 058fb7dff0..0db9b32503 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/boards/GENERIC_S3/board.json
+++ b/ports/esp32/boards/GENERIC_S3/board.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "deploy": [
-        "../deploy.md"
+        "../deploy_s3.md"
     ],
     "docs": "",
     "features": [
diff --git a/ports/esp32/boards/GENERIC_S3_SPIRAM/board.json b/ports/esp32/boards/GENERIC_S3_SPIRAM/board.json
index ee2cb8d3f4..3b405d4a12 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/boards/GENERIC_S3_SPIRAM/board.json
+++ b/ports/esp32/boards/GENERIC_S3_SPIRAM/board.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "deploy": [
-        "../deploy.md"
+        "../deploy_s3.md"
     ],
     "docs": "",
     "features": [
diff --git a/ports/esp32/boards/deploy_s3.md b/ports/esp32/boards/deploy_s3.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7f564a95e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ports/esp32/boards/deploy_s3.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Program your board using the esptool.py program, found [here](https://github.com/espressif/esptool).
+
+If you are putting MicroPython on your board for the first time then you should
+first erase the entire flash using:
+
+```bash
+esptool.py --chip esp32s3 --port /dev/ttyACM0 erase_flash
+```
+
+From then on program the firmware starting at address 0:
+
+```bash
+esptool.py --chip esp32s3 --port /dev/ttyACM0 write_flash -z 0 board-20210902-v1.17.bin
+```