diff --git a/doc/source/user_guide/io.rst b/doc/source/user_guide/io.rst
index d4be9d802d697..cc42f952b1733 100644
--- a/doc/source/user_guide/io.rst
+++ b/doc/source/user_guide/io.rst
@@ -3441,10 +3441,11 @@ for some advanced strategies
 
 .. warning::
 
-   pandas requires ``PyTables`` >= 3.0.0.
-   There is a indexing bug in ``PyTables`` < 3.2 which may appear when querying stores using an index.
-   If you see a subset of results being returned, upgrade to ``PyTables`` >= 3.2.
-   Stores created previously will need to be rewritten using the updated version.
+   Pandas uses PyTables for reading and writing HDF5 files, which allows
+   serializing object-dtype data with pickle. Loading pickled data received from
+   untrusted sources can be unsafe.
+
+   See: https://docs.python.org/3/library/pickle.html for more.
 
 .. ipython:: python
    :suppress:
diff --git a/pandas/io/pytables.py b/pandas/io/pytables.py
index e0df4c29e543e..6497067e3930c 100644
--- a/pandas/io/pytables.py
+++ b/pandas/io/pytables.py
@@ -289,7 +289,15 @@ def read_hdf(
     Read from the store, close it if we opened it.
 
     Retrieve pandas object stored in file, optionally based on where
-    criteria
+    criteria.
+
+    .. warning::
+
+       Pandas uses PyTables for reading and writing HDF5 files, which allows
+       serializing object-dtype data with pickle when using the "fixed" format.
+       Loading pickled data received from untrusted sources can be unsafe.
+
+       See: https://docs.python.org/3/library/pickle.html for more.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
@@ -445,6 +453,14 @@ class HDFStore:
 
     Either Fixed or Table format.
 
+    .. warning::
+
+       Pandas uses PyTables for reading and writing HDF5 files, which allows
+       serializing object-dtype data with pickle when using the "fixed" format.
+       Loading pickled data received from untrusted sources can be unsafe.
+
+       See: https://docs.python.org/3/library/pickle.html for more.
+
     Parameters
     ----------
     path : str
@@ -789,6 +805,14 @@ def select(
         """
         Retrieve pandas object stored in file, optionally based on where criteria.
 
+        .. warning::
+
+           Pandas uses PyTables for reading and writing HDF5 files, which allows
+           serializing object-dtype data with pickle when using the "fixed" format.
+           Loading pickled data received from untrusted sources can be unsafe.
+
+           See: https://docs.python.org/3/library/pickle.html for more.
+
         Parameters
         ----------
         key : str
@@ -852,6 +876,15 @@ def select_as_coordinates(
         """
         return the selection as an Index
 
+        .. warning::
+
+           Pandas uses PyTables for reading and writing HDF5 files, which allows
+           serializing object-dtype data with pickle when using the "fixed" format.
+           Loading pickled data received from untrusted sources can be unsafe.
+
+           See: https://docs.python.org/3/library/pickle.html for more.
+
+
         Parameters
         ----------
         key : str
@@ -876,6 +909,14 @@ def select_column(
         return a single column from the table. This is generally only useful to
         select an indexable
 
+        .. warning::
+
+           Pandas uses PyTables for reading and writing HDF5 files, which allows
+           serializing object-dtype data with pickle when using the "fixed" format.
+           Loading pickled data received from untrusted sources can be unsafe.
+
+           See: https://docs.python.org/3/library/pickle.html for more.
+
         Parameters
         ----------
         key : str
@@ -912,6 +953,14 @@ def select_as_multiple(
         """
         Retrieve pandas objects from multiple tables.
 
+        .. warning::
+
+           Pandas uses PyTables for reading and writing HDF5 files, which allows
+           serializing object-dtype data with pickle when using the "fixed" format.
+           Loading pickled data received from untrusted sources can be unsafe.
+
+           See: https://docs.python.org/3/library/pickle.html for more.
+
         Parameters
         ----------
         keys : a list of the tables