diff --git a/hledger-api/hledger-api.cabal b/hledger-api/hledger-api.cabal
index 2b9941868..ac3660216 100644
--- a/hledger-api/hledger-api.cabal
+++ b/hledger-api/hledger-api.cabal
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ cabal-version:  >= 1.10
 
 extra-source-files:
     CHANGES
+    README
     examples/01.html
     examples/02.html
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib/README b/hledger-lib/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d38ae8d9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hledger-lib/README
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+A reusable library containing hledger's core functionality.
+This is used by most hledger* packages for common data parsing,
+command line option handling, reporting etc.
diff --git a/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal b/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
index 57c59c5b5..a5da74d18 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
+++ b/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ tested-with:    GHC==7.4.2, GHC==7.6.3, GHC==7.8.4, GHC==7.10.2
 
 extra-source-files:
     CHANGES 
+    README
 
 source-repository head
   type: git
diff --git a/hledger-web/README b/hledger-web/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..21944ded6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hledger-web/README
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+A basic web UI for hledger data. Intended to be robust and somewhat useful.
diff --git a/hledger-web/hledger-web.cabal b/hledger-web/hledger-web.cabal
index be2ddc10d..1ec73e2c9 100644
--- a/hledger-web/hledger-web.cabal
+++ b/hledger-web/hledger-web.cabal
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ tested-with:    GHC==7.6.3, GHC==7.8.4, GHC==7.10.2
 
 extra-source-files:
       CHANGES
+      README
       config/favicon.ico
       config/keter.yaml
       config/robots.txt