diff --git a/hledger-api/doc/README b/hledger-api/doc/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b8691b7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hledger-api/doc/README
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Documentation for this package, used to generate manual(s) in multiple
+formats (see Shake.hs). *.m4.md are the master files.
diff --git a/hledger-lib/doc/README b/hledger-lib/doc/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b8691b7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hledger-lib/doc/README
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Documentation for this package, used to generate manual(s) in multiple
+formats (see Shake.hs). *.m4.md are the master files.
diff --git a/hledger-ui/doc/README b/hledger-ui/doc/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b8691b7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hledger-ui/doc/README
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Documentation for this package, used to generate manual(s) in multiple
+formats (see Shake.hs). *.m4.md are the master files.
diff --git a/hledger-web/doc/README b/hledger-web/doc/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b8691b7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hledger-web/doc/README
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Documentation for this package, used to generate manual(s) in multiple
+formats (see Shake.hs). *.m4.md are the master files.
diff --git a/hledger/doc/README b/hledger/doc/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b8691b7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hledger/doc/README
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Documentation for this package, used to generate manual(s) in multiple
+formats (see Shake.hs). *.m4.md are the master files.