diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 5454b55a9..550b9b7c6 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ install-data-local: init-state
 	if ! test -e $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/nix/nix.conf; then \
 		$(INSTALL_DATA) $(srcdir)/nix.conf.example $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/nix/nix.conf; \
 	fi
+	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)
+	$(INSTALL_DATA) README $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/
 
 if INIT_STATE
 
diff --git a/README b/README
index f596f42be..35a1f6cc0 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-For installation and usage instructions, please read the manual, which
-can be found in `docs/manual/manual.html', and additionally at the Nix
-website at <http://nixos.org/>.
+Nix is a purely functional package manager.  For installation and
+usage instructions, please read the manual, which can be found in
+`docs/manual/manual.html', and additionally at the Nix website at
+<http://nixos.org/>.
 
 
 Acknowledgments
 
 This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for
-use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.OpenSSL.org/)
+use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.OpenSSL.org/).
diff --git a/doc/manual/Makefile.am b/doc/manual/Makefile.am
index 62a7e9bff..20c9e1bee 100644
--- a/doc/manual/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/manual/Makefile.am
@@ -75,12 +75,12 @@ NEWS.txt: release-notes.xml
 all-local: manual.html NEWS.html NEWS.txt
 
 install-data-local: manual.html
-	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/nix/manual
-	$(INSTALL_DATA) manual.html $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/nix/manual
-	$(INSTALL_DATA) style.css $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/nix/manual
-	cp -r images $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/nix/manual/images
-	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/nix/manual/figures
-	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(FIGURES) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/nix/manual/figures
+	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual
+	$(INSTALL_DATA) manual.html $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual
+	$(INSTALL_DATA) style.css $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual
+	cp -r images $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual/images
+	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual/figures
+	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(FIGURES) $(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/manual/figures
 
 images:
 	mkdir images