diff --git a/src/config/README b/src/config/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb2debb88f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/README
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+This directory has configuration files that ship with Tor.  They include:
+
+geoip
+geoip6
+
+    Geoip files for IPv4 and IPv6
+
+torrc.minimal, torrc.sample:
+
+    generated from torrc.minimal.in and torrc.sample.in by autoconf.
+
+torrc.minimal.in:
+
+    A very small torrc, suitable for installation by default in
+    /etc/tor/torrc.
+
+    We try to change torrc.minimal.in as infrequently as possible,
+    since doing so makes the users of many packages have to re-build
+    their torrc files.
+
+
+torrc.minimal.in-staging
+
+    This is where we stage changes to torrc.minimal.in over time so
+    that when we have a change large enough to warrant a new
+    torrc.minimal.in, we can copy all the other changes over
+    wholesale.
+
+torrc.sample.in:
+
+    A verbose, discursive, batteries-included torrc.  Suitable for
+    letting people know how to set up various options, including those
+    most people shouldn't mess with.
+
+
diff --git a/src/config/include.am b/src/config/include.am
index c283628513..ee38934938 100644
--- a/src/config/include.am
+++ b/src/config/include.am
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@ confdir = $(sysconfdir)/tor
 
 tordatadir = $(datadir)/tor
 
-EXTRA_DIST+= src/config/geoip src/config/geoip6 src/config/torrc.minimal.in
-# fallback-consensus
+EXTRA_DIST+= \
+	src/config/geoip \
+	src/config/geoip6 \
+	src/config/torrc.minimal.in \
+	src/config/torrc.sample.in \
+	src/config/README
 
 conf_DATA = src/config/torrc.sample