diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 971a8434..9283e239 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 2004-08-29  Gary V. Vaughan  <gary@gnu.org>
 
+	* Makefile.am (dist-hook): Always distribute just a README file,
+	but take its contents from README-alpha for alpha releases.
+
 	* TODO: Reformat.  Removed some items that have been implemented.
 
 2004-08-29  Gary V. Vaughan  <gary@gnu.org>
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index da0cb799..73dbb9d8 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -146,3 +146,10 @@ install-data-local:
 install-data-hook:
 	chmod +x $(DESTDIR)$(pkgdatadir)/config.guess
 	chmod +x $(DESTDIR)$(pkgdatadir)/config.sub
+
+dist-hook:
+## Ship README-alpha only in alpha release, but renamed to README
+	@case $(VERSION) in \
+	  *[a-z]) mv $(distdir)/README-alpha $(distdir)/README ;; \
+	  *)	  rm -f $(distdir)/README-alpha ;; \
+	esac