include installation instructions
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index caacb75..c898cd2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,3 +19,29 @@
and Erlang. Other encodings would be possible, but would require
additional client and server-side code to support that encoding. This
is the simplest scheme that is obviously correct.
+
+Installation
+----
+
+Install any dependencies. `couchperuser` requires `rebar`, e.g.
+
+ $ brew install rebar
+
+Ensure the `plugins` directory exists, e.g.
+
+ $ mkdir /usr/local/Cellar/couchdb/1.6.0_1/lib/couchdb/plugins
+
+Clone (download) the repo:
+
+ $ git clone https://github.com/etrepum/couchperuser.git
+
+Move the plugin files:
+
+ $ mv couchperuser /usr/local/Cellar/couchdb/1.6.0_1/lib/couchdb/plugins
+
+Build the plugin files:
+
+ $ cd /usr/local/Cellar/couchdb/1.6.0_1/lib/couchdb/plugins
+ $ make
+
+Restart couchdb
