diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7f47b2f3b7655bd9b616f02dcbb66cf6c6cd92a4..ca6b4b39c97259e2344d5eb0e0a783e7f739375a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 /doc/api
 /doc/build
 /doc/html
+/doc/news.rst
 /doc/*.in
 /doc/*.png
 
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index eae2cc5f5dcc41824272d7d69fe154b89afe8425..0a01786307beda8969fa52c318e26e934696a96c 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ DIRS = \
 
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = \
 	$(docpng) \
-	$(maninput)
+	$(maninput) \
+	doc/news.rst
 
 maintainer-clean-local:
 	rm -rf doc/api doc/html
@@ -148,7 +149,8 @@ docrst = \
 	doc/install.rst \
 	doc/locking.rst \
 	doc/rapi.rst \
-	doc/security.rst
+	doc/security.rst \
+	doc/news.rst
 
 doc/html/.stamp: $(docrst) $(docpng) doc/conf.py configure.ac
 	@test -n "$(SPHINX)" || \
@@ -163,6 +165,14 @@ doc/html/.stamp: $(docrst) $(docpng) doc/conf.py configure.ac
 
 doc/html: doc/html/.stamp
 
+doc/news.rst: NEWS
+	set -e; \
+	{ echo '.. This file is automatically updated at build time from $<.'; \
+	  echo '.. Do not edit.'; \
+	  echo; \
+	  cat $<; \
+	} > $@
+
 docdot = \
 	doc/arch-2.0.dot \
 	doc/design-2.1-lock-acquire.dot \
diff --git a/doc/index.rst b/doc/index.rst
index e005bb92e6779f9e1998465f69b7c5a5f692e63d..059016af78afde3aeacf44bcde819b8c8d571b06 100644
--- a/doc/index.rst
+++ b/doc/index.rst
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Contents:
    iallocator.rst
    rapi.rst
    devnotes.rst
+   news.rst
    glossary.rst
 
 Also see the :ref:`search`.