diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbb394e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+## beaker-puppet\_install\_helper
+
+This gem is simply an abstraction for the various ways that we install puppet from the `spec/spec_helper_acceptance.rb` files across the modules.
+
+The way to use this is to declare either `run_puppet_install_helper()` or `run_puppet_install_helper_on(hosts)` and set environment variables `PUPPET_VERSION` and/or `PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE` in the following combinations to have puppet installed on the desired hosts:
+
+- `PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE` is unset: it will look at the default node's type (ie, `default.is_pe?` and choose either foss or pe methods below.
+- `PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE=pe` will read `PUPPET_VERSION` and attempt to install that version of the PE tarball. If no version is set, then it uses the latest stable build.
+- `PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE=foss` will read `PUPPET_VERSION` and:
+  - if `PUPPET_VERSION` is less than 4 will attempt to install that version of the system package if available, or else the ruby gem of that version.
+  - if `PUPPET_VERSION` is 4 or more it will attempt to install the corresponding puppet-agent package, or gem version otherwise.
+- `PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE=agent` will read `PUPPET_VERSION` and install that version of puppet-agent (eg, `PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE=agent PUPPET_VERSION=1.0.0`)
+
+The best way is explicitly set `PUPPET_INSTALL_TYPE` and `PUPPET_VERSION` to what you want. It'll probably do what you expect.
+
+### TODO
+- Add support for ci-ready builds