diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 85a606c2b4..5d96070777 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -1480,6 +1480,7 @@ components/fppkg/standalone/lazarusfppkg.ico -text svneol=unset#image/x-icon
 components/fppkg/standalone/lazarusfppkg.lpi svneol=native#text/plain
 components/fppkg/standalone/lazarusfppkg.pas svneol=native#text/plain
 components/fppkg/standalone/lazarusfppkg.res -text
+components/fpreport/README.txt svneol=native#text/plain
 components/fpreport/cfgfpreporthtmlexport.lfm svneol=native#text/plain
 components/fpreport/cfgfpreporthtmlexport.pp svneol=native#text/plain
 components/fpreport/cfgfpreportimageexport.lfm svneol=native#text/plain
diff --git a/components/fpreport/README.txt b/components/fpreport/README.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..03eb7449f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/fpreport/README.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+
+Compiling:
+
+- Run-time package: 
+  lclfpreport.lpk
+- Report Designer windows and functionality:
+  design/lazfprepordesign.lpk
+- FPreport component IDE registration and design-time support: 
+  design/lazidefpreport.lpk
+- Standalone designer: 
+  design/reportdesign.lpr
+- Demos: demos/fcldemo.lpr
+
+Before compiling demos:
+
+Copy the contents of the FPC fcl-report/demo directory to the demo
+directory.
+
+Check the various defines in udapp.pp and demos.inc:
+
+EXPORTPDF - enable export to PDF
+EXPORTFPIMAGE - enable export to image
+EXPORTHTML - enable export to html
+
+To enable the following defines, check the lcldemo project
+EXPORTLCL - enable export to LCL (preview)
+
+Running on windows:
+If EXPORTFPIMAGE is defined, the freetype.dll is needed.
+