diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS.rst
similarity index 100%
rename from AUTHORS
rename to AUTHORS.rst
diff --git a/CITING b/CITING.rst
similarity index 100%
rename from CITING
rename to CITING.rst
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTE b/CONTRIBUTE.rst
similarity index 100%
rename from CONTRIBUTE
rename to CONTRIBUTE.rst
diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL.rst
similarity index 100%
rename from INSTALL
rename to INSTALL.rst
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE.rst
similarity index 100%
rename from LICENSE
rename to LICENSE.rst
diff --git a/README b/README
deleted file mode 100644
index 5e6f2df0b2168ca35e6b4c948acb6de662aec32d..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/README
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-Kwant is a Python package for numerical quantum transport calculations. It
-exposes the natural concepts of the theory of quantum transport (lattices,
-symmetries, electrodes, orbital/spin/electron-hole degrees of freedom) in a
-simple and transparent way. Kwant offers direct support for calculations of
-transport properties (conductance, noise, scattering matrix), dispersion
-relations, modes, wave functions, various Green’s functions, and
-out-of-equilibrium local quantities. Other computations involving tight-binding
-Hamiltonians can be implemented easily.
-
-See also the files INSTALL, LICENSE, AUTHORS, CITING, and CONTRIBUTE
-in this directory.
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..b6e6882a792d44c23736b63392e827373920b57f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+Kwant is a free (open source) Python package for numerical calculations on
+tight-binding models with a strong focus on quantum transport. It is designed to
+be flexible and easy to use. Thanks to the use of innovative algorithms, Kwant
+is often faster than other available codes, even those entirely written in the
+low level FORTRAN and C/C++ languages.
+
+Tight-binding models can describe a vast variety of systems and phenomena in
+quantum physics. Therefore, Kwant can be used to simulate
+
+* metals,
+* graphene,
+* topological insulators,
+* quantum Hall effect,
+* superconductivity,
+* spintronics,
+* molecular electronics,
+* any combination of the above, and many other things.
+
+Kwant can calculate
+
+* transport properties (conductance, noise, scattering matrix),
+* dispersion relations,
+* modes,
+* wave functions,
+* various Green’s functions,
+* out-of-equilibrium local quantities.
+
+Other computations involving tight-binding Hamiltonians can be implemented
+easily.
+
+See the `Kwant web site <http://kwant-project.org/>`_ for the latest version.  A
+`mailing list <http://kwant-project.org/community>`_ is available for
+discussions, questions, and reporting bugs. The development of Kwant can be
+followed via the `public git repository <http://git.kwant-project.org/kwant>`_.
+
+See also the files INSTALL.rst, LICENSE.rst, AUTHORS.rst, CITING.rst, and
+CONTRIBUTE.rst in this directory.
diff --git a/README_WINDOWS.txt b/README_WINDOWS.txt
index d6d8833acdb0800db5d9c7ef5ed8287ef0a3d057..413a596f146cd79b659967fd18393b7b39f38f81 100644
--- a/README_WINDOWS.txt
+++ b/README_WINDOWS.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 A note for users of Microsoft Windows
 -------------------------------------
 
-To read the text files in this directory (README, LICENSE, INSTALL, etc.),
-right-click, choose "Open", and open with "WordPad".  ("Notepad" will not
+To read the text files in this directory (README.rst, LICENSE.rst, INSTALL.rst,
+etc.), right-click, choose "Open", and open with "WordPad".  ("Notepad" will not
 display the files properly.)
diff --git a/doc/source/pre/about.rst b/doc/source/pre/about.rst
index bdf7916aeb3961a1a22e3aa8688b9c26f8accb16..7962024e3fd661c6b957c22a8fdf56a4c7c5d319 100644
--- a/doc/source/pre/about.rst
+++ b/doc/source/pre/about.rst
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 About Kwant
 ===========
 
-.. include:: ../../../README
-   :end-before: See also the files
+.. include:: ../../../README.rst
+   :end-before: See the
diff --git a/doc/source/pre/authors.rst b/doc/source/pre/authors.rst
index 48164d6beb1ce58625fdf00745628ddeb074eba8..3565580570b8a812d956ac8d5876e63596b902e4 100644
--- a/doc/source/pre/authors.rst
+++ b/doc/source/pre/authors.rst
@@ -1 +1 @@
-.. include:: ../../../AUTHORS
+.. include:: ../../../AUTHORS.rst
diff --git a/doc/source/pre/citing.rst b/doc/source/pre/citing.rst
index 257c39ef17719d5dea24e7c374dabd51ecb426e3..8f56de2d5375f957f4f3e82eeda66a3af2b05d10 100644
--- a/doc/source/pre/citing.rst
+++ b/doc/source/pre/citing.rst
@@ -1 +1 @@
-.. include:: ../../../CITING
+.. include:: ../../../CITING.rst
diff --git a/doc/source/pre/contribute.rst b/doc/source/pre/contribute.rst
index 3aa17bcbb3d5666cf601a02a753452afc6176cad..eccd2e4cc3fbefebcf2bb703db275aa68782ebb6 100644
--- a/doc/source/pre/contribute.rst
+++ b/doc/source/pre/contribute.rst
@@ -1 +1 @@
-.. include:: ../../../CONTRIBUTE
+.. include:: ../../../CONTRIBUTE.rst
diff --git a/doc/source/pre/install.rst b/doc/source/pre/install.rst
index 30687c9928e87b9207b98df5b70bcd232232b0bf..c7fd0b212078312a9bd303fb61c3abef0de93435 100644
--- a/doc/source/pre/install.rst
+++ b/doc/source/pre/install.rst
@@ -1 +1 @@
-.. include:: ../../../INSTALL
+.. include:: ../../../INSTALL.rst
diff --git a/doc/source/pre/license.rst b/doc/source/pre/license.rst
index 6c40a061b96528c251acb2a65400b0d7f0194b1b..8bf92c0ba353e17449226eea39cc48c28a392633 100644
--- a/doc/source/pre/license.rst
+++ b/doc/source/pre/license.rst
@@ -1 +1 @@
-.. include:: ../../../LICENSE
+.. include:: ../../../LICENSE.rst
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index bbafc61961362f752261048f569e4799cece985f..b8a3c6d87eefde012ace65dd25b91f7f0902d277 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 # http://kwant-project.org/authors.
 
 CONFIG_FILE = 'build.conf'
-README_FILE = 'README'
+README_FILE = 'README.rst'
+README_END_BEFORE = 'See also the files'
 STATIC_VERSION_FILE = 'kwant/_static_version.py'
 REQUIRED_CYTHON_VERSION = (0, 17, 1)
 NO_CYTHON_OPTION = '--no-cython'
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ class kwant_build_ext(build_ext):
             print >>sys.stderr, \
 """{0}
 The compilation of Kwant has failed.  Please examine the error message
-above and consult the installation instructions in README.
+above and consult the installation instructions in README.rst.
 You might have to customize {1}.
 {0}
 Build configuration was:
@@ -281,9 +282,11 @@ def long_description():
     try:
         with open(README_FILE) as f:
             for line in f:
-                if line == "\n":
+                if line.startswith(README_END_BEFORE):
                     break
                 text.append(line.rstrip())
+            while text[-1] == "":
+                text.pop()
     except:
         return ''
     return '\n'.join(text)