diff --git a/Changelog b/Changelog
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Changelog
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+lambdabot 5.0.1
+	* update to monad-control-1.0
+	* if ./State/ exists, then state files are stored there even if a
+	  corresponding file exists in ~/.lambdabot/State
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+# About Lambdabot
+
+Lambdabot is an IRC bot written over several years by those on the Freenode
+`#haskell` IRC channel.
+
+It operates as a command line tool, embedded in an editor, embedded in GHCi,
+via internet relay chat and on the web.
+
+## Installation
+
+The easiest way to install `lambdabot` is from hackage, by the following
+commands:
+
+    cabal install --constraint 'transformers installed' lambdabot djinn
+    hoogle data
+
+The second command fetches the data for Lambdabot's `@hoogle` command, which
+is a thin wrapper around the [`hoogle`](https://www.haskell.org/hoogle/)
+command line tool. Invoking `lambdabot` will (hopefully) display a
+`lambdabot>` prompt.
+
+It is also possible to install lambdabot in a sandbox. In that case, use
+`cabal exec lambdabot` to launch lambdabot.
+
+## Files
+
+Some lambdabot modules maintain state. The state is stored in `./State/`
+if that directory exits; otherwise, it will end up on `~/.lambdabot/State/`.
+State files of particular interest are:
+
+ * `Pristine.hs` and `L.hs`: Environment for running Haskell code.
+   The command `@let` adds new definitions to `L.hs`, whereas `@undefine`
+   copies `Pristine.hs` to `L.hs`.
+ * `offlinerc`: This file contains a history of commands typed into
+   lambdabot's tty interface.
+
+## Customization
+
+The state file `Pristine.hs` defines the environment in which Haskell code
+is run. To customize lambdabot's modules, unpack the lambdabot package
+
+    cabal unpack lambdabot; cd lambdabot-<version>
+
+You can then edit `src/Modules.hs` to configure the loaded modules.
+
+## Using Lambdabot
+
+Lambdabot has a number of modules, most of which provide several commands.
+Type `@listmodules` to obtain a list of module names, and then
+`@list <module>` to list a module's commands. Executing `@help command`
+displays a short description of the command.
+
+The following sample session demonstrates some useful lambdabot commands.
+
+    lambdabot> > sum [1..10]
+     55
+    lambdabot> @let foo = 42
+    lambdabot> > product [1..foo]
+     1405006117752879898543142606244511569936384000000000
+    lambdabot> @undefine
+        Not in scope:‘foo’
+        Perhaps you meant ‘Data.Traversable.for’ (imported from Data.Traversable)
+    lambdabot> @type map
+    (a -> b) -> [a] -> [b]
+    lambdabot> @djinn (b -> c) -> (a -> b) -> a -> c
+    f a b c = a (b c)
+    lambdabot> @pl \x y z -> y z x
+    flip flip
+    lambdabot> @unpl flip flip
+    (\ b c f -> c f b)
+    lambdabot> @undo do x <- step1; step2; step3
+    step1 >>= \ x -> step2 >> step3
+
+## Further Information
+
+- [lambdabot](https://github.com/lambdabot/lambdabot) on github
+- [lambdabot](https://wiki.haskell.org/Lambdabot) on the Haskell wiki (outdated)
+- [GOA: GHCI integration](https://wiki.haskell.org/GHC/GHCi#GHCi_on_Acid) (Haskell Wiki)
diff --git a/lambdabot.cabal b/lambdabot.cabal
--- a/lambdabot.cabal
+++ b/lambdabot.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                   lambdabot
-version:                5.0
+version:                5.0.1
 
 license:                GPL
 license-file:           LICENSE
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
                         scripts/vim/run
                         scripts/vim/runwith
                         scripts/vim/typeOf
+                        Changelog
+                        README.md
 
 data-files:             scripts/online.rc,
                         State/haddock,
@@ -47,10 +49,10 @@
 
   ghc-options:          -Wall -threaded
   build-depends:        base                         >= 3 && < 5,
-                        lambdabot-core               >= 5 && < 5.1,
-                        lambdabot-haskell-plugins    >= 5 && < 5.1,
-                        lambdabot-irc-plugins        >= 5 && < 5.1,
-                        lambdabot-misc-plugins       >= 5 && < 5.1,
-                        lambdabot-novelty-plugins    >= 5 && < 5.1,
-                        lambdabot-reference-plugins  >= 5 && < 5.1,
-                        lambdabot-social-plugins     >= 5 && < 5.1
+                        lambdabot-core               >= 5.0.1 && < 5.1,
+                        lambdabot-haskell-plugins    >= 5.0.1 && < 5.1,
+                        lambdabot-irc-plugins        >= 5.0.1 && < 5.1,
+                        lambdabot-misc-plugins       >= 5.0.1 && < 5.1,
+                        lambdabot-novelty-plugins    >= 5.0.1 && < 5.1,
+                        lambdabot-reference-plugins  >= 5.0.1 && < 5.1,
+                        lambdabot-social-plugins     >= 5.0.1 && < 5.1
diff --git a/src/Main.hs b/src/Main.hs
--- a/src/Main.hs
+++ b/src/Main.hs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import Lambdabot.Main
 import Lambdabot.Plugin.Haskell
 import Modules      (modulesInfo)
+import Paths_lambdabot (getDataDir)
 
 import Control.Applicative
 import Control.Monad
@@ -68,8 +69,12 @@
 main = do
     (config, nonOpts, errors) <- getOpt Permute flags <$> getArgs
     when (not (null errors && null nonOpts)) (usage errors)
-    exitWith =<< lambdabotMain modulesInfo =<< sequence config
+    config' <- sequence config
+    dir <- getDataDir
+    exitWith =<< lambdabotMain modulesInfo ([dataDir :=> dir] ++ config')
 
 -- special online target for ghci use
 online :: [String] -> IO ()
-online strs = void (lambdabotMain modulesInfo [onStartupCmds :=> strs])
+online strs = do
+    dir <- getDataDir
+    void (lambdabotMain modulesInfo [dataDir :=> dir, onStartupCmds :=> strs])