diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index 24888631..73c28783 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ graft python
 graft src
 graft include
 graft thirdparty
+graft docs
 recursive-include lib .gitignore
 include Makefile
 include README.md
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index d00c7fb7..d5a75a47 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -64,13 +64,17 @@ def run(self):
                   library_dirs = library_dirs,
                   language = 'c' )]
 
+def readme():
+	with open('docs/pyslow5_api/pyslow5.md') as f:
+		return f.read()
+
 
 setup(
     name = 'pyslow5',
     version='0.2.0a1',
     url = 'https://github.com/hasindu2008/slow5lib',
     description='slow5lib python bindings',
-    long_description='The slow5 python library (pyslow5) allows a user to read slow5 and blow5 files. Visit https://hasindu2008.github.io/slow5lib/pyslow5_api/pyslow5.html',
+    long_description=readme(),
     author='Hasindu Gamaarachchi, Sasha Jenner, James Ferguson',
     author_email='hasindu2008@gmail.com',
     maintainer='Hasindu Gamaarachchi',