diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 33491a577ad1c2dc6473e30c7d713100a7599de1..695d1d0d319d455ab0c426eb684425fc9ed79c6e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 spice-html5.spec
+package.json
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index add307f4bed1d114a30d03dc403d97b304c001da..161a14a6bff1b3b208dbeae4a87569b6fc40c041 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -26,23 +26,35 @@ endif
 
 source_for_rpm = $(HOME)/rpmbuild/SOURCES/spice-html5-$(version).tar.gz
 
-.PHONY: usage spice-html5.spec rpm tar gittar local git install
+.PHONY: usage spice-html5.spec package.json rpm tar gittar local git install
 
 usage:
 	@echo "This project does not normally need to be built.  See the README."
 	@echo " "
-	@echo "This Makefile is mostly used for creating RPM packages, which you"
-	@echo "can do by invoking 'make local' to use the current working directory,"
-	@echo "or 'make git' to use the latest git HEAD."
-	@echo "You can specify an alternate source tarball like this:"
-	@echo "  make source=/my/alternate/source local"
-	@echo "You can specifcy a specific git tag like this:"
-	@echo "  make tag=my_specific_tag git"
-	@echo "Results generally go in ~/rpmbuild"
+	@echo "This Makefile is used for creating RPM packages and the package.json file used by npm."
+	@echo " "
+	@echo "Building an rpm: "
+	@echo "  Invoke 'make local' to make an rpm with the current working directory,"
+	@echo "  or 'make git' to make an rpm with the latest git HEAD."
+	@echo "  You can specify an alternate source tarball like this:"
+	@echo "    make source=/my/alternate/source local"
+	@echo "  You can specify a specific git tag like this:"
+	@echo "    make tag=my_specific_tag git"
+	@echo "  Results generally go in ~/rpmbuild"
+	@echo " "
+	@echo "Preparing for an npm publish:"
+	@echo "    make package.json"
+	@echo "  where you can specify"
+	@echo "    make tag=my_specific_tag package.json"
+	@echo "  to prepare a particular release."
+
 
 spice-html5.spec:
 	sed -e "s/VERSION/$(version)/" < spice-html5.spec.in > spice-html5.spec
 
+package.json:
+	sed -e "s/VERSION/$(version)/" < package.json.in > package.json
+
 tar:
 	if [ "$(source)x" = "x" ] ; then \
 	    tar -czf $(source_for_rpm) --exclude=.git --transform='s!^!spice-html5-$(version)/!' * ; \
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json.in
similarity index 95%
rename from package.json
rename to package.json.in
index c77a0e852b815b131f539b9c38fd5d1c7ccf843c..ca56078ab01a1cf912a1bc9bfc7168ab03a83430 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json.in
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "spice-html5",
-  "version": "0.1.8",
+  "version": "VERSION",
   "description": "Spice Javascript client",
   "main": "src/main.js",
   "scripts": {