diff --git a/README b/README
index c35c77e5bcc..acbb30f81d8 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -255,6 +255,21 @@ on these platforms without the special directions mentioned here,
 submit a documentation bug report to SourceForge (see Bug Reports
 above) so we can remove them!)
 
+Unix platforms: If your vendor still ships (and you still use) Berkeley DB
+	1.85 you will need to edit Modules/Setup to build the bsddb185
+	module and add a line to sitecustomize.py which makes it the
+	default.  In Modules/Setup a line like
+
+	    bsddb185 bsddbmodule.c
+
+	should work.  (You may need to add -I, -L or -l flags to direct the
+	compiler and linker to your include files and libraries.)  You can
+	then force it to be the version people import by adding
+
+	    import bsddb185 as bsddb
+
+	in sitecustomize.py.
+
 64-bit platforms: The modules audioop, imageop and rgbimg don't work.
 	The setup.py script disables them on 64-bit installations.
 	Don't try to enable them in the Modules/Setup file.  They