diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 83c0fe1f04..f8bb3461a6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 README for Mbed TLS
 ===================
 
+Mbed TLS is a C library that implements cryptographic primitives, X.509 certificate manipulation and the SSL/TLS and DTLS protocols. Its small code footprint makes it suitable for embedded systems.
+
 Configuration
 -------------