diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 86f93cb2..e53bcf1e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@
 /.config.make
 /.store
 /.tarball-version
-/ChangeLog
 
 #keep this: bootstrap
 #/mes.mes
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f5be91b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Normally a ChangeLog is generated at "make dist" time and available in
+source tarballs.
+
+If not, see the Git commit log at <http://gitlab.com/janneke/mes/>.
diff --git a/build-aux/export.make b/build-aux/export.make
index 33d9cf0a..afc0de2b 100644
--- a/build-aux/export.make
+++ b/build-aux/export.make
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ ifdef GUILE_TOOLS
 export GUILE_TOOLS
 endif
 
+ifdef PERL
+export PERL
+endif
+
 ifdef TCC
 export TCC
 endif
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 60c01c24..95aef6de 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -36,10 +36,18 @@ chmod -w+x $DESTDIR$bindir/diff.scm
 
 
 mkdir -p $docdir
+
+if [ -n "$PERL" -a -n "$GIT" ]\
+       && $PERL -v > /dev/null\
+       && $GIT --status > /dev/null; then
+    $PERL build-aux/gitlog-to-changelog --srcdir=. > ChangeLog
+fi
+
 cp\
     AUTHORS\
     BOOTSTRAP\
     COPYING\
+    ChangeLog\
     HACKING\
     INSTALL\
     NEWS\