diff --git a/docker-compose-barebones.yml b/docker-compose-barebones.yml
index 71a4bf77..c0f7f107 100644
--- a/docker-compose-barebones.yml
+++ b/docker-compose-barebones.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+# This is the barebones docker-compose file for the Marginalia Search Engine.
+#
+# It starts a stripped-down version of the search engine, with only the essential
+# services running, including the database, the query service, the control service,
+# and a single index and executor node.
+#
+# It is a good starting point for setting up a white-label search engine that does not
+# have Marginalia's GUI.  The Query Service presents a simple search box, that also talks
+# JSON, so you can use it as a backend for your own search interface.
+
+
 x-svc: &service
   env_file:
     - "run/env/service.env"
diff --git a/docker-compose-screenshot-bot.yml b/docker-compose-screenshot-bot.yml
index 6ab0ae92..0b2d7a15 100644
--- a/docker-compose-screenshot-bot.yml
+++ b/docker-compose-screenshot-bot.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+#  This docker-compose file is for the screenshot-capture-tool service.
+#
+#  It is a standalone daemon that captures screenshots of web pages, based
+#  on the domain database of Marginalia Search.
+#
+#  It does not start the search engine itself.
+#
+
 x-svc: &service
   env_file:
     - "run/env/service.env"
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 2fdbe6ec..6bc58d59 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+# This is the full docker-compose.yml file for the Marginalia Search Engine.
+#
+# It starts all the services, including the GUI, the database, the query service,
+# two nodes for demo purposes, as well as a bunch of peripheral services that are
+# application specific.
+#
+
 x-svc: &service
   env_file:
     - "run/env/service.env"
diff --git a/run/readme.md b/run/readme.md
index 6961e337..6fe7326b 100644
--- a/run/readme.md
+++ b/run/readme.md
@@ -56,6 +56,17 @@ Add `-d` to run in the background.
 $ docker-compose up
 ```
 
+There are two docker-compose files available, `docker-compose.yml` and `docker-compose-barebones.yml`;
+the latter is a stripped down version that only runs the bare minimum required to run the system, for e.g.
+running a whitelabel version of the system.  The former is the full system with all the frills of
+Marginalia Search, and is the one used by default.
+
+To start the barebones version, run:
+
+```shell
+$ docker-compose -f docker-compose-barebones.yml up
+```
+
 ### 5. You should now be able to access the system.
 
 By default, the docker-compose file publishes the following ports: