diff --git a/ext/debian/README.environment b/ext/debian/README.environment
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5c380c303
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/debian/README.environment
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+This is an example environment directory. The environment's modules can be
+placed in a "modules" subdirectory. The environments initial manifests are
+placed in a "manifests" subdirectory. By default the environment also has any
+modules that are installed globally (normally in /etc/puppet/modules) for the
+puppet master.
diff --git a/ext/debian/puppet-common.dirs b/ext/debian/puppet-common.dirs
index 3fc35d54a..e9e3c8f38 100644
--- a/ext/debian/puppet-common.dirs
+++ b/ext/debian/puppet-common.dirs
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 etc/puppet
+etc/puppet/environments/example_env
+etc/puppet/environments/example_env/modules
+etc/puppet/environments/example_env/manifests
 etc/puppet/manifests
 etc/puppet/templates
 etc/puppet/modules
 usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby
 usr/share/puppet/ext
 var/lib/puppet
 var/log/puppet
diff --git a/ext/debian/puppet-common.install b/ext/debian/puppet-common.install
index 92312639c..dc015385a 100644
--- a/ext/debian/puppet-common.install
+++ b/ext/debian/puppet-common.install
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 debian/puppet.conf etc/puppet
+debian/README.environment etc/puppet/environments/example_env
 debian/tmp/usr/bin/puppet usr/bin
 debian/tmp/usr/bin/extlookup2hiera usr/bin
 debian/tmp/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/* usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby