diff --git a/docs/download.html b/docs/download.html
index e90c1bbbf23..1cbfded575d 100644
--- a/docs/download.html
+++ b/docs/download.html
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@ or <a href="https://mesa.freedesktop.org/archive/">mesa.freedesktop.org</a>
 (HTTP).
 </p>
 
+<p>
+Starting with the first release of 2017, Mesa's version scheme is
+year-based. Filenames are in the form <tt>mesa-Y.N.P.tar.gz</tt>, where
+<tt>Y</tt> is the year (two digits), <tt>N</tt> is an incremental number
+(starting at 0) and <tt>P</tt> is the patch number (0 for the first
+release, 1 for the first patch after that).
+</p>
+
 <p>
 When a new release is coming, release candidates (betas) may be found
 <a href="ftp://ftp.freedesktop.org/pub/mesa/beta/">here</a>.