diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 30bf16f..5a7a80b 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 A brief guide to backward-incompatible changes
 that are likely to break configurations or workflows
 
+2023-07-13
+
+* a significant re-arrangement of modules and services, which will
+probably break any configuration written before this time. For a
+detailed explanation, see
+https://www.liminix.org/doc/configuration.html#modules
+
 2023-12-10
 
 * configurations (usually) need no longer import modules from
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ed2f24c..6ecdc68 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,22 +18,14 @@ outside word goes across it.
 
 Liminix is pre-1.0. We are still finding new and better ways to do things,
 and there is no attempt to maintain backward compatibility with the old
-ways. This will change when it settles down.
+ways.
 
-_In general:_ development mostly happens on the `main` branch, which is
-therefore not guaranteed to build or to work on every commit. For the
-latest functioning version, see [the CI system](https://build.liminix.org/jobset/liminix/build) and pick a revision with all jobs green.
+The [NEWS](NEWS) file (available wherever you found this README) is
+a high-level overview of breaking changes.
 
-_In particular:_ as of July 2023, a significant re-arrangement of
-modules and services is ongoing:
-
-* if you are using out-of-tree configurations created before commit
-  2e50368, especially if they reference things under pkgs.liminix,
-  they will need updating. Look at changes to examples/rotuer.nix
-  for guidance
-
-* the same is intermittently true for examples/{extensino,arhcive}.nix
-  where I've updated rotuer and not updated them to match.
+Development mostly happens on the `main` branch, which is therefore
+not guaranteed to build or to work on every commit. For the latest
+functioning version, see [the CI system](https://build.liminix.org/jobset/liminix/build) and pick a revision with all jobs green.
 
 
 ## Documentation