diff --git a/RELEASES.md b/RELEASES.md
index e49e3c72..e8c5640b 100644
--- a/RELEASES.md
+++ b/RELEASES.md
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ TAME developers: Add new changes under a "NEXT" heading as part of the
 commits that introduce the changes.  To make a new release, run
 `tools/mkrelease`, which will handle updating the heading for you.
 
+NEXT
+====
+- Optionally include a "program.mk" file if it is present in the project's root
+  directory. This allows us to move program specific tasks outside of TAME.
 
 v17.6.1 (2020-09-23)
 ====================
diff --git a/build-aux/Makefile.am b/build-aux/Makefile.am
index 102bd922..a0f0be13 100644
--- a/build-aux/Makefile.am
+++ b/build-aux/Makefile.am
@@ -344,3 +344,8 @@ me-a-sandwich:
 	  || echo 'Make it yourself.'
 
 FORCE: ;
+
+# optionally include a "program.mk" file if it is
+# present in the project's root directory
+-include program.mk
+