diff --git a/docs/examples/Makefile.am b/docs/examples/Makefile.am
index 44372a19c..b8fd1ffda 100644
--- a/docs/examples/Makefile.am
+++ b/docs/examples/Makefile.am
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign nostdinc
 
-EXTRA_DIST = README Makefile.example Makefile.inc Makefile.m32 \
+EXTRA_DIST = README.md Makefile.example Makefile.inc Makefile.m32 \
   Makefile.netware makefile.dj $(COMPLICATED_EXAMPLES)
 
 # Specify our include paths here, and do it relative to $(top_srcdir) and
diff --git a/docs/examples/README b/docs/examples/README.md
similarity index 57%
rename from docs/examples/README
rename to docs/examples/README.md
index 6336c3733..f2ba0619e 100644
--- a/docs/examples/README
+++ b/docs/examples/README.md
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-                                  _   _ ____  _
-                              ___| | | |  _ \| |
-                             / __| | | | |_) | |
-                            | (__| |_| |  _ <| |___
-                             \___|\___/|_| \_\_____|
+# libcurl examples
 
 This directory is for libcurl programming examples. They are meant to show
 some simple steps on how you can build your own application to take full
@@ -11,26 +7,26 @@ advantage of libcurl.
 If you end up with other small but still useful example sources, please mail
 them for submission in future packages and on the website.
 
-BUILDING
+## Building
 
 The Makefile.example is an example makefile that could be used to build these
 examples. Just edit the file according to your system and requirements first.
 
 Most examples should build fine using a command line like this:
 
-  $ `curl-config --cc --cflags --libs` -o example example.c
+    `curl-config --cc --cflags --libs` -o example example.c
 
 Some compilers don't like having the arguments in this order but instead
 want you do reorganize them like:
 
-  $ `curl-config --cc` -o example example.c `curl-config --cflags --libs`
+    `curl-config --cc` -o example example.c `curl-config --cflags --libs`
 
-*PLEASE* do not use the curl.haxx.se site as a test target for your libcurl
-applications/experiments. Even if some of the examples use that site as a URL
-at some places, it doesn't mean that the URLs work or that we expect you to
-actually torture our website with your tests!  Thanks.
+**Please** do not use the `curl.haxx.se` site as a test target for your
+libcurl applications/experiments. Even if some of the examples use that site
+as a URL at some places, it doesn't mean that the URLs work or that we expect
+you to actually torture our website with your tests!  Thanks.
 
-EXAMPLES
+## Examples
 
 Each example source code file is designed to be and work stand-alone and
 rather self-explanatory. The examples may at times lack the level of error