diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index d7abee5..d0f5c17 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 
 # Subdirectories to recurse into
-SUBDIRS = lib src doc po m4
+SUBDIRS = lib src data doc po m4
 
 # Additional files to distribute
 EXTRA_DIST = build-aux/bootstrap
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index d54028f..d82bca7 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ at http://www.zap.org.au/services/svn/.
 Version 7.10 (not yet released)
 -------------------------------
 
+Added a data directory that will contain a desktop file and appropriate
+icons.
+
 Downgraded GNU Gettext to version 0.18.3, as the current Gnulib macros are
 from that version.
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b62c387..7a82dc4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([
 	Makefile
 	lib/Makefile
 	src/Makefile
+	data/Makefile
 	doc/Makefile
 	po/Makefile.in
 	m4/Makefile
diff --git a/data/Makefile.am b/data/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..848e664
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#########################################################################
+#                                                                       #
+#             Star Traders: A Game of Interstellar Trading              #
+#                Copyright (C) 1990-2016, John Zaitseff                 #
+#                                                                       #
+#########################################################################
+
+# Author: John Zaitseff <J.Zaitseff@zap.org.au>
+# $Id$
+#
+# This file, data/Makefile.am, contains the non-code data directory
+# Makefile for Star Traders.  It needs to be processed by automake to
+# produce the corresponding Makefile.in.
+#
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+# under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+# Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your
+# option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+# General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see http://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
+
+EXTRA_DIST     = README
diff --git a/data/README b/data/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f93686
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/README
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+**************************************************************************
+*                                                                        *
+*              Star Traders: A Game of Interstellar Trading              *
+*                 Copyright (C) 1990-2016, John Zaitseff                 *
+*                                                                        *
+**************************************************************************
+
+This directory, data, contains non-code data related to  Star Traders.  In
+particular, the desktop file and icons are located here.