diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 94442b5..4e03f49 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,6 +4,85 @@ openup is a small utility for OpenBSD that can be run standalone or from cron(8)
 
 It's primary usecase is for use with the [M:Tier Stable Packages](https://stable.mtier.org/).
 
+## Usage
+
+	Usage: openup [-K][-S|c]
+	
+	Options:
+	  -K    do not check for kernel binpatches (when running non GENERIC)
+	  -S    ignore binpatch/package signatures
+	  -c    check/cron mode, report only (cannot be used with -S)
+
+It can operate in 2 different modes.
+
+## Standalone mode
+
+When running interactively, openup is typically used to update and/or install stable packages and binpatches. It is a standalone utility which means all settings are configured within the application itself (it does not follow `PKG_PATH` nor installpatch from `pkg.conf(5)`).
+
+Here are the steps performed when openup is run without any option:
+- check if there is a new openup version and if so warn the user and quit
+- check if the certificate used to install signed packages it properly installed and if not, download and install it
+- update and install missing binpatches (base system)
+- update stable packages
+
+	# openup
+	===> Checking for openup update
+	===> Installing/updating binpatch(es)
+	binpatch53-i386-kernel-3.0->4.0: ok
+	binpatch53-i386-tftpd-1.0: ok
+	Read shared items: ok
+	Packages with signatures: 2
+	===> Updating package(s)
+	curl-7.26.0p2->7.26.0p3: ok
+	Read shared items: ok
+	Packages with signatures: 1
+	!!! 
+	!!! System must be rebooted after the last kernel update
+	!!!
+
+As seen in this example, openup always displays the commands it is about to run.
+
+### Cron mode
+
+Running openup with the '-c' option will only display vulnerable packages without making any modification to the system. The prefered way of running like this is from cron(8) once or twice a day; if openup outputs anything, it will be mailed out to root.
+
+	# openup -c
+	--- binpatch53-i386-kernel ---
+	Available update(s): 4.0 OpenBSD errata 007: Two flaws in the vio(4)
+	driver may cause a kernel panic, and may cause IPv6 neighbour discovery
+	to fail due to multicast receive problems.
+	--- binpatch53-i386-tftpd ---
+	Available update(s): 1.0 OpenBSD errata 006: A denial of services was
+	discovered where certain combinations of TFTP options could cause OACK
+	generation to fail, which in turn caused a double free in tftpd.
+	--- curl ---
+	Available update(s): 7.26.0p3 cURL: A vulnerability has been reported in
+	libcURL, which can be exploited by malicious people to potentially
+	compromise an application using the library.
+
+### Options
+
+openup will use some default values which may not fit very well within a particular site. By creating `/etc/openup.conf` listing override variables, it is possible to configure several things:
+
+- OPENUP_URL
+  - default: `https://stable.mtier.org/openup`
+  - description: URL to the latest open version
+- PKG_CERT_URL
+  - default: `https://stable.mtier.org/mtier.cert`
+  - description: URL to the certificate used to sign the stable packages
+- PKG_CERT_FPRINT
+  - default: DE:29:0F:7F:B8:0E:36:5A:AF:A9:BF:E0:4E:08:C2:0F:2D:50:16:97
+  - description: fingerprint of the certificate listed in PKG_CERT_URL
+- PKG_PATH_MAIN
+  - default: `http://ftp.fr.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/$(uname -r)/packages/$(arch -s)`
+  - description: `PKG_PATH` of the currently running OpenBSD release
+- PKG_PATH_UPDATE
+  - default: `https://stable.mtier.org/updates/$(uname -r)/$(arch -s)`
+  - description: `PKG_PATH` for the corresponding release stable packages service
+- VUXML_URL
+  - default: `https://stable.mtier.org/vuxml/$(uname -r | tr -d '.').xml`
+  - description: URL for the current OpenBSD release of the latest vulnerabilities database
+
 ## License
 
 openup is distributed under the terms of the ISC license.