diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e10d9e1..febb705 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ for both variants: words or unicode symbols
 
     npm install -g manpm
 
-## Show entire package or github readme
+## Show the entire README from a package or github repo
 
 You can give NPM package name (like `manpm`), GitHub user / repo pair (like `bahmutov/manpm`) or
 full GitHub url (like `https://github.com/bahmutov/object-fitter` or `git@github.com:bahmutov/object-fitter.git`).
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ The following search features are implemented
 I am still looking for a library capable of fuzzy text search.
 Maybe [lunr](https://github.com/olivernn/lunr.js)?
 
+## Show and search local README
+
+Sometimes you just want to find a section in the local README file, right in the current directory.
+
+    manpm . [optional search text]
+
 ## Example: showing ES6 docs
 
 There is a great GitHub repo [ES6 Overview in 350 Bullet Points](https://github.com/bevacqua/es6)
diff --git a/src/get-readme.js b/src/get-readme.js
index 6772eea..f7c4bfc 100644
--- a/src/get-readme.js
+++ b/src/get-readme.js
@@ -86,19 +86,37 @@ function getReadmeFromGithub(name) {
     .then(toString);
 }
 
+function getLocalReadmeFile() {
+  var fs = require('fs');
+  var join = require('path').join;
+  var filename = join(process.cwd(), 'README.md');
+  return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
+    if (!fs.existsSync(filename)) {
+      return reject(new Error('Cannot find local file ' + filename));
+    }
+    return resolve(fs.readFileSync(filename, 'utf8'));
+  });
+}
+
 function getReadme(name) {
   la(check.unemptyString(name), 'missing name');
 
+  if (name === '.') {
+    log('fetching README in the current working folder');
+    return getLocalReadmeFile();
+  }
+
   if (utils.maybeGithubRepoName(name)) {
     log('fetching README for github repo', name);
     return getReadmeFromGithub(name);
-  } else if (utils.maybeGithubRepoUrl(name)) {
+  }
+  if (utils.maybeGithubRepoUrl(name)) {
     log('fetching README for github url', name);
     return getReadmeFromGithub(name);
-  } else {
-    log('fetching README for package', name);
-    return getReadmeFile(name);
   }
+
+  log('fetching README for package', name);
+  return getReadmeFile(name);
 }
 
 module.exports = getReadme;