diff --git a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
index e559c074..6aed9889 100644
--- a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
+++ b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
-Sorry, we do not accept changes directly against this repository. Please see 
-CONTRIBUTING.md for information on where and how to contribute instead.
+Sorry, we do not accept changes directly against this repository, unless the
+change is to the `README.md` itself. Please see 
+`CONTRIBUTING.md` for information on where and how to contribute instead.
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index b01f8abb..a85350aa 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # Contributing guidelines
 
-Do not open pull requests directly against this repository, they will be ignored. Instead, please open pull requests against [kubernetes/kubernetes](https://git.k8s.io/kubernetes/).  Please follow the same [contributing guide](https://git.k8s.io/kubernetes/CONTRIBUTING.md) you would follow for any other pull request made to kubernetes/kubernetes.
+Do not open pull requests directly against this repository. They will be ignored. Instead, please open pull requests against [kubernetes/kubernetes](https://git.k8s.io/kubernetes/). 
+The exception is changes to the `README.md` itself. 
+Please follow the same [contributing guide](https://git.k8s.io/kubernetes/CONTRIBUTING.md) you would follow for any other pull request made to kubernetes/kubernetes.
 
 This repository is published from [kubernetes/kubernetes/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go](https://git.k8s.io/kubernetes/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go) by the [kubernetes publishing-bot](https://git.k8s.io/publishing-bot).