diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1f5acb9fbc947b3dec143cfc0a2a485cffd12ee8..e001d2da2c7130df899181fbcbabb54a4443284d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -25,3 +25,11 @@ setting this value you *must* have verified ownership of the domain with Google.
 [Instructions on how to do
 this](https://guidebook.devops.uis.cam.ac.uk/en/latest/notes/google-domain-verification/)
 can be found in the DevOps division guidebook.
+
+## Monitoring and Alerting
+If the variable [alerting_email_address](variables.tf) is set, the module adds
+basic uptime alerting via email for failing http polling. See [variables.tf](variables.tf)
+for how to configure alerting and monitoring.
+
+Note that monitoring and alerting  must be in a Stackdriver monitoring workspace 
+and this must be configured manually, at the time of writing this.
diff --git a/modules/monitoring/README.md b/modules/monitoring/README.md
index df5ab4156599cfe5c6feba3b5d875e2c16e7eb9a..2c9dcd400e5e9996b8550f8ae8582b1f5c4d62be 100644
--- a/modules/monitoring/README.md
+++ b/modules/monitoring/README.md
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@
 This provides basic uptime alerting via email for failing http polling. See
 [variables.tf](variables.tf) for how to configure this module. 
 
-
 Note that the project must be in a Stackdriver monitoring workspace and this
 must be configured manually. At the time of writing there is no terraform
 support for this. This module will error when applying if this is not so.
-
-