diff --git a/repos/hlrs/packages/README b/repos/hlrs/packages/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e39a69e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/hlrs/packages/README
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# This README just serves the purpose of forcing git to create this packages directory. 
+# Otherwise Spack will not accept it as a repository (sigh!)
\ No newline at end of file