diff --git a/projects/Windows/tmpl/README.txt b/projects/Windows/tmpl/README.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..08b2908a20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/Windows/tmpl/README.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+The files in this directory are not meant to be opened with Visual Studio.
+
+This directory contains template files that are used to generate project files
+for legacy versions of Visual Studio 2010, 2012 and 2013. To generate the
+files run generate.bat in the projects directory and refer to that directory's
+README.
diff --git a/projects/Windows/tmpl/curl.vcxproj.tmpl b/projects/Windows/tmpl/curl.vcxproj
similarity index 100%
rename from projects/Windows/tmpl/curl.vcxproj.tmpl
rename to projects/Windows/tmpl/curl.vcxproj
diff --git a/projects/Windows/tmpl/libcurl.vcxproj.tmpl b/projects/Windows/tmpl/libcurl.vcxproj
similarity index 100%
rename from projects/Windows/tmpl/libcurl.vcxproj.tmpl
rename to projects/Windows/tmpl/libcurl.vcxproj
diff --git a/projects/generate.bat b/projects/generate.bat
index 39c2e08802..3aebff183e 100644
--- a/projects/generate.bat
+++ b/projects/generate.bat
@@ -113,10 +113,10 @@ rem
   if not exist Windows\%1\src md Windows\%1\src
   call :generate %1 Windows\tmpl\curl-all.sln            Windows\%1\curl-all.sln
   call :generate %1 Windows\tmpl\curl.sln                Windows\%1\src\curl.sln
-  call :generate %1 Windows\tmpl\curl.vcxproj.tmpl       Windows\%1\src\curl.vcxproj
+  call :generate %1 Windows\tmpl\curl.vcxproj            Windows\%1\src\curl.vcxproj
   call :generate %1 Windows\tmpl\curl.vcxproj.filters    Windows\%1\src\curl.vcxproj.filters
   call :generate %1 Windows\tmpl\libcurl.sln             Windows\%1\lib\libcurl.sln
-  call :generate %1 Windows\tmpl\libcurl.vcxproj.tmpl    Windows\%1\lib\libcurl.vcxproj
+  call :generate %1 Windows\tmpl\libcurl.vcxproj         Windows\%1\lib\libcurl.vcxproj
   call :generate %1 Windows\tmpl\libcurl.vcxproj.filters Windows\%1\lib\libcurl.vcxproj.filters
 
   exit /B