diff --git a/lib/kim/README b/lib/kim/README
index 086bbce90c..00d6ea8fad 100644
--- a/lib/kim/README
+++ b/lib/kim/README
@@ -11,66 +11,64 @@ kim command.
 To download, build, and install the KIM API on your system, follow
 these steps.  You can use the install.py script to automate these steps.
 
-**Note** The process described below will compile the kim-api using absolute
-paths names.  This means that if you move your lammps directory to a new
-location after compilation the kim-api library will not be able to find some of
-its components.  It is best to recompile after moving the lammps directory.
+-----------------
 
-The KIM API is available for download from "this site"_https://openkim.org,
-namely https://openkim.org.  The tarball you download is "kim-api-vX.Y.Z.tgz",
-which can be unpacked in this directory or whereever you wish:
+Instructions:
 
-tar xvfz kim*tgz
 
-Note that if you unpack and build KIM in this directory, when you
-download a new LAMMPS tarball, the files you have added here will be
-lost.  So you likely want to build it somewhere else.
+1. Configure lammps for use with the kim-api library installed in this directory
 
-The kim-api-vX.Y.Z/docs/ directory has further documentation for the
-KIM API.  In order to compile and install the KIM API follow the
-instructions found in the file kim-api-vX.Y.Z/INSTALL.  (Don't forget
-to download and compile any Model Drivers and Models that you want to
-use.)
+$ printf "KIM_INSTALL_DIR=${PWD}\n" > ./Makefile.KIM_DIR
+$ printf "include ${PWD}/lib/kim-api/Makefile.KIM_Config\n" > ./Makefile.KIM_Config
 
-Once you have successfully compiled and installed the KIM API, you
-need to make sure the utility kim-api-build-config is in your PATH so
-that the LAMMPS build system can properly work with the KIM API.
-
-The following are example commands that perform these steps:
+2. Download and unpack the kim-api
 
 # replace X.Y.Z as appropriate here and below
 $ wget http://s3.openkim.org/kim-api/kim-api-vX.Y.Z.tgz
 $ tar zxvf kim-api-vX.Y.Z.tgz
 
-# get OpenKIM models, setup and compile
+# configure the kim-api
 $ cd kim-api-vX.Y.Z
-$ ./configure --prefix=??????
+$ ./configure --prefix=${PWD}/../
+
+# setup the desired kim item
+$ make add-Pair_Johnson_Fe__MO_857282754307_002
+
+3. Build and install the kim-api and model
 
-$ make add-EAM_Dynamo_Angelo_Moody_NiAlH__MO_418978237058_001
 $ make
 $ make install
 
 # replace X with the KIM API major version number
 $ make install-set-default-to-vX
+$ cd ../
 
-# In order to permanently add the kim-api-build-config utility to your
-# PATH variable, perform the following:
-#
-# For the bash shell:
-$ printf "export PATH=${PATH}:${HOME}/local/bin\n" >> ${HOME}/.bashrc
-$ source ${HOME}/.bashrc
-#
-# For the csh shell:
-% printf "setenv PATH ${PATH}:${HOME}/local/bin\b" >> ${HOME}/.cshrc
-% source ${HOME}/.cshrc
+4. Remove source and build files
+
+$ rm -rf kim-api-vX.Y.Z
+$ rm -rf kim-api-vX.Y.Z.tgz
+
+5. To add additional items do the following (replace the kim item name with your
+   desired value)
+
+$ wget https://openkim.org/download/EAM_Johnson_NearestNeighbor_Cu__MO_887933271505_001.tgz
+$ tar zxvf EAM_Johnson_NearestNeighbor_Cu__MO_887933271505_001.tgz
+$ cd EAM_Johnson_NearestNeighbor_Cu__MO_887933271505_001
+$ make
+$ make install
+$ cd ..
+$ rm -rf EAM_Johnson_NearestNeighbor_Cu__MO_887933271505_001
+$ rm -rf EAM_Johnson_NearestNeighbor_Cu__MO_887933271505_001.tgz
+
+-----------------
 
 When these steps are complete you can build LAMMPS with the KIM
 package installed:
 
-$ cd lammps/src
+$ cd ../../src
 $ make yes-kim
 $ make g++ (or whatever target you wish)
 
-Note that the Makefile.lammps file in this directory is required
-to allow the LAMMPS build to find the necessary KIM files.  You
-should not normally need to edit this file.
+Note that the Makefile.lammps and Makefile.KIM_DIR files in this directory
+are required to allow the LAMMPS build to find the necessary KIM files.
+You should not normally need to edit this file.