diff --git a/src/Mod/Drawing/CMakeLists.txt b/src/Mod/Drawing/CMakeLists.txt
index c67a314558..b5d8d4cccc 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Drawing/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/Mod/Drawing/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ if(BUILD_GUI)
 endif(BUILD_GUI)
 
 set(Drawing_Scripts
+    README.md
     Init.py
     DrawingExample.py
     DrawingTests.py
diff --git a/src/Mod/Drawing/Init.py b/src/Mod/Drawing/Init.py
index 23af239672..9cf4409c5e 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Drawing/Init.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Drawing/Init.py
@@ -24,3 +24,6 @@
 #*                                                                         *
 #*   Juergen Riegel 2002                                                   *
 #***************************************************************************/
+
+FreeCAD.Console.PrintLog("Drawing became obsolete in 0.17; "
+                         "consider using TechDraw instead.\n")
diff --git a/src/Mod/Drawing/InitGui.py b/src/Mod/Drawing/InitGui.py
index 915a12e793..f94611e92c 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Drawing/InitGui.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Drawing/InitGui.py
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ class DrawingWorkbench (Workbench):
     def Initialize(self):
         # load the module
         import DrawingGui
+
+    def Activated(self):
+        FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning("Drawing became obsolete in 0.17; "
+                                     "consider using TechDraw instead.\n")
+
     def GetClassName(self):
         return "DrawingGui::Workbench"
         
diff --git a/src/Mod/Drawing/README.md b/src/Mod/Drawing/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2582b42ad8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Mod/Drawing/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Development of the Drawing Workbench stopped in FreeCAD 0.16, and it became obsolete in FreeCAD 0.17, when the TechDraw Workbench was introduced.
+
+The Drawing Workbench is no longer maintained. It is kept in the source tree for compatibility purposes, although there is no guarantee that it will continue working in future versions of FreeCAD. Eventually it may be removed completely.