diff --git a/package.xml b/package.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f7b3e0dc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<package format="2">
+  <name>gtsam</name>
+  <version>3.1.0</version>
+  <description>gtsam</description>
+
+  <maintainer email="gtsam@lists.gatech.edu">Frank Dellaert</maintainer>
+  <license>BSD</license>
+
+  <buildtool_depend>cmake</buildtool_depend>
+  <export>
+    <!-- Specify that this is not really a Catkin package-->
+    <build_type>cmake</build_type>
+  </export>
+</package>
+