diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b5b15892..09f74c84 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,49 +1,89 @@
-# "Quick start" Makefile targets:
-#   install - install Proton into current user's Steam installation
-#   deploy - build deployment files into tagged directory
-#
-# Development targts:
-#   vagrant - start Vagrant VM
-#   proton - build Proton
-#   module - build a single Wine module and copy into the shared directory.
-#            note: this is a development loop target. use it only after building all of wine with one of the other targets
-#            specify module variable:  make module=kernel32 module
+#See help target below for documentation
+
+build_name := $(shell git symbolic-ref --short HEAD 2>/dev/null)-local
+ifeq ($(build_name),)
+    $(error ERROR: Unable to auto-detect build name. Check out a branch or specify with "build_name=...")
+endif
+
+# remove special chars
+override build_name := $(shell echo $(build_name) | tr -dc '[:alnum:] ._-')
 
 STEAM_DIR := $(HOME)/.steam/root
 DEPLOY_DIR := $(shell git describe --tags --always)
-CONFIGURE_CMD := ../proton/configure.sh --steam-runtime64=docker:steam-proton-dev --steam-runtime32=docker:steam-proton-dev32 --steam-runtime="$$HOME"/steam-runtime/runtime/
+CONFIGURE_CMD := ../proton/configure.sh --steam-runtime64=docker:steam-proton-dev --steam-runtime32=docker:steam-proton-dev32 --steam-runtime="$$HOME"/steam-runtime/runtime/ --build-name="$(build_name)"
 
-all: proton
+# make doesn't handle spaces well... replace them with underscores in paths
+BUILD_DIR := "build-$(shell echo $(build_name) | sed -e 's/ /_/g')"
 
-.PHONY: vagrant clean configure proton install deploy module
+all: help
+
+.PHONY: help vagrant clean configure proton install deploy module
+
+help:
+	@echo "Proton Makefile instructions"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo ""Quick start" Makefile targets:"
+	@echo "  install - Install Proton into current user's Steam installation"
+	@echo "  deploy - Build deployment files into a directory in vagrant_share/ named"
+	@echo "           after the nearest git tag"
+	@echo "  clean - Delete the Proton build directory"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "Configuration variables:"
+	@echo "  build_name - The name of the build, will be displayed in Steam. Defaults to"
+	@echo "               current proton.git branch name if available. A new build dir"
+	@echo "               will be created for each build_name, so if you override this,"
+	@echo "               remember to always set it!"
+	@echo "               Current build name: $(build_name)"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "Development targets:"
+	@echo "  vagrant - Start Vagrant VM"
+	@echo "  configure - Configure Proton build directory"
+	@echo "  proton - Build Proton"
+	@echo "  module - Build a single Wine module and copy into the shared directory."
+	@echo "           Note: This is a development loop target. Use it only after building"
+	@echo "           all of wine with one of the other targets."
+	@echo "           Specify module variable: make module=kernel32 module"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "Examples:"
+	@echo "  "make install" - Build Proton and install into this user's Steam installation,"
+	@echo "      with the current Proton branch name as the tool's name."
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "  "make deploy" - Build a Proton deployment package in a tagged directory"
+	@echo "      in vagrant_share/."
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "  "make build_name=mytest install" - Build Proton with the tool name \"mytest\" and"
+	@echo "      install into this user's Steam installation."
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "  "make build_name=mytest module=dsound module" - Build only the dsound module"
+	@echo "      in the \"mytest\" build directory and place it into vagrant_share/dsound/."
 
 vagrant:
 	vagrant up
 	vagrant rsync
 
 clean: vagrant
-	vagrant ssh -c "rm -rf build/"
+	vagrant ssh -c 'rm -rf $(BUILD_DIR)/'
 
 configure: vagrant
-	vagrant ssh -c 'if [ ! -e build ]; then mkdir build; (cd build && $(CONFIGURE_CMD)); fi'
+	vagrant ssh -c 'if [ ! -e $(BUILD_DIR)/Makefile ]; then mkdir $(BUILD_DIR); (cd $(BUILD_DIR) && $(CONFIGURE_CMD)); fi'
 
 proton: configure
-	vagrant ssh -c "make -C build/ dist"
+	vagrant ssh -c 'make -C $(BUILD_DIR)/ dist'
 	echo "Proton built in VM. Use 'install' or 'deploy' targets to retrieve the build."
 
 install: configure
-	vagrant ssh -c "make -C build/ STEAM_DIR=/vagrant/ install"
+	vagrant ssh -c 'make -C $(BUILD_DIR)/ STEAM_DIR=/vagrant/ install'
 	cp -R vagrant_share/compatibilitytools.d/ $(STEAM_DIR)
 	echo "Proton installed to your local Steam installation"
 
 deploy: configure
-	vagrant ssh -c "make -C build/ deploy"
+	vagrant ssh -c 'make -C $(BUILD_DIR)/ deploy'
 	mkdir -p vagrant_share/$(DEPLOY_DIR)
-	vagrant ssh -c "cp -a build/deploy/* /vagrant/$(DEPLOY_DIR)"
+	vagrant ssh -c 'cp -a $(BUILD_DIR)/deploy/* /vagrant/$(DEPLOY_DIR)'
 	echo "Proton deployed to vagrant_share/$(DEPLOY_DIR)"
 
 module: configure
-	vagrant ssh -c "make -C build/ module=$(module) module"
+	vagrant ssh -c 'make -C $(BUILD_DIR)/ module=$(module) module'
 	mkdir -p vagrant_share/$(module)/lib{,64}/wine/
-	vagrant ssh -c "cp -a build/obj-wine32/dlls/$(module)/$(module)*.so /vagrant/$(module)/lib/wine/"
-	vagrant ssh -c "cp -a build/obj-wine64/dlls/$(module)/$(module)*.so /vagrant/$(module)/lib64/wine/"
+	vagrant ssh -c 'cp -a $(BUILD_DIR)/obj-wine32/dlls/$(module)/$(module)*.so /vagrant/$(module)/lib/wine/'
+	vagrant ssh -c 'cp -a $(BUILD_DIR)/obj-wine64/dlls/$(module)/$(module)*.so /vagrant/$(module)/lib64/wine/'
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 382322e7..b614745f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -69,15 +69,19 @@ After checking out Proton and updating its submodules, you can use these
 targets to build Proton:
 
 `make install` - This will install Proton into your user's Steam directory.
-You may need to restart the Steam client to see it. It will be called
-`proton-localbuild`. Subsequent `make install` invocations will overwrite
-this installation.
+You may need to restart the Steam client to see it. The tool's name in the
+Steam client will be based on the currently checked out branch of Proton. You
+can override this name using the `build_name` variable.
 
 `make deploy` - This will create a deployment tarball and set of files which
 can be distributed as a Proton package. This is what we use to deploy Proton to
 Steam users. The package will be dropped into a new directory in
 `vagrant_share/`, named after the nearest Git tag (see `git describe`).
 
+`make clean` - This will completely erase the build tree.
+
+`make help` - View the Makefile documentation and examples.
+
 We also provide targets useful for simple Wine development:
 
 `make proton` - This will build Proton without copying its files out of the VM.