diff --git a/README.txt b/README.txt
index fbbb8c653..4cd7256f0 100644
--- a/README.txt
+++ b/README.txt
@@ -13,9 +13,30 @@ http://leeping.github.io/forcebalance/doc/html/index.html
 You can also download the documentation in pdf format here:
 http://leeping.github.io/forcebalance/doc/ForceBalance-Manual.pdf
 
-#==================#
-#|   Quick Help   |#
-#==================#
+#================================#
+#|   Conda / pip installation   |#
+#================================#
+
+As of version 1.7.4, ForceBalance is available as a package on the conda-forge channel.
+To install the package, make sure you are using an Anaconda/Miniconda Python distribution
+for Python versions 2.7, 3.5, 3.6, or 3.7, then run:
+
+`conda install --strict-channel-priority -c conda-forge forcebalance`
+
+This will install ForceBalance and all of the required dependencies.  It will not install
+optional dependencies such as OpenMM, Gromacs, AMBER, Tinker, CCTools/Work Queue,
+or the Open Force Field toolkit.
+
+(Note: If you were installing ForceBalance from the omnia repository previously,
+you may need to clear your index cache using `conda clean -i`.)
+
+Similarly, to install from PyPI (Python Package Index), run the command:
+
+`pip install forcebalance`
+
+#=========================================#
+#|   Building / installing from source   |#
+#=========================================#
 
 To build the package:
 
diff --git a/bin/ForceBalance.py b/bin/ForceBalance.py
index 1d716f1bd..f807cf803 100755
--- a/bin/ForceBalance.py
+++ b/bin/ForceBalance.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def process(word, color):
     return Answer
 
 def main():
-    printcool("Welcome to ForceBalance version 1.7.3! =D\nForce Field Optimization System\n\nAuthors:\nLee-Ping Wang\nYudong Qiu, Keri A. McKiernan\nJeffrey R. Wagner, Hyesu Jang, Simon Boothroyd\nArthur Vigil, Erik G. Brandt, Johnny Israeli", ansi="1", bold=True, minwidth=64)
+    printcool("Welcome to ForceBalance version 1.7.4! =D\nForce Field Optimization System\n\nAuthors:\nLee-Ping Wang\nYudong Qiu, Keri A. McKiernan\nJeffrey R. Wagner, Hyesu Jang, Simon Boothroyd\nArthur Vigil, Erik G. Brandt, Johnny Israeli", ansi="1", bold=True, minwidth=64)
     logostr = """
                           ,'+++                                        
                        ,++++++.      .:,,.                              
diff --git a/devtools/conda-recipe/meta.yaml b/devtools/conda-recipe/meta.yaml
index 3ba8ad4e8..0610909b3 100644
--- a/devtools/conda-recipe/meta.yaml
+++ b/devtools/conda-recipe/meta.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package:
   name: forcebalance-dev
-  version: !!str 1.7.3
+  version: !!str 1.7.4
 
 source:
   path: ../..
diff --git a/doc/api_header.tex b/doc/api_header.tex
index 4c6f082f1..fb724518f 100644
--- a/doc/api_header.tex
+++ b/doc/api_header.tex
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 \vspace*{1cm}
 \begin{center}
 
-{\Large ForceBalance Developer API Guide version 1.7.3}\\
+{\Large ForceBalance Developer API Guide version 1.7.4}\\
 \vspace*{2cm}
 {\large Generated by Doxygen 1.8.11}\\
 \vspace*{2.5 cm}
diff --git a/doc/header.tex b/doc/header.tex
index 71b89f902..e323255f5 100644
--- a/doc/header.tex
+++ b/doc/header.tex
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 \vspace*{1cm}
 \begin{center}
 
-{\Large ForceBalance version 1.7.3}\\
+{\Large ForceBalance version 1.7.4}\\
 \vspace*{2cm}
 {\large Generated by Doxygen 1.8.11}\\
 \vspace*{2.5 cm}
diff --git a/doc/installation.txt b/doc/installation.txt
index ac781551c..c63c34706 100644
--- a/doc/installation.txt
+++ b/doc/installation.txt
@@ -17,7 +17,19 @@ package of your choice.  If you choose to do so, please contact me as
 I would be happy to include your contribution in the main
 distribution.
 
-@section installing_forcebalance Installing ForceBalance
+@section installing_forcebalance Installing ForceBalance using conda package manager
+
+As of version 1.7.4, ForceBalance is available as a package on the conda-forge channel.
+To install the package, make sure you are using an Anaconda/Miniconda Python distribution
+for Python versions 2.7, 3.5, 3.6, or 3.7, then run:
+
+@verbatim python setup.py install @endverbatim
+
+This will install ForceBalance and all of the required dependencies.  It will not install
+optional dependencies such as OpenMM, Gromacs, AMBER, Tinker, CCTools/Work Queue,
+or the Open Force Field toolkit.
+
+@section installing_forcebalance Installing ForceBalance from source
 
 %ForceBalance is packaged as a Python module.  Here are the installation instructions.  
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4cc714a70..e25bc2755 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #| doc/api_header.tex              |#
 #| bin/ForceBalance.py             |#
 #===================================#
-__version__ = "v1.7.3"
+__version__ = "v1.7.4"
 try:
     # use git to find current version
     git_describe = subprocess.check_output(["git", "describe"]).strip()