diff --git a/roles/3-base-server/README.rst b/roles/3-base-server/README.rst
index 7fbea8b2b..70b825196 100644
--- a/roles/3-base-server/README.rst
+++ b/roles/3-base-server/README.rst
@@ -4,10 +4,14 @@
 
 This 3rd stage installs base server infra that Internet-in-a-Box requires, including:
 
-- MySQL (the database underlying many/most user-facing apps)
+- MySQL (database underlying many/most user-facing apps)
 - NGINX web server (with Apache in some lingering cases)
-- *PHP core packages are installed by the above 2 roles e.g. ``php{{ php_version }}-common``, ``php{{ php_version }}-cli``, ``php{{ php_version }}-fpm``, ``php{{ php_version }}-mysql``*
+- *A few core PHP packages are also installed by the above 2 roles, e.g.*
+   - php{{ php_version }}-common
+   - php{{ php_version }}-cli
+   - php{{ php_version }}-fpm
+   - php{{ php_version }}-mysql
 
-4-server-options follows with more diverse/optional server infra functionality.
+As with 2-common, 4-server-options and 5-xo-services: this stage installs core server infra, that is not user-facing.
 
-As in the case of 2-common, 4-server-options and 5-xo-services: this stage installs core server infra, that is not user-facing.
+The next stage (4-server-options) brings more diverse/optional server infra functionality.