diff --git a/Assistant/MakeRemote.hs b/Assistant/MakeRemote.hs
index 0cd3369be2..479ebd3ff6 100644
--- a/Assistant/MakeRemote.hs
+++ b/Assistant/MakeRemote.hs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ makeSshRemote forcersync sshdata = do
 		u = maybe (T.pack "") (\v -> T.concat [v, T.pack "@"]) $ sshUserName sshdata
 		h = sshHostName sshdata
 		d
-			| T.pack "/" `T.isPrefixOf` sshDirectory sshdata = d
+			| T.pack "/" `T.isPrefixOf` sshDirectory sshdata = sshDirectory sshdata
 			| otherwise = T.concat [T.pack "/~/", sshDirectory sshdata]
 	
 {- Runs an action that returns a name of the remote, and finishes adding it. -}
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index a751acea03..08b6b09f8d 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ git-annex (3.20121018) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * git-annex-shell: GIT_ANNEX_SHELL_DIRECTORY can be set to limit it
     to operating on a specified directory.
   * webapp: When setting up authorized_keys, use GIT_ANNEX_SHELL_DIRECTORY.
+  * Bugfix: Fix hang in webapp when setting up a ssh remote with an absolute
+    path.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:24:10 -0400