diff --git a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
index af4dd19958..37fca5738d 100644
--- a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
+++ b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
@@ -199,10 +199,10 @@ getAddDriveR = page "Add a removable drive" (Just Configuration) $ do
 	{- The repo may already exist, when adding removable media
 	 - that has already been used elsewhere. -}
 	makerepo dir = liftIO $ do
-		r <- E.try (inDir dir $ return True) :: IO (Either E.SomeException Bool)
+		r <- E.try (inDir dir $ getUUID) :: IO (Either E.SomeException UUID)
 		case r of
-			Right _ -> noop
-			Left _e -> do
+			Right u | u /= NoUUID -> noop
+			_ -> do
 				createDirectoryIfMissing True dir
 				makeRepo dir True
 	{- Each repository is made a remote of the other. -}
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 351ad3f888..652752fd03 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ git-annex (3.20130115) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     Closes: #698184 
   * webapp: Now always logs to .git/annex/daemon.log
   * webapp: Has a page to view the log, accessed from the control menu.
+  * webapp: Fix crash adding removable drive that has an annex directory
+    in it that is not a git repository.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:35:01 -0400
 
diff --git a/doc/bugs/Internal_server_error_adding_USB_drive_on_OS_X.mdwn b/doc/bugs/Internal_server_error_adding_USB_drive_on_OS_X.mdwn
index c2fbc98fa1..575a636840 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/Internal_server_error_adding_USB_drive_on_OS_X.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/Internal_server_error_adding_USB_drive_on_OS_X.mdwn
@@ -19,3 +19,7 @@ git-annex version 3.20130107, OS X Mountain Lion. No MacPorts/homebrew/fink inst
 Please provide any additional information below.
 
 Maybe something to do with the drive name having spaces? "/Volumes/git-annex" worked fine.
+
+> Good thought in the comment. I was able to reproduce the failure
+> if the removable drive already had an "annex" directory that was not
+> a git repo. I've made it handle this case. [[done]] --[[Joey]]