diff --git a/Command/Assistant.hs b/Command/Assistant.hs
index 496df1dd2e..8316a9948c 100644
--- a/Command/Assistant.hs
+++ b/Command/Assistant.hs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import Annex.Init
 import Config.Files
 import qualified Build.SysConfig
 import Utility.HumanTime
+import Assistant.Install
 
 import System.Environment
 
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ start foreground stopdaemon autostart startdelay
 		liftIO $ autoStart startdelay
 		stop
 	| otherwise = do
+		liftIO ensureInstalled
 		ensureInitialized
 		Command.Watch.start True foreground stopdaemon startdelay
 
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 48f7959549..bf0650496a 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ git-annex (5.20140614) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
   * Windows: Assistant now logs to daemon.log.
   * Fix bug in annex.queuesize calculation that caused much more
     queue flushing than necessary.
+  * Run standalone install process when the assistant is started
+    (was only being run when the webapp was opened).
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:28:42 -0400