diff --git a/Annex/FileMatcher.hs b/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
index 5167a5e025..fa46e64b1d 100644
--- a/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
+++ b/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import Git.CheckAttr (unspecifiedAttr)
 
 #ifdef WITH_MAGICMIME
 import Magic
+import Utility.Env
 #endif
 
 import Data.Either
@@ -131,7 +132,12 @@ mkLargeFilesParser = do
 #ifdef WITH_MAGICMIME
 	magicmime <- liftIO $ catchMaybeIO $ do
 		m <- magicOpen [MagicMimeType]
-		liftIO $ magicLoadDefault m
+		liftIO $ do
+			md <- getEnv "GIT_ANNEX_DIR"
+			case md of
+				Nothing -> magicLoadDefault m
+				Just d -> magicLoad m
+					(d </> "magic" </> "magic.mgc")
 		return m
 #endif
 	let parse = parseToken $ commonTokens
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d8894966f3..cdf443632a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ linuxstandalone-nobuild: Build/Standalone Build/LinuxMkLibs
 	install -d "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)/git-core"
 	(cd "$(shell git --exec-path)" && tar c .) | (cd "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)"/git-core && tar x)
 	install -d "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)/templates"
+	install -d "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)/magic"
+	cp /usr/share/file/magic.mgc "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)/magic"
 	
 	./Build/LinuxMkLibs "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)"
 	
@@ -199,6 +201,12 @@ osxapp: Build/Standalone Build/OSXMkLibs
 
 	(cd "$(shell git --exec-path)" && tar c .) | (cd "$(OSXAPP_BASE)" && tar x)
 	install -d "$(OSXAPP_BASE)/templates"
+	install -d "$(OSXAPP_BASE)/magic"
+	if [ -e "$(OSX_MAGIC_FILE)" ]; then \
+		cp "$(OSX_MAGIC_FILE)" "$(OSXAPP_BASE)/magic/magic.mgc"; \
+	else \
+		echo "** OSX_MAGIC_FILE not set; not including it" >&2; \
+	endif
 
 	# OSX looks in man dir nearby the bin
 	$(MAKE) install-mans DESTDIR="$(OSXAPP_BASE)/.." SHAREDIR="" PREFIX=""
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 0184c13fff..f59df474fc 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ git-annex (6.20160218) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     so any system gpg will be preferred over it.
   * Avoid crashing when built with MagicMime support, but when the magic
     database cannot be loaded.
+  * Include magic database in the linux and OSX standalone builds.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Thu, 18 Feb 2016 13:09:21 -0400
 
diff --git a/standalone/licences.gz b/standalone/licences.gz
index e85b038fb0..b126f88c0e 100644
Binary files a/standalone/licences.gz and b/standalone/licences.gz differ
diff --git a/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/runshell b/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/runshell
index 56fc77f38f..17c95698c7 100755
--- a/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/runshell
+++ b/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/runshell
@@ -77,7 +77,11 @@ export ORIG_GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR
 GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR="$bundle/templates"
 export GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR
 
-# Indicate which variables were exported above.
+GIT_ANNEX_DIR="$bundle"
+export GIT_ANNEX_DIR
+
+# Indicate which variables were exported above and should be cleaned
+# when running non-bundled programs.
 GIT_ANNEX_STANDLONE_ENV="PATH GIT_EXEC_PATH GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR"
 export GIT_ANNEX_STANDLONE_ENV