diff --git a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
index 20a6d1ba82..af4dd19958 100644
--- a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
+++ b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import Annex.UUID
 import Types.StandardGroups
 import Logs.PreferredContent
 import Utility.UserInfo
+import Config
 
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Data.Char
@@ -285,12 +286,8 @@ initRepo primary_assistant_repo dir desc = inDir dir $ do
 			, Param "-m"
 			, Param "created repository"
 			]
-#ifdef darwin_HOST_OS
-	{- Use direct mode repositories by default on OSX, because
-	 - this avoids some problems with the Finder. -}
 	when primary_assistant_repo $
 		setDirect True
-#endif
 	getUUID
 
 {- Adds a directory to the autostart file. -}
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 793fa74046..86f475df61 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -5,14 +5,13 @@ git-annex (3.20121212) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     via symlinks. Note that direct mode is currently experimental. Many
     git-annex commands do not work in direct mode. Some git commands can
     cause data loss when used in direct mode repositories.
-  * assistant: Support direct mode.
+  * assistant: Now uses direct mode by default when setting up a new
+    local repository.
   * OSX assistant: Now uses the FSEvents API to detect file changes.
     This avoids issues with running out of file descriptors on large trees,
     as well as allowing detection of modification of files in direct mode.
     BSD systems still use kqueue, and cannot detect modifications of existing
     files in direct mode.
-  * OSX assistant: Uses direct mode by default when setting up a new
-    local repository.
   * kqueue: Fix bug that made broken symlinks not be noticed.
   * vicfg: Quote filename. Closes: #696193
   * Bugfix: Fixed bug parsing transfer info files, where the newline after
diff --git a/doc/assistant/release_notes.mdwn b/doc/assistant/release_notes.mdwn
index 1b39c5086d..df478304ff 100644
--- a/doc/assistant/release_notes.mdwn
+++ b/doc/assistant/release_notes.mdwn
@@ -1,3 +1,28 @@
+## version 3.20130102
+
+This release makes several significant improvements to the git-annex
+assistant, which is still in beta.
+
+The main improvement is direct mode. This allows you to directly edit files
+in the repository, and the assistant will automatically commit and sync
+your changes. Direct mode is the default for new repositories created
+by the assistant. To convert your existing repository to use direct mode,
+manually run `git annex direct` inside the repository.
+
+The following are known limitations of this release of the git-annex
+assistant:
+
+* If a file in a direct mode repository is modified as it's being transferred,
+  the old version of the file can be lost, and fsck will later complain
+  about a corrupt object.
+* On BSD operating systems (but not on OS X), the assistant uses kqueue to
+  watch files. Kqueue has to open every directory it watches, so too many
+  directories will run it out of the max number of open files (typically
+  1024), and fail. See [[this_bug|bugs/Issue_on_OSX_with_some_system_limits]]
+  for a workaround.
+* Also on systems with kqueue, modifications to existing files in direct
+  mode will not be noticed.
+
 ## version 3.20121211
 
 This release of the git-annex assistant (which is still in beta)
diff --git a/doc/design/assistant.mdwn b/doc/design/assistant.mdwn
index 6e04ca1f78..4e2a222ca1 100644
--- a/doc/design/assistant.mdwn
+++ b/doc/design/assistant.mdwn
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ and use cases to add. Feel free to chip in with comments! --[[Joey]]
 * Month 3 "easy setup": [[!traillink configurators]] [[!traillink pairing]]
 * Month 4 "cloud": [[!traillink cloud]] [[!traillink transfer_control]]
 * Month 5 "cloud continued": [[!traillink xmpp]] [[!traillink more_cloud_providers]]
+* Month 6 "9k bonus round": [[!traillink desymlink]]
 
 We are, approximately, here:
 
-* Month 6 "9k bonus round": [[!traillink desymlink]]
 * Month 7: user-driven features and polishing; 
   [presentation at LCA2013](https://lca2013.linux.org.au/schedule/30059/view_talk)
 * Month 8: [[!traillink Android]]
diff --git a/doc/direct_mode.mdwn b/doc/direct_mode.mdwn
index 862a843cf1..997b547e4f 100644
--- a/doc/direct_mode.mdwn
+++ b/doc/direct_mode.mdwn
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 Normally, git-annex repositories consist of symlinks that are checked into
 git, and in turn point at the content of large files that is stored in
-`.git/annex/objects/`. Direct mode is an experimental mode that gets rid of
-the symlinks.
+`.git/annex/objects/`. Direct mode gets rid of the symlinks.
 
 The advantage of direct mode is that you can access files directly,
 including modifying them. The disadvantage is that most regular git
 commands cannot safely be used, and only a subset of git-annex commands
 can be used.
 
+Repositories created by the [[assistant]] use direct mode by default.
+
 ## enabling (and disabling) direct mode
 
 Any repository can be converted to use direct mode at any time, and if you