diff --git a/Build/Standalone.hs b/Build/Standalone.hs
index f11d64993d..9bd5c1c0ee 100644
--- a/Build/Standalone.hs
+++ b/Build/Standalone.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {- Makes standalone bundle.
  -
- - Copyright 2012 Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>
+ - Copyright 2012-2019 Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>
  -
  - Licensed under the GNU AGPL version 3 or higher.
  -}
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@ module Main where
 import Control.Monad.IfElse
 import System.Environment
 import System.FilePath
+import System.Posix.Files
 import Control.Monad
 import Build.BundledPrograms
 
 import Utility.SafeCommand
+import Utility.Process
 import Utility.Path
 import Utility.Directory
 
@@ -39,6 +41,56 @@ installProg dir prog = searchPath prog >>= go
 			error $ "install failed for " ++ prog
 		return (dest, f)
 
+installGitLibs :: FilePath -> IO ()
+installGitLibs topdir = do
+	-- install git-core programs; these are run by the git command
+	createDirectoryIfMissing True gitcoredestdir
+	execpath <- getgitpath "exec-path"
+	cfs <- dirContents execpath
+	forM_ cfs $ \f -> do
+		destf <- (gitcoredestdir </>)
+			<$> relPathDirToFile execpath f
+		createDirectoryIfMissing True (takeDirectory destf)
+		issymlink <- isSymbolicLink <$> getFileStatus f
+		if issymlink
+			then do
+				-- many git-core files may symlink to eg
+				-- ../../git. The link targets are put
+				-- into a subdirectory so all links to 
+				-- .../git get the same binary.
+				linktarget <- readSymbolicLink f
+				let linktarget' = gitcoredestdir </> "bin" </> takeFileName linktarget
+				createDirectoryIfMissing True (takeDirectory linktarget')
+				createSymbolicLink linktarget' destf
+			else cp f destf
+	
+	-- install git's template files
+	-- git does not have an option to get the path of these,
+	-- but they're architecture independent files, so are located
+	-- next to the --man-path, in eg /usr/share/git-core
+	manpath <- getgitpath "man-path"
+	let templatepath = manpath </> ".." </> "git-core" </> "templates"
+	tfs <- dirContents templatepath
+	forM_ tfs $ \f -> do
+		destf <- (templatedestdir </>)
+			<$> relPathDirToFile templatepath f
+		createDirectoryIfMissing True (takeDirectory destf)
+		cp f destf
+  where
+	gitcoredestdir = topdir </> "git-core"
+	templatedestdir = topdir </> "templates"
+
+	getgitpath v = do
+		let opt = "--" ++ v
+		ls <- lines <$> readProcess "git" [opt]
+		case ls of
+			[] -> error $ "git " ++ opt ++ "did not output a location"
+			(p:_) -> return p
+	
+	cp src dest = 
+		unlessM (boolSystem "cp" [Param "-a", File src, File dest]) $
+			error "cp failed"
+
 main :: IO ()
 main = getArgs >>= go
   where
@@ -50,3 +102,4 @@ main = getArgs >>= go
 			createDirectoryIfMissing True dir
 			forM progs $ installProg dir
 		writeFile "tmp/standalone-installed" (show (concat installed))
+		installGitLibs topdir
diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 81d32398cd..9402d2bc55 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ git-annex (7.20191011) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     of hard-coded key value to be used, so probably nothing will be affected.
   * forget --drop-dead: Remove several classes of git-annex log files
     when they become empty, further reducing the size of the git-annex branch.
+  * OSX: Deal with symbolic link problem that caused git to not be included in
+    the git-annex.dmg.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Thu, 19 Sep 2019 11:11:19 -0400
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e07faa35a8..27e5184fb7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -162,10 +162,6 @@ linuxstandalone:
 
 	./Build/Standalone "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)"
 	
-	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"
-	(cd "$(shell git --man-path)"/../git-core/templates && tar c .) | (cd "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)"/templates && tar x)
 	install -d "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)/magic"
 	cp /usr/share/file/magic.mgc "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)/magic"
 	cp /usr/share/i18n -a "$(LINUXSTANDALONE_DEST)"
@@ -231,9 +227,6 @@ osxapp:
 
 	./Build/Standalone $(OSXAPP_BASE)
 
-	(cd "$(shell git --exec-path)" && tar c .) | (cd "$(OSXAPP_BASE)" && tar x)
-	install -d "$(OSXAPP_BASE)/templates"
-	(cd "$(shell git --man-path)"/../git-core/templates && tar c .) | (cd "$(OSXAPP_BASE)"/templates && tar x)
 	install -d "$(OSXAPP_BASE)/magic"
 	if [ -e "$(OSX_MAGIC_FILE)" ]; then \
 		cp "$(OSX_MAGIC_FILE)" "$(OSXAPP_BASE)/magic/magic.mgc"; \