diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 0052f51165..3b6aa86d27 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+git-annex (8.20201117) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
+
+  * examinekey: Added a "file" format variable for consistency with find,
+    and for easier scripting.
+
+ -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Mon, 16 Nov 2020 09:38:32 -0400
+
 git-annex (8.20201116) upstream; urgency=medium
 
   * move: Fix a regression in the last release that made move --to not
diff --git a/Command/ExamineKey.hs b/Command/ExamineKey.hs
index 4fe092d9ab..668a2f5636 100644
--- a/Command/ExamineKey.hs
+++ b/Command/ExamineKey.hs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ module Command.ExamineKey where
 
 import Command
 import qualified Utility.Format
-import Command.Find (parseFormatOption, showFormatted, keyVars)
+import Command.Find (parseFormatOption, showFormatted, formatVars)
 import Annex.Link
 import Backend
 import Types.Backend
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ run o _ input = do
 	showFormatted (format o) (serializeKey' k) $
 		[ ("objectpath", fromRawFilePath objectpath)
 		, ("objectpointer", fromRawFilePath objectpointer)
-		] ++ keyVars k
+		] ++ formatVars k af
 	return True
   where
 	-- Parse the input, which is either a key, or in batch mode 
diff --git a/Command/Find.hs b/Command/Find.hs
index d3604d806e..96f1f3b8bc 100644
--- a/Command/Find.hs
+++ b/Command/Find.hs
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ seek o = do
 
 start :: FindOptions -> SeekInput -> RawFilePath -> Key -> CommandStart
 start o _ file key = startingCustomOutput key $ do
-	showFormatted (formatOption o) file $ ("file", fromRawFilePath file) : keyVars key
+	showFormatted (formatOption o) file 
+		(formatVars key (AssociatedFile (Just file)))
 	next $ return True
 
 startKeys :: FindOptions -> (SeekInput, Key, ActionItem) -> CommandStart
@@ -92,8 +93,9 @@ showFormatted format unformatted vars =
 				Utility.Format.format formatter $
 					M.fromList vars
 
-keyVars :: Key -> [(String, String)]
-keyVars key =
+formatVars :: Key -> AssociatedFile -> [(String, String)]
+formatVars key (AssociatedFile af) =
+	(maybe id (\f l -> (("file", fromRawFilePath f) : l)) af)
 	[ ("key", serializeKey key)
 	, ("backend", decodeBS $ formatKeyVariety $ fromKey keyVariety key)
 	, ("bytesize", size show)
diff --git a/Command/Whereis.hs b/Command/Whereis.hs
index ec4026968c..e8d103bdb8 100644
--- a/Command/Whereis.hs
+++ b/Command/Whereis.hs
@@ -95,10 +95,8 @@ perform o remotemap key ai = do
 		
 			mapM_ (showRemoteUrls remotemap) urls
 		Just formatter -> liftIO $ do
-			let vs = catMaybes
-				[ fmap (("file",) . fromRawFilePath)
-					(actionItemWorkTreeFile ai)
-				] ++ Command.Find.keyVars key
+			let vs = Command.Find.formatVars key
+				(AssociatedFile (actionItemWorkTreeFile ai))
 			let showformatted muuid murl = putStr $
 				Utility.Format.format formatter $
 					M.fromList $ vs ++ catMaybes
diff --git a/doc/git-annex-examinekey.mdwn b/doc/git-annex-examinekey.mdwn
index 19c4be112a..2f7948afc3 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex-examinekey.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex-examinekey.mdwn
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ that can be determined purely by looking at the key.
 
   These variables are also available for use in formats: ${key}, ${backend},
   ${bytesize}, ${humansize}, ${keyname}, ${hashdirlower}, ${hashdirmixed},
-  ${mtime} (for the mtime field of a WORM key).
+  ${mtime} (for the mtime field of a WORM key), ${file} (when a filename is
+  provided to examinekey).
 
   Also, '\\n' is a newline, '\\000' is a NULL, etc.
 
diff --git a/doc/todo/calckey___91__--path__93___given_a_checksum_and_filename__63__/comment_6_aa8c191593789900e966a37f9117dd97._comment b/doc/todo/calckey___91__--path__93___given_a_checksum_and_filename__63__/comment_6_aa8c191593789900e966a37f9117dd97._comment
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9eb50aa4a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/todo/calckey___91__--path__93___given_a_checksum_and_filename__63__/comment_6_aa8c191593789900e966a37f9117dd97._comment
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+[[!comment format=mdwn
+ username="joey"
+ subject="""comment 6"""
+ date="2020-11-16T13:52:12Z"
+ content="""
+Good idea, I added ${file}
+"""]]