diff --git a/Assistant/Threads/Committer.hs b/Assistant/Threads/Committer.hs
index 4d623eb0ae..e968959c61 100644
--- a/Assistant/Threads/Committer.hs
+++ b/Assistant/Threads/Committer.hs
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ import Data.Either
 {- This thread makes git commits at appropriate times. -}
 commitThread :: NamedThread
 commitThread = NamedThread "Committer" $ do
-	delayadd <- liftAnnex $
-		maybe delayaddDefault (Just . Seconds) . readish
-			<$> getConfig (annexConfig "delayadd") "" 
+	delayadd <- liftAnnex $ do
+		v <- readish <$> getConfig (annexConfig "delayadd") ""
+		maybe delayaddDefault (return . Just . Seconds) v
 	runEvery (Seconds 1) <~> do
 		-- We already waited one second as a simple rate limiter.
 		-- Next, wait until at least one change is available for
@@ -115,13 +115,17 @@ shouldCommit now changes
 	thisSecond c = now `diffUTCTime` changeTime c <= 1
 
 {- OSX needs a short delay after a file is added before locking it down,
- - as pasting a file seems to try to set file permissions or otherwise
- - access the file after closing it. -}
-delayaddDefault :: Maybe Seconds
+ - when using a non-direct mode repository, as pasting a file seems to
+ - try to set file permissions or otherwise access the file after closing
+ - it. -}
+delayaddDefault :: Annex (Maybe Seconds)
 #ifdef darwin_HOST_OS
-delayaddDefault = Just $ Seconds 1
+delayaddDefault = ifM isDirect
+	( return Nothing
+	, return $ Just $ Seconds 1
+	)
 #else
-delayaddDefault = Nothing
+delayaddDefault = return Nothing
 #endif
 
 {- If there are PendingAddChanges, or InProcessAddChanges, the files
diff --git a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Local.hs
index cbde62fce3..0cee7e40f4 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
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ getNewRepositoryR = page "Add another repository" (Just Config) $ do
 		FormSuccess (RepositoryPath p) -> lift $ do
 			let path = T.unpack p
 			liftIO $ makeRepo path False
-			u <- liftIO $ initRepo path Nothing
+			u <- liftIO $ initRepo True path Nothing
 			runAnnex () $ setStandardGroup u ClientGroup
 			liftIO $ addAutoStart path
 			redirect $ SwitchToRepositoryR path
@@ -187,7 +188,7 @@ getAddDriveR = page "Add a removable drive" (Just Config) $ do
   where
 	make mountpoint = do
 		liftIO $ makerepo dir
-		u <- liftIO $ initRepo dir $ Just remotename
+		u <- liftIO $ initRepo False dir $ Just remotename
 		r <- addremote dir remotename
 		runAnnex () $ setStandardGroup u TransferGroup
 		syncRemote r
@@ -246,7 +247,7 @@ startFullAssistant path = do
 	webapp <- getYesod
 	url <- liftIO $ do
 		makeRepo path False
-		u <- initRepo path Nothing
+		u <- initRepo True path Nothing
 		inDir path $ 
 			setStandardGroup u ClientGroup
 		addAutoStart path
@@ -271,8 +272,8 @@ inDir dir a = do
 	state <- Annex.new =<< Git.Config.read =<< Git.Construct.fromPath dir
 	Annex.eval state a
 
-initRepo :: FilePath -> Maybe String -> IO UUID
-initRepo dir desc = inDir dir $ do
+initRepo :: Bool -> FilePath -> Maybe String -> IO UUID
+initRepo primary_assistant_repo dir desc = inDir dir $ do
 	{- Initialize a git-annex repository in a directory with a description. -}
 	unlessM isInitialized $
 		initialize desc
@@ -285,6 +286,12 @@ initRepo 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 fd5444ec6f..ef1c7ee34a 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ git-annex (3.20121212) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     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
@@ -23,9 +25,6 @@ git-annex (3.20121212) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * SHA*E backends: Exclude non-alphanumeric characters from extensions.
   * migrate: Remove leading \ in SHA* checksums, and non-alphanumerics
     from extensions of SHA*E keys.
- 
-  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:06:43 -0400
- 
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:06:43 -0400
 
diff --git a/doc/bugs/OSX_alias_permissions_and_versions_problem.mdwn b/doc/bugs/OSX_alias_permissions_and_versions_problem.mdwn
index 2c92ea3fb8..f4ebc9d1e9 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/OSX_alias_permissions_and_versions_problem.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/OSX_alias_permissions_and_versions_problem.mdwn
@@ -31,3 +31,7 @@ The sync should be transparent but it's not, and it's error prone. It would even
 Dropbox even allows to put a symlink in the dropbox directory, and it will sync the file. 
 
 [[!tag /design/assistant/OSX]]
+
+> Now the assistant creates new repositories using direct mode on OSX.
+> In direct mode, there is no locking of files; they can be modified
+> directly. [[done]] --[[Joey]]
diff --git a/doc/bugs/pasting_into_annex_on_OSX.mdwn b/doc/bugs/pasting_into_annex_on_OSX.mdwn
index 57ad9d3e01..4ea4851af2 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/pasting_into_annex_on_OSX.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/pasting_into_annex_on_OSX.mdwn
@@ -20,4 +20,9 @@ Please provide any additional information below.
 >> Reopening since I've heard from someone else that it can still happen.
 >> --[[Joey]] 
 
+>>> Closing again, since the assistant now makes new repositories on OSX
+>>> using direct mode, which should avoid this problem. NB: any existing
+>>> repositories you have on OSX should be switched to use direct mode by
+>>> manually running `git annex direct` in them. [[done]] --[[Joey]]
+
 [[!tag /design/assistant/OSX]]
diff --git a/doc/git-annex.mdwn b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
index 4b4109820a..169c234c10 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
@@ -788,8 +788,8 @@ Here are all the supported configuration settings.
   Makes the watch and assistant commands delay for the specified number of
   seconds before adding a newly created file to the annex. Normally this
   is not needed, because they already wait for all writers of the file
-  to close it. On Mac OSX, this defaults to 1 second, to work around
-  a bad interaction with software there.
+  to close it. On Mac OSX, when not using direct mode this defaults to
+  1 second, to work around a bad interaction with software there.
 
 * `annex.direct`