diff --git a/Annex/Version.hs b/Annex/Version.hs
index d08f994e95..e1983fc67a 100644
--- a/Annex/Version.hs
+++ b/Annex/Version.hs
@@ -15,14 +15,17 @@ import qualified Annex
 
 type Version = String
 
-supportedVersion :: Version
-supportedVersion = "5"
+currentVersion :: Version
+currentVersion = "6"
+
+supportedVersions :: [Version]
+supportedVersions = ["5", currentVersion]
 
 upgradableVersions :: [Version]
 #ifndef mingw32_HOST_OS
-upgradableVersions = ["0", "1", "2", "4"]
+upgradableVersions = ["0", "1", "2", "4", "5"]
 #else
-upgradableVersions = ["2", "3", "4"]
+upgradableVersions = ["2", "3", "4", "5"]
 #endif
 
 autoUpgradeableVersions :: [Version]
diff --git a/Command/Version.hs b/Command/Version.hs
index 72bbe40648..c5a9fcef2a 100644
--- a/Command/Version.hs
+++ b/Command/Version.hs
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ showVersion = do
 	liftIO $ do
 		showPackageVersion
 		vinfo "local repository version" $ fromMaybe "unknown" v
-		vinfo "supported repository version" supportedVersion
+		vinfo "supported repository versions" $
+			unwords supportedVersions
 		vinfo "upgrade supported from repository versions" $
 			unwords upgradableVersions
 
diff --git a/Upgrade.hs b/Upgrade.hs
index 8d205a874a..1f4a8d8dec 100644
--- a/Upgrade.hs
+++ b/Upgrade.hs
@@ -18,13 +18,14 @@ import qualified Upgrade.V1
 import qualified Upgrade.V2
 import qualified Upgrade.V3
 import qualified Upgrade.V4
+import qualified Upgrade.V5
 
 checkUpgrade :: Version -> Annex ()
 checkUpgrade = maybe noop error <=< needsUpgrade
 
 needsUpgrade :: Version -> Annex (Maybe String)
 needsUpgrade v
-	| v == supportedVersion = ok
+	| v `elem` supportedVersions = ok
 	| v `elem` autoUpgradeableVersions = ifM (upgrade True)
 		( ok
 		, err "Automatic upgrade failed!"
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ upgrade :: Bool -> Annex Bool
 upgrade automatic = do
 	upgraded <- go =<< getVersion
 	when upgraded $
-		setVersion supportedVersion
+		setVersion currentVersion
 	return upgraded
   where
 #ifndef mingw32_HOST_OS
@@ -53,4 +54,5 @@ upgrade automatic = do
 	go (Just "2") = Upgrade.V2.upgrade
 	go (Just "3") = Upgrade.V3.upgrade automatic
 	go (Just "4") = Upgrade.V4.upgrade automatic
+	go (Just "5") = Upgrade.V5.upgrade automatic
 	go _ = return True
diff --git a/Upgrade/V1.hs b/Upgrade/V1.hs
index 801cdafa0d..bcf7e0b6de 100644
--- a/Upgrade/V1.hs
+++ b/Upgrade/V1.hs
@@ -54,14 +54,14 @@ upgrade = do
 	ifM (fromRepo Git.repoIsLocalBare)
 		( do
 			moveContent
-			setVersion supportedVersion
+			setVersion currentVersion
 		, do
 			moveContent
 			updateSymlinks
 			moveLocationLogs
 	
 			Annex.Queue.flush
-			setVersion supportedVersion
+			setVersion currentVersion
 		)
 	
 	Upgrade.V2.upgrade
diff --git a/Upgrade/V5.hs b/Upgrade/V5.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cf273bb16a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Upgrade/V5.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{- git-annex v5 -> v6 uppgrade support
+ -
+ - Copyright 2015 Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>
+ -
+ - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
+ -}
+
+module Upgrade.V5 where
+
+import Common.Annex
+import Config
+
+upgrade :: Bool -> Annex Bool
+upgrade automatic = do
+	unless automatic $
+		showAction "v5 to v6"
+	configureSmudgeFilter
+	return True
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index fae4b598b4..f19a22b3eb 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
-git-annex (5.20151117) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
+git-annex (6.20151117) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
 
+  * annex.version increased to 6, but version 5 is also still supported.
+  * The upgrade to version 6 is not done fully automatically, because
+    upgrading a direct mode repository to version 6 will prevent old
+    versions of git-annex from working in that repository.
+  * smudge: New command, used for git smudge filter. 
+    This will replace direct mode.
   * Build with -j1 again to get reproducible build.
   * Display progress meter in -J mode when copying from a local git repo,
     to a local git repo, and from a remote git repo.
diff --git a/doc/git-annex-smudge.mdwn b/doc/git-annex-smudge.mdwn
index a4f458ee51..5186d2a178 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex-smudge.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex-smudge.mdwn
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ but this is normally set up for you by git-annex init, so you should
 not need to configure it manually:
 
 	[filter "annex"]
-	        clean = git-annex smudge --clean %f
 	        smudge = git-annex smudge %f
+	        clean = git-annex smudge --clean %f
 
 To make git use this filter on all files except for dotfiles, put something
 like the following in the .gitattributes file:
diff --git a/doc/todo/smudge.mdwn b/doc/todo/smudge.mdwn
index 094b5f880f..6e6af6f65b 100644
--- a/doc/todo/smudge.mdwn
+++ b/doc/todo/smudge.mdwn
@@ -308,15 +308,17 @@ annex.version changes to 6
 
 Upgrade should be handled automatically.
 
-On upgrade, update .gitattributes with a stock configuration, unless
-it already mentions "filter=annex".
+On upgrade, update $GIT_DIR/info/attributes with a stock configuration,
+unless it already mentions "filter=annex".
 
 Upgrading a direct mode repo needs to switch it out of bare mode, and
 needs to run `git annex unlock` on all files (or reach the same result).
 So will need to stage changes to all annexed files.
 
 When a repo has some clones indirect and some direct, the upgraded repo
-will have all files unlocked, necessarily in all clones.
+will have all files unlocked, necessarily in all clones. This happens
+automatically, because when the direct repos are upgraded that causes the
+files to be unlocked, while the indirect upgrades don't touch the files.
 
 ----
 
diff --git a/doc/upgrades.mdwn b/doc/upgrades.mdwn
index f5e9cbc3a6..7600d8e144 100644
--- a/doc/upgrades.mdwn
+++ b/doc/upgrades.mdwn
@@ -43,6 +43,34 @@ conflicts first before upgrading git-annex.
 
 The upgrade events, so far:
 
+## v5 -> v6 (git-annex version 6.x)
+
+The upgrade from v5 to v6 is handled manually. Run `git-annex upgrade`
+perform the upgrade.
+
+All places that a direct mode repository is cloned to should be 
+running git-annex version 6.x before you upgrade the repository.
+This is necessary because the contents of the repository are changed
+in the upgrade, and the old version of git-annex won't be able to
+access files after the repo is upgraded.
+
+If a repository is only used in indirect mode, this upgrade will not
+affect it significantly. You can use git-annex v5 and v6 in different
+clones of the same indirect mode repository without problems.
+
+This upgrade does away with the direct mode/indirect mode distinction.
+A v6 git-annex repository can have some files locked and other files
+unlocked, and all git and git-annex commands can be used on both locked and
+unlocked files. (Although for locked files to work, the filesystem
+must support symbolic links..)
+
+On upgrade, all files in a direct mode repository will be converted to
+unlocked files. The upgrade will need to stage changes to all files in
+the git repository.
+
+If a repository has some clones using direct mode and some using indirect
+mode, all the files will end up unlocked in all clones after the upgrade.
+
 ## v4 -> v5 (git-annex version 5.x)
 
 The upgrade from v4 to v5 is handled