diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/bundle_env_mingw.cc b/gtk2_ardour/bundle_env_mingw.cc
index f53c461299..0d977cabba 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/bundle_env_mingw.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/bundle_env_mingw.cc
@@ -123,6 +123,15 @@ fixup_bundle_environment (int, char* [], string & localedir)
 	Glib::setenv ("VAMP_PATH", path, true);
 
 	Glib::setenv ("SUIL_MODULE_DIR", Glib::build_filename(ardour_dll_directory(), "suil"), true);
+
+	/* XXX this should really be PRODUCT_EXE see tools/x-win/package.sh
+	 * ardour on windows does not have a startup wrapper script.
+	 *
+	 * then again, there's probably nobody using NSM on windows.
+	 * because neither nsmd nor the GUI is currently available for windows.
+	 * furthermore it'll be even less common for derived products.
+	 */
+	Glib::setenv ("ARDOUR_SELF", Glib::build_filename(ardour_dll_directory(), "ardour.exe"), true);
 }
 
 static __cdecl void
diff --git a/tools/osx_packaging/startup_script b/tools/osx_packaging/startup_script
index 75ed7200d1..ba9cf18e47 100644
--- a/tools/osx_packaging/startup_script
+++ b/tools/osx_packaging/startup_script
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ end tell'
    exit 1
 fi
 
+export ARDOUR_SELF="$0"
+
 # this needs to be set so that we can restore the environment when we want to find JACK (or similar)
 export PREBUNDLE_ENV="$(env)"