diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a3982a4..a5c3f4f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -51,10 +51,13 @@ python download-xflux.py
 
 # EITHER install globally
 sudo python setup.py install
+
 # EXCLUSIVE OR, install in your home directory. The binary installs
-# into ~/.local/bin, so be sure to add that to your PATH if installing locally.
+# into ~/.local/bin, so be sure to add that to your PATH if installing
+# locally. In particular, autostarting fluxgui in Gnome will not work
+# if the locally installed fluxgui is not on your PATH.
 python setup.py install --user
-
+       
 # Run flux
 fluxgui
 ```
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index d5bf7bd..330bd9b 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
+# -*- text -*-
 fluxgui (1.1.11~pre) wily; urgency=low
 
+  * make fluxgui Gnome autostart work for locally installed fluxgui,
+    https://github.com/xflux-gui/fluxgui/pull/89.
   * update icons: https://github.com/xflux-gui/fluxgui/issues/85,
-    https://github.com/xflux-gui/fluxgui/pull/86
+    https://github.com/xflux-gui/fluxgui/pull/86.
   * fix https:/github.com/xflux-gui/fluxgui/issues/79: tray icon
     name was incorrect for some desktop environments.
 
diff --git a/src/fluxgui/settings.py b/src/fluxgui/settings.py
index dc3abc1..6153f80 100644
--- a/src/fluxgui/settings.py
+++ b/src/fluxgui/settings.py
@@ -158,7 +158,21 @@ def _create_autostarter(self):
             #create autostart entry
             starter_item = DesktopEntry(autostart_file)
             starter_item.set('Name', 'f.lux indicator applet')
-            starter_item.set('Exec', 'fluxgui')
+            # Use the user's shell to start 'fluxgui', in case
+            # 'fluxgui' is not installed on a standard system path. We
+            # use 'sh' to start the users '/etc/passwd' shell via
+            # '$SHELL', so that this will still work if the user
+            # changes their shell after the
+            # 'autostart/fluxgui.desktop' file is created.
+            #
+            # See PR #89 for an alternative approach:
+            #
+            #   https://github.com/xflux-gui/fluxgui/pull/89
+            #
+            # The escaping of the 'Exec' field is described in
+            #
+            #   https://developer.gnome.org/desktop-entry-spec/#exec-variables.
+            starter_item.set('Exec', r'sh -c "\\"\\$SHELL\\" -c fluxgui"')
             starter_item.set('Icon', 'fluxgui')
             starter_item.set('X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled', 'true')
             starter_item.write()