diff --git a/ide/codetoolsdefines.pas b/ide/codetoolsdefines.pas
index 5f2c95eb61..5044f1021e 100644
--- a/ide/codetoolsdefines.pas
+++ b/ide/codetoolsdefines.pas
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ begin
 
     FileTitles[0]:=lisCodeToolsDefsLazarusDirectory;
     FileDescs[0]:=lisCodeToolsDefsTheLazarusMainDirectory;
-    FileNames[0]:=IDEProcs.ProgramDirectory;
+    FileNames[0]:=IDEProcs.ProgramDirectory(true);
     FileFlags[0]:=[iftDirectory,iftNotEmpty,iftMustExist];
 
     EndUpdate;
diff --git a/ide/environmentopts.pp b/ide/environmentopts.pp
index 35b8c11348..b798b80d6d 100644
--- a/ide/environmentopts.pp
+++ b/ide/environmentopts.pp
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ begin
   FShowMenuGlyphs := sbgSystem;
 
   // files
-  LazarusDirectory:=IDEProcs.ProgramDirectory;
+  LazarusDirectory:=IDEProcs.ProgramDirectory(true);
   FLazarusDirsHistory:=TStringList.Create;
   CompilerFilename:='';
   FCompilerFileHistory:=TStringList.Create;
@@ -918,7 +918,7 @@ begin
       LoadRecentList(XMLConfig,FLazarusDirsHistory,
          Path+'LazarusDirectory/History/');
       if FLazarusDirsHistory.Count=0 then begin
-        FLazarusDirsHistory.Add(ProgramDirectory);
+        FLazarusDirsHistory.Add(ProgramDirectory(true));
       end;
       CompilerFilename:=TrimFilename(XMLConfig.GetValue(
          Path+'CompilerFilename/Value',FCompilerFilename));
diff --git a/ide/frames/files_options.pas b/ide/frames/files_options.pas
index 79e1ee6927..ad753ddb72 100644
--- a/ide/frames/files_options.pas
+++ b/ide/frames/files_options.pas
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ begin
   with LazarusDirComboBox.Items do
   begin
     BeginUpdate;
-    Add(ProgramDirectory);
+    Add(ProgramDirectory(true));
     EndUpdate;
   end;
 
diff --git a/ide/ideprocs.pp b/ide/ideprocs.pp
index 8761f571e4..a1b026a049 100644
--- a/ide/ideprocs.pp
+++ b/ide/ideprocs.pp
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ procedure StringToStringList(const s: string; List: TStrings);
 function GetCurrentUserName: string;
 function GetCurrentMailAddress: string;
 function GetProgramSearchPath: string;
-function ProgramDirectory: string;
+function ProgramDirectory(BundleRoot: boolean): string;
 
 // debugging
 procedure RaiseException(const Msg: string);
@@ -2315,9 +2315,14 @@ begin
   CopyDir(SrcDir,DestDirectory);
 end;
 
-function ProgramDirectory: string;
+function ProgramDirectory(BundleRoot: boolean): string;
+const
+  BundlePostFix='.app/Contents/MacOS';
 begin
   Result:=FileUtil.ProgramDirectory;
+  if BundleRoot
+  and (RightStr(ChompPathDelim(Result),length(BundlePostFix))=BundlePostFix) then
+    Result:=ExtractFilePath(LeftStr(Result,length(Result)-length(BundlePostFix)));
 end;
 
 function CreateEmptyFile(const Filename: string): boolean;
diff --git a/ide/initialsetupdlgs.pas b/ide/initialsetupdlgs.pas
index 25bd1b2ead..ceb1c08bdf 100644
--- a/ide/initialsetupdlgs.pas
+++ b/ide/initialsetupdlgs.pas
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ var
 begin
   CurLazDir:=EnvironmentOptions.LazarusDirectory;
   if CurLazDir='' then begin
-    CurLazDir:=ProgramDirectory;
+    CurLazDir:=ProgramDirectory(true);
     if not CheckLazarusDirectory(CurLazDir) then
       CurLazDir:=FindDefaultLazarusSrcDirectory;
   end;
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ begin
           ),
         mtWarning,[mbIgnore],0);
     end else begin
-      DefaultLazDir:=ProgramDirectory;
+      DefaultLazDir:=ProgramDirectory(true);
       if CompareFilenames(DefaultLazDir,CurLazDir)<>0 then begin
         r:=MessageDlg(lisLazarusDirectoryNotFound,
            Format(lisTheCurrentLazarusDirectoryDoesNotLookCorrectWithou, ['"',
diff --git a/ide/main.pp b/ide/main.pp
index 770f495801..d0ab710ce9 100644
--- a/ide/main.pp
+++ b/ide/main.pp
@@ -1027,7 +1027,7 @@ begin
   EnableRemoteControl:=false;
   if IsHelpRequested then
   begin
-    TranslateResourceStrings(ProgramDirectory,'');
+    TranslateResourceStrings(ProgramDirectory(true),'');
 
     AHelp := TStringList.Create;
     AddHelp([lislazarusOptionsProjectFilename]);