diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/m2/files.m2 b/M2/Macaulay2/m2/files.m2
index b4076c0373d..d4ca2ed1119 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/m2/files.m2
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/m2/files.m2
@@ -301,13 +301,13 @@ supplantFileFile = (tmp,filename,backupq) -> (
      else "file created for initialization text";
      linkFile(tmp,filename);
      removeFile tmp;
-     stderr << "--" << msg << ": " << filename << endl;
+     printerr(msg, ": ", filename);
      )
 
 supplantStringFile = (text,filename,backupq) -> (
      text = replace("/PREFIX/",prefixDirectory,text);
      if fileExists filename and text === get filename then (
-	  stderr << "--initialization text already in file: " << filename << endl;
+	  printerr("initialization text already in file: ", filename);
 	  return;
 	  );
      tmp := filename | ".Macaulay2.tmp";
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ mungeFile = (filename, headerline, trailerline, text) -> (
 		    );
 	       newcontents := replace(regexp, insert, oldcontents);
 	       if oldcontents == newcontents then (
-		    stderr << "--initialization text already in file, no changes needed: " << filename << endl;
+		    printerr("initialization text already in file, no changes needed: ", filename);
 		    return false;
 		    );
 	       )
@@ -388,13 +388,18 @@ emacsenvtempl := ///
      (setenv "VAR" "/PREFIX/DIR:$VAR" t))
 ///
 
-dotemacsFix0 = ///
-;; this version will give an error if M2-init.el is not found:
-(load "M2-init")
-
-;; this version will not give an error if M2-init.el is not found:
-;; (load "M2-init" t)
+emacsfallbacktempl := ///
+;; Check if setupEmacs() successfully installed the M2 emacs package.  If not,
+;; then load it manually.
+(unless (fboundp 'M2)
+  (add-to-list 'load-path "/PREFIX/DIR")
+  ;; this version will give an error if M2-init.el is not found:
+  (load "M2-init"))
+  ;; this version will not give an error if M2-init.el is not found:
+  ;; (load "M2-init" t))
+///
 
+dotemacsFix0 = ///
 ;; You may comment out the following line with an initial semicolon if you 
 ;; want to use your f12 key for something else.  However, this action
 ;; will be undone the next time you run setup() or setupEmacs().
@@ -443,11 +448,42 @@ shellfixes := {
      ("INFOPATH", currentLayout#"info",":"),
      ("LD_LIBRARY_PATH", currentLayout#"lib","")}
 emacsfixes := {
-     ("load-path", currentLayout#"emacs", emacstempl),
      -- the exec-path fix is not needed, because we exec the shell and ask it to find M2
      -- ("exec-path", currentLayout#"bin", emacstempl),
      ("Info-default-directory-list", currentLayout#"info", emacstempl),
-     ("PATH", currentLayout#"bin", emacsenvtempl)}
+     ("PATH", currentLayout#"bin", emacsenvtempl),
+     ("", currentLayout#"emacs", emacsfallbacktempl)}
+
+runAndEcho = s -> (
+    cmd := demark(" ", s);
+    printerr("running: ", cmd);
+    run cmd)
+
+makeEmacsPackage = emacs -> (
+    if run("command -v " | emacs | " > /dev/null") != 0 then (
+	printerr "warning: emacs not found; cannot install package";
+	return);
+    rootdir := temporaryFileName() | "/";
+    pkgname := "M2-" | version#"VERSION";
+    pkgdir := rootdir | pkgname | "/";
+    tarfile := pkgname | ".tar.gz";
+    makeDirectory pkgdir;
+    symbolsfile := first select({
+	    "M2-symbols.el",   -- autotools
+	    "M2-symbols.el.gz" -- cmake
+	    },
+	file -> fileExists(prefixDirectory | currentLayout#"emacs" | file));
+    scan({"M2.el", "M2-mode.el", symbolsfile},
+	file -> copyFile(
+	    prefixDirectory | currentLayout#"emacs" | file,
+	    pkgdir | file, Verbose => true));
+    pkgfile := openOut(pkgdir | "M2-pkg.el");
+    pkgfile << ";; -*- no-byte-compile: t; lexical-binding: nil -*-" << endl;
+    pkgfile << "(define-package \"M2\" \"" << version#"VERSION";
+    pkgfile << "\" \"Macaulay2 major modes\")" << endl << close;
+    runAndEcho("cd", rootdir, "&&", "tar", "-cf", tarfile, pkgname);
+    runAndEcho(emacs, "--batch",
+	"--eval", "'(package-install-file \"" | rootdir | tarfile | "\")'");)
 
 stripdir := dir -> if dir === "/" then dir else replace("/$","",dir)
 fix := (var,dir,rest,templ) -> replace_(":REST",rest) replace_("VAR",var) replace_("DIR",stripdir dir) templ
@@ -484,7 +520,13 @@ prelim := () -> (
      promptUser = true;
      if prefixDirectory === null then error "can't determine Macaulay 2 prefix (prefixDirectory not set)";
      )
-setupEmacs() := () -> ( prelim(); mungeEmacs(); )
+
+setupEmacs String := emacs -> (
+    prelim();
+    mungeEmacs();
+    makeEmacsPackage emacs)
+setupEmacs() := () -> setupEmacs "emacs"
+
 setup() := () -> (
      prelim();
      dotprofileFix = concatenate(shHeader, apply(shellfixes, (var,dir,rest) -> fix(var,dir,rest,bashtempl)));
diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/functions/setup-doc.m2 b/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/functions/setup-doc.m2
index ddd2aa5b3d7..34651a77aa3 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/functions/setup-doc.m2
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/functions/setup-doc.m2
@@ -48,20 +48,33 @@ Node
   Key
     setupEmacs
     1:setupEmacs
+    (setupEmacs, String)
   Usage
     setupEmacs()
+    setupEmacs s
+  Inputs
+    s:String -- defaults to "emacs" when absent
   Consequences
     Item
-      The initialization file for Emacs (@TT ".emacs"@ in your home directory) will have lines
-      added to allow the Macaulay2 Emacs mode to operate. The user is prompted before the file
-      is modified and offered the opportunity to review or reject the change.
+      The M2 package for Emacs is installed.  The initialization file for Emacs (@TT ".emacs"@ in
+      your home directory) will have lines added to help the Macaulay2 Emacs mode to operate. The
+      user is prompted before the file is modified and offered the opportunity to review or reject
+      the change.
   Description
     Text
-      A backup files is made carefully, and if a mangled initialization file is detected,
-      it will not be modified. The lines added are bracketed by comment lines containing
-      the phrases @TT "Macaulay 2 start"@ and @TT "Macaulay 2 end"@.
+      Emacs will be run in batch mode to install the Macaulay2 major mode package.  If @CODE "emacs"@
+      is not available on the @CODE "PATH"@, then you may specify the path to the Emacs binary using
+      @VAR "s"@.
+
+      In addition, your @CODE ".emacs"@ file will be modified.  A backup file is made carefully, and
+      if a mangled initialization file is detected, it will not be modified. The lines added are
+      bracketed by comment lines containing the phrases @TT "Macaulay 2 start"@ and @TT "Macaulay 2
+      end"@.  These lines load a second file initialization file, @CODE ".emacs-Macaulay2"@, which
+      checks to see if the M2 Emacs package was successfully installed, and if not, loads it manually.
+      It also binds @KBD "F12"@ to the function to start a new M2 process.
 
-      The function @TO setup@ does all this and more.
+      The function @TO setup@ also sets up the Emacs initialization files as described above, but
+      does not attempt to install the M2 Emacs package.
   SeeAlso
     setup
 ///