diff --git a/templates/hl/mac-launch.sh b/templates/hl/mac-launch.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f3b77fca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/hl/mac-launch.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env sh
+# HashLink needs a specific working directory to find hlboot.dat and libraries
+cd "$(dirname "$0")"
+exec ./hl
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tools/platforms/MacPlatform.hx b/tools/platforms/MacPlatform.hx
index 8829ac3ad..4f80be65a 100644
--- a/tools/platforms/MacPlatform.hx
+++ b/tools/platforms/MacPlatform.hx
@@ -207,6 +207,20 @@ class MacPlatform extends PlatformTarget
 			if (noOutput) return;
 
 			HashlinkHelper.copyHashlink(project, targetDirectory, executableDirectory, executablePath, is64);
+
+			// HashLink looks for hlboot.dat and libraries in the current
+			// working directory, so the .app file won't work properly if it
+			// tries to run the HashLink executable directly.
+			// when the .app file is launched, we can tell it to run a shell
+			// script instead of the HashLink executable. the shell script will
+			// adjusts the working directory before running the HL executable.
+
+			// unlike other platforms, we want to use the original "hl" name
+			var hlExecutablePath = Path.combine(executableDirectory, "hl");
+			System.renameFile(executablePath, hlExecutablePath);
+			System.runCommand("", "chmod", ["755", hlExecutablePath]);
+			// then we can use the executable name for the shell script
+			System.copyFileTemplate(project.templatePaths, 'hl/mac-launch.sh', executablePath);
 		}
 		else if (targetType == "java")
 		{