diff --git a/indra/newview/viewer_manifest.py b/indra/newview/viewer_manifest.py
index 8d2525dd2643de6d14293e01f63bf941c318644a..c2d86b91c6b616abb3196a0266f886e1738e8764 100755
--- a/indra/newview/viewer_manifest.py
+++ b/indra/newview/viewer_manifest.py
@@ -559,6 +559,10 @@ def package_finish(self):
 
 
 class DarwinManifest(ViewerManifest):
+    def is_packaging_viewer(self):
+        # darwin requires full app bundle packaging even for debugging.
+        return true
+
     def construct(self):
         # copy over the build result (this is a no-op if run within the xcode script)
         self.path(self.args['configuration'] + "/Second Life.app", dst="")