diff --git a/indra/newview/llstartup.cpp b/indra/newview/llstartup.cpp
index e445cb31925d0ddf8e8db8c247b66d8eedf25204..5650732f72f5d44bedfbcadfdb109ef10b548db4 100644
--- a/indra/newview/llstartup.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/llstartup.cpp
@@ -528,6 +528,15 @@ bool idle_startup()
                 message_template_path = gDirUtilp->getExpandedFilename(LL_PATH_EXECUTABLE, "app_settings", "message_template.msg");
                 found_template = LLFile::fopen(message_template_path, "r");     /* Flawfinder: ignore */
             }
+        #elif LL_LINUX
+            // On the linux dev builds, unpackaged, the message_template.msg
+            // file will be located in:
+            // build-linux**/newview/packaged/app_settings
+            if (!found_template)
+            {
+                message_template_path = gDirUtilp->getExpandedFilename(LL_PATH_EXECUTABLE, "..", "app_settings", "message_template.msg");
+                found_template = LLFile::fopen(message_template_path, "r");     /* Flawfinder: ignore */
+            }
         #elif LL_DARWIN
             // On Mac dev builds, message_template.msg lives in:
             // indra/build-*/newview/<config>/Second Life/Contents/Resources/app_settings