diff --git a/cmake/install.cmake b/cmake/install.cmake
index ee3de23e..31ef7579 100644
--- a/cmake/install.cmake
+++ b/cmake/install.cmake
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ set(_abs_private_libdir ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${_private_libdir})
 file(RELATIVE_PATH _rpath ${_abs_bindir} ${_abs_private_libdir})
 set(_rpath "\$ORIGIN/${_rpath}")
 
+# in addition to $ORIGIN, binaries/libraries living in the private libdir need to be able to find the libraries
+# linuxdeploy bundles when deploying the AppDir (e.g., libgpgme, libgpg-error, libassuan pulled in transitively by
+# libappimageupdate). Linuxdeploy always places those in the *flat* usr/lib. Without this, those libraries silently fail
+# to load at runtime (see the remove/update targets for the executable side)
+set(_abs_flat_libdir ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib)
+file(RELATIVE_PATH _rpath_flat_libdir ${_abs_private_libdir} ${_abs_flat_libdir})
+set(_rpath_flat_libdir "\$ORIGIN/${_rpath_flat_libdir}")
+
+set_target_properties(libappimage PROPERTIES INSTALL_RPATH "\$ORIGIN;${_rpath_flat_libdir}")
+
 # install libappimage.so into lib/appimagekit to avoid overwriting a libappimage potentially installed into /usr/lib
 # or /usr/lib/x86_64-... or wherever the OS puts its libraries
 install(
@@ -37,6 +47,8 @@ install(
 )
 
 if(ENABLE_UPDATE_HELPER)
+    set_target_properties(libappimageupdate libappimageupdate-qt PROPERTIES INSTALL_RPATH "\$ORIGIN;${_rpath_flat_libdir}")
+
     install(
         TARGETS libappimageupdate libappimageupdate-qt
         LIBRARY DESTINATION "${_private_libdir}" COMPONENT APPIMAGELAUNCHER
diff --git a/src/ui/CMakeLists.txt b/src/ui/CMakeLists.txt
index 785a7c81..ee89e75f 100644
--- a/src/ui/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/ui/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -36,7 +36,11 @@ install(
 add_executable(remove remove_main.cpp remove.ui resources.qrc)
 target_link_libraries(remove shared translationmanager libappimage)
 # see AppImageLauncher for a description
-set_target_properties(remove PROPERTIES INSTALL_RPATH "\$ORIGIN")
+# in addition to $ORIGIN (where libappimage.so etc. are installed to), we also need the flat lib dir (see
+# _rpath_flat_libdir in install.cmake), as that's where linuxdeploy bundles transitive dependencies (e.g.,
+# libgpgme, libgpg-error, libassuan pulled in by libappimageupdate) when deploying the AppDir; without it, those
+# libraries silently fail to load at runtime
+set_target_properties(remove PROPERTIES INSTALL_RPATH "\$ORIGIN;${_rpath_flat_libdir}")
 
 install(
     TARGETS
@@ -49,8 +53,8 @@ install(
 if(ENABLE_UPDATE_HELPER)
     add_executable(update update.ui update_main.cpp resources.qrc)
     target_link_libraries(update shared translationmanager libappimage libappimageupdate-qt Qt5::Quick Qt5::QuickWidgets Qt5::Qml)
-    # see AppImageLauncher for a description
-    set_target_properties(update PROPERTIES INSTALL_RPATH "\$ORIGIN")
+    # see remove target above for a description of why the flat lib dir is included, too
+    set_target_properties(update PROPERTIES INSTALL_RPATH "\$ORIGIN;${_rpath_flat_libdir}")
 
     install(
         TARGETS