diff --git a/cockatrice/src/window_main.cpp b/cockatrice/src/window_main.cpp
index 38140459..88779d87 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/window_main.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/window_main.cpp
@@ -769,8 +769,8 @@ void MainWindow::createMenus()
 }
 
 MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent)
-    : QMainWindow(parent), localServer(nullptr), bHasActivated(false), cardUpdateProcess(nullptr),
-      logviewDialog(nullptr)
+    : QMainWindow(parent), localServer(nullptr), bHasActivated(false), askedForDbUpdater(false),
+      cardUpdateProcess(nullptr), logviewDialog(nullptr)
 {
     connect(&SettingsCache::instance(), SIGNAL(pixmapCacheSizeChanged(int)), this, SLOT(pixmapCacheSizeChanged(int)));
     pixmapCacheSizeChanged(SettingsCache::instance().getPixmapCacheSize());
@@ -1003,6 +1003,10 @@ void MainWindow::showWindowIfHidden()
 
 void MainWindow::cardDatabaseLoadingFailed()
 {
+    if (askedForDbUpdater) {
+        return;
+    }
+    askedForDbUpdater = true;
     QMessageBox msgBox;
     msgBox.setWindowTitle(tr("Card database"));
     msgBox.setIcon(QMessageBox::Question);
@@ -1109,17 +1113,34 @@ void MainWindow::actCheckCardUpdates()
 
     if (dir.exists(binaryName)) {
         updaterCmd = dir.absoluteFilePath(binaryName);
+    } else { // try and find the directory oracle is stored in the build directory
+        QDir findLocalDir(dir);
+        findLocalDir.cdUp();
+        findLocalDir.cd(getCardUpdaterBinaryName());
+        if (findLocalDir.exists(binaryName)) {
+            dir = findLocalDir;
+            updaterCmd = dir.absoluteFilePath(binaryName);
+        }
     }
 
     if (updaterCmd.isEmpty()) {
         QMessageBox::warning(this, tr("Error"),
                              tr("Unable to run the card database updater: ") + dir.absoluteFilePath(binaryName));
+        exitCardDatabaseUpdate();
         return;
     }
 
     cardUpdateProcess->start(updaterCmd, QStringList());
 }
 
+void MainWindow::exitCardDatabaseUpdate()
+{
+    cardUpdateProcess->deleteLater();
+    cardUpdateProcess = nullptr;
+
+    QtConcurrent::run(db, &CardDatabase::loadCardDatabases);
+}
+
 void MainWindow::cardUpdateError(QProcess::ProcessError err)
 {
     QString error;
@@ -1145,18 +1166,13 @@ void MainWindow::cardUpdateError(QProcess::ProcessError err)
             break;
     }
 
-    cardUpdateProcess->deleteLater();
-    cardUpdateProcess = nullptr;
-
+    exitCardDatabaseUpdate();
     QMessageBox::warning(this, tr("Error"), tr("The card database updater exited with an error: %1").arg(error));
 }
 
 void MainWindow::cardUpdateFinished(int, QProcess::ExitStatus)
 {
-    cardUpdateProcess->deleteLater();
-    cardUpdateProcess = nullptr;
-
-    QtConcurrent::run(db, &CardDatabase::loadCardDatabases);
+    exitCardDatabaseUpdate();
 }
 
 void MainWindow::actCheckServerUpdates()
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/window_main.h b/cockatrice/src/window_main.h
index 47e10ad4..e9f3c733 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/window_main.h
+++ b/cockatrice/src/window_main.h
@@ -116,11 +116,11 @@ private:
     void createTrayIcon();
     void createTrayActions();
     int getNextCustomSetPrefix(QDir dataDir);
-    // TODO: add a preference item to choose updater name for other games
     inline QString getCardUpdaterBinaryName()
     {
         return "oracle";
     };
+    void exitCardDatabaseUpdate();
 
     QList<QMenu *> tabMenus;
     QMenu *cockatriceMenu, *dbMenu, *helpMenu, *trayIconMenu;
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ private:
     RemoteClient *client;
     QThread *clientThread;
     LocalServer *localServer;
-    bool bHasActivated;
+    bool bHasActivated, askedForDbUpdater;
     QMessageBox serverShutdownMessageBox;
     QProcess *cardUpdateProcess;
     DlgViewLog *logviewDialog;