diff --git a/macros.shared-mime-info b/macros.shared-mime-info
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0d0c45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/macros.shared-mime-info
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# RPM macros for packages installing a MIME type according to the XDG specification
+#
+###
+#
+# When a package installs a MIME type as per the XDG specification, it should
+# use both macros:
+#
+#  - %mime_database_post in %post
+#  - %mime_database_postun in %postun
+#
+# Note that these macros can optionally take as argument the directory
+# where the MIME type is installed. If no argument is passed, then
+# %{_datadir}/mime will be used (which is where applications usually install
+# the MIME type information).
+#
+###
+
+# On install, update the mime database
+%mime_database_post()                                          \
+if test -x %{_bindir}/update-mime-database; then               \
+%if "x%1" != "x%%1"                                            \
+  %{_bindir}/update-mime-database "%1" || true                 \
+%else                                                          \
+  %{_bindir}/update-mime-database "%{_datadir}/mime" || true   \
+%endif                                                         \
+fi 
+
+# On uninstall, update the mime database. Note: we ignore upgrades (already
+# handled in %post of the new package).
+%mime_database_postun()                                        \
+if [ $1 -eq 0 ]; then                                          \
+  if test -x %{_bindir}/update-mime-database; then             \
+    %{_bindir}/update-mime-database "${MIME_DIR}" || true      \
+%if "x%1" != "x%%1"                                            \
+    %{_bindir}/update-mime-database "%1" || true               \
+%else                                                          \
+    %{_bindir}/update-mime-database "%{_datadir}/mime" || true \
+%endif                                                         \
+  fi                                                           \
+fi
diff --git a/shared-mime-info.changes b/shared-mime-info.changes
index f8457af..72dbe76 100644
--- a/shared-mime-info.changes
+++ b/shared-mime-info.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Thu Oct  7 14:09:38 CEST 2010 - vuntz@opensuse.org
+
+- Add rpm macros to update the mime database: %mime_database_post
+  and %mime_database_postun.
+- Update %post to never fail, and to not redirect the output to
+  /dev/null: if there is output, then it's important.
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Fri Oct  1 19:40:56 CEST 2010 - vuntz@opensuse.org
 
diff --git a/shared-mime-info.spec b/shared-mime-info.spec
index a80bba2..fe28ce6 100644
--- a/shared-mime-info.spec
+++ b/shared-mime-info.spec
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ License:        GPLv2+
 Summary:        Shared MIME Database
 Source:         %{name}-%{version}.tar.bz2
 Source1:        mime-info-to-mime
+Source2:        macros.shared-mime-info
 # needed by mime-info-to-mime:
 Requires:       /bin/rm /bin/mkdir /usr/bin/fgrep
 # needed by update-mime-database
@@ -59,12 +60,14 @@ translation-update-upstream
 %makeinstall
 install %{S:1} $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_bindir}/
 %find_lang %{name}
+# Install rpm macros
+install -D -m644 %{S:2} %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/rpm/macros.shared-mime-info
 
 %clean
 rm -rf $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
 
 %post
-usr/bin/update-mime-database usr/share/mime >/dev/null
+%{_bindir}/update-mime-database %{_datadir}/mime || true
 
 %files -f %{name}.lang
 %defattr (-, root, root)
@@ -74,5 +77,6 @@ usr/bin/update-mime-database usr/share/mime >/dev/null
 %{_datadir}/pkgconfig/*.pc
 %ghost %{_datadir}/mime/[a-ms-vxX]*
 %{_mandir}/man?/*.*
+%{_sysconfdir}/rpm/macros.shared-mime-info
 
 %changelog