diff --git a/en/handbook/README b/en/handbook/README
index db01c1977f..7d6dde9125 100644
--- a/en/handbook/README
+++ b/en/handbook/README
@@ -615,3 +615,5 @@ for example,
      to the bottom of each chapter.sgml file, so Emacs can do something
      useful with it. This uses the new chapter.decl file.
 
+ 59. Add similar local variables (but not sgml-declaration or
+     sgml-parent-document to handbook.sgml.
diff --git a/en/handbook/handbook.sgml b/en/handbook/handbook.sgml
index 5118430f10..520afd64b3 100644
--- a/en/handbook/handbook.sgml
+++ b/en/handbook/handbook.sgml
@@ -87,3 +87,14 @@
     &chap.pgpkeys;
   </part>
 </book>
+
+<!-- 
+     mode: sgml
+     sgml-declaration: "../chapter.decl"
+     sgml-indent-data: t
+     sgml-omittag: nil
+     sgml-shorttag: nil
+     sgml-always-quote-attributes: t
+     sgml-minimize-attributes: max
+     End:
+-->
diff --git a/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/book.sgml b/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/book.sgml
index 5118430f10..520afd64b3 100644
--- a/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/book.sgml
+++ b/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/book.sgml
@@ -87,3 +87,14 @@
     &chap.pgpkeys;
   </part>
 </book>
+
+<!-- 
+     mode: sgml
+     sgml-declaration: "../chapter.decl"
+     sgml-indent-data: t
+     sgml-omittag: nil
+     sgml-shorttag: nil
+     sgml-always-quote-attributes: t
+     sgml-minimize-attributes: max
+     End:
+-->
diff --git a/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/handbook/book.sgml b/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/handbook/book.sgml
index 5118430f10..520afd64b3 100644
--- a/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/handbook/book.sgml
+++ b/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/handbook/book.sgml
@@ -87,3 +87,14 @@
     &chap.pgpkeys;
   </part>
 </book>
+
+<!-- 
+     mode: sgml
+     sgml-declaration: "../chapter.decl"
+     sgml-indent-data: t
+     sgml-omittag: nil
+     sgml-shorttag: nil
+     sgml-always-quote-attributes: t
+     sgml-minimize-attributes: max
+     End:
+-->