diff --git a/Annex/FileMatcher.hs b/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
index a06cdcab24..db58c019b4 100644
--- a/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
+++ b/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ fileMatchInfo file = do
 	matchfile <- getTopFilePath <$> inRepo (toTopFilePath file)
 	return $ MatchingFile FileInfo
 		{ matchFile = matchfile
-		, currFile = file
+		, contentFile = Just file
 		}
 
 matchAll :: FileMatcher Annex
diff --git a/Annex/Import.hs b/Annex/Import.hs
index bc39ca375d..1691c6f3b1 100644
--- a/Annex/Import.hs
+++ b/Annex/Import.hs
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ importKeys remote importtreeconfig importcontent importablecontents = do
 		matcher <- largematcher (fromRawFilePath f)
 		let mi = MatchingFile FileInfo
 			{ matchFile = f
-			, currFile = toRawFilePath tmpfile
+			, contentFile = Just (toRawFilePath tmpfile)
 			}
 		islargefile <- checkMatcher' matcher mi mempty
 		if islargefile
diff --git a/Annex/Ingest.hs b/Annex/Ingest.hs
index 16bc7c49b0..d0d14c363c 100644
--- a/Annex/Ingest.hs
+++ b/Annex/Ingest.hs
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ addAnnexedFile ci matcher file key mtmp = ifM (addUnlocked matcher mi)
   where
 	mi = case mtmp of
 		Just tmp -> MatchingFile $ FileInfo
-			{ currFile = toRawFilePath tmp
+			{ contentFile = Just (toRawFilePath tmp)
 			, matchFile = toRawFilePath file
 			}
 		-- Provide as much info as we can without access to the
diff --git a/CmdLine/Batch.hs b/CmdLine/Batch.hs
index 62d2e2b87b..4c403e33d2 100644
--- a/CmdLine/Batch.hs
+++ b/CmdLine/Batch.hs
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ batchFilesMatching fmt a = do
 	matcher <- getMatcher
 	go $ \si f ->
 		let f' = toRawFilePath f
-		in ifM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo f' f')
+		in ifM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just f') f')
 			( a (si, f')
 			, return Nothing
 			)
diff --git a/CmdLine/Seek.hs b/CmdLine/Seek.hs
index f5c0fe8538..9a5f2d246e 100644
--- a/CmdLine/Seek.hs
+++ b/CmdLine/Seek.hs
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ withPathContents a params = do
 		, return [(p, takeFileName p)]
 		)
 	checkmatch matcher (f, relf) = matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo
-		{ currFile = toRawFilePath f
+		{ contentFile = Just (toRawFilePath f)
 		, matchFile = toRawFilePath relf
 		}
 
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ seekFiltered prefilter a listfs = do
   where
 	process matcher v@(_si, f) =
 		whenM (prefilter v) $
-			whenM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo f f) $
+			whenM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just f) f) $
 				a v
 
 data MatcherInfo = MatcherInfo
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ seekFilteredKeys seeker listfs = do
 		-- checked later, to avoid a slow lookup here.
 		(not ((matcherNeedsKey mi || matcherNeedsLocationLog mi) 
 			&& not (matcherNeedsFileName mi)))
-		(MatchingFile $ FileInfo f f)
+		(MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just f) f)
 		(liftIO $ ofeeder ((si, f), sha))
 
 	keyaction f mi content a = 
diff --git a/Command/Add.hs b/Command/Add.hs
index e42b71e0eb..b19aaea54a 100644
--- a/Command/Add.hs
+++ b/Command/Add.hs
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ start o si file addunlockedmatcher = do
 perform :: AddOptions -> RawFilePath -> AddUnlockedMatcher -> CommandPerform
 perform o file addunlockedmatcher = withOtherTmp $ \tmpdir -> do
 	lockingfile <- not <$> addUnlocked addunlockedmatcher
-		(MatchingFile (FileInfo file file))
+		(MatchingFile (FileInfo (Just file) file))
 	let cfg = LockDownConfig
 		{ lockingFile = lockingfile
 		, hardlinkFileTmpDir = Just tmpdir
diff --git a/Command/Import.hs b/Command/Import.hs
index 2de85ef1de..3971a65d34 100644
--- a/Command/Import.hs
+++ b/Command/Import.hs
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ startLocal o addunlockedmatcher largematcher mode (srcfile, destfile) =
 		stop
 	lockdown a = do
 		let mi = MatchingFile $ FileInfo
-			{ currFile = toRawFilePath srcfile
+			{ contentFile = Just (toRawFilePath srcfile)
 			, matchFile = toRawFilePath destfile
 			}
 		lockingfile <- not <$> addUnlocked addunlockedmatcher mi
diff --git a/Command/Info.hs b/Command/Info.hs
index a2f9f369cb..2e078cd887 100644
--- a/Command/Info.hs
+++ b/Command/Info.hs
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ getDirStatInfo o dir = do
   where
 	initial = (emptyKeyInfo, emptyKeyInfo, emptyNumCopiesStats, M.empty)
 	update matcher fast key file vs@(presentdata, referenceddata, numcopiesstats, repodata) =
-		ifM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo file file)
+		ifM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just file) file)
 			( do
 				!presentdata' <- ifM (inAnnex key)
 					( return $ addKey key presentdata
diff --git a/Command/Multicast.hs b/Command/Multicast.hs
index 5b0c7f9e93..d90c114649 100644
--- a/Command/Multicast.hs
+++ b/Command/Multicast.hs
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ send ups fs = do
 			(fs', cleanup) <- seekHelper id ww LsFiles.inRepo
 				=<< workTreeItems ww fs
 			matcher <- Limit.getMatcher
-			let addlist f o = whenM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo f f) $
+			let addlist f o = whenM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just f) f) $
 				liftIO $ hPutStrLn h o
 			forM_ fs' $ \(_, f) -> do
 				mk <- lookupKey f
diff --git a/Limit.hs b/Limit.hs
index 414b67be31..0a81c43e8c 100644
--- a/Limit.hs
+++ b/Limit.hs
@@ -155,9 +155,11 @@ matchMagic _limitname querymagic selectprovidedinfo (Just magic) glob =
   where
  	cglob = compileGlob glob CaseSensative -- memoized
 	go (MatchingKey _ _) = pure False
-	go (MatchingFile fi) = catchBoolIO $
-		maybe False (matchGlob cglob)
-			<$> querymagic magic (fromRawFilePath (currFile fi))
+	go (MatchingFile fi) = case contentFile fi of
+		Just f -> catchBoolIO $
+			maybe False (matchGlob cglob)
+				<$> querymagic magic (fromRawFilePath f)
+		Nothing -> return False
 	go (MatchingInfo p) =
 		matchGlob cglob <$> getInfo (selectprovidedinfo p)
 matchMagic limitname _ _ Nothing _ = 
@@ -184,12 +186,14 @@ addLocked = addLimit $ Right $ MatchFiles
 matchLockStatus :: Bool -> MatchInfo -> Annex Bool
 matchLockStatus _ (MatchingKey _ _) = pure False
 matchLockStatus _ (MatchingInfo _) = pure False
-matchLockStatus wantlocked (MatchingFile fi) = liftIO $ do
-	islocked <- isPointerFile (currFile fi) >>= \case
-		Just _key -> return False
-		Nothing -> isSymbolicLink
-			<$> getSymbolicLinkStatus (fromRawFilePath (currFile fi))
-	return (islocked == wantlocked)
+matchLockStatus wantlocked (MatchingFile fi) = case contentFile fi of
+	Just f -> liftIO $ do
+		islocked <- isPointerFile f >>= \case
+			Just _key -> return False
+			Nothing -> isSymbolicLink
+				<$> getSymbolicLinkStatus (fromRawFilePath f)
+		return (islocked == wantlocked)
+	Nothing -> return False
 
 {- Adds a limit to skip files not believed to be present
  - in a specfied repository. Optionally on a prior date. -}
@@ -436,17 +440,20 @@ limitSize lb vs s = case readSize dataUnits s of
 		}
   where
 	go sz _ (MatchingFile fi) = case lb of
-		LimitAnnexFiles -> lookupFileKey fi >>= \case
-			Just key -> checkkey sz key
-			Nothing -> return False
-		LimitDiskFiles -> do
-			filesize <- liftIO $ catchMaybeIO $
-				getFileSize (fromRawFilePath (currFile fi))
-			return $ filesize `vs` Just sz
+		LimitAnnexFiles -> goannexed sz fi
+		LimitDiskFiles -> case contentFile fi of
+			Just f -> do
+				filesize <- liftIO $ catchMaybeIO $
+					getFileSize (fromRawFilePath f)
+				return $ filesize `vs` Just sz
+			Nothing -> goannexed sz fi
 	go sz _ (MatchingKey key _) = checkkey sz key
 	go sz _ (MatchingInfo p) =
 		getInfo (providedFileSize p) 
 			>>= \sz' -> return (Just sz' `vs` Just sz)
+	goannexed sz fi = lookupFileKey fi >>= \case
+		Just key -> checkkey sz key
+		Nothing -> return False
 	checkkey sz key = return $ fromKey keySize key `vs` Just sz
 
 addMetaData :: String -> Annex ()
@@ -506,7 +513,9 @@ addAccessedWithin duration = do
 	secs = fromIntegral (durationSeconds duration)
 
 lookupFileKey :: FileInfo -> Annex (Maybe Key)
-lookupFileKey = lookupKey . currFile
+lookupFileKey fi = case contentFile fi of
+	Just f -> lookupKey f
+	Nothing -> return Nothing
 
 checkKey :: (Key -> Annex Bool) -> MatchInfo -> Annex Bool
 checkKey a (MatchingFile fi) = lookupFileKey fi >>= maybe (return False) a
diff --git a/Types/FileMatcher.hs b/Types/FileMatcher.hs
index 5903d36f7e..8f7f94f323 100644
--- a/Types/FileMatcher.hs
+++ b/Types/FileMatcher.hs
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ data MatchInfo
 	| MatchingInfo ProvidedInfo
 
 data FileInfo = FileInfo
-	{ currFile :: RawFilePath
-	-- ^ current path to the file, for operations that examine it
+	{ contentFile :: Maybe RawFilePath
+	-- ^ path to a file containing the content, for operations
+	-- that examine it
 	, matchFile :: RawFilePath
 	-- ^ filepath to match on; may be relative to top of repo or cwd
 	}