diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 18890f78f0..85a60e66d3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ git-annex (8.20201128) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     extension. (Reversion introduced in version 8.20201007.)
   * Fix bug that made the next download after an empty file from a ssh
     or tor remote fail.
+  * Avoid spurious "verification of content failed" message when downloading
+    content from a ssh or tor remote fails due to the remote no longer
+    having a copy of the content.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Mon, 30 Nov 2020 12:55:49 -0400
 
diff --git a/P2P/Annex.hs b/P2P/Annex.hs
index 41f5f3b5dd..d107f6ef3b 100644
--- a/P2P/Annex.hs
+++ b/P2P/Annex.hs
@@ -172,6 +172,14 @@ runLocal runst runner a = case a of
 				runner validitycheck >>= \case
 					Right (Just Valid) ->
 						return (rightsize, UnVerified)
+					Right (Just Invalid) | l == 0 ->
+						-- Special case, for when
+						-- content was not
+						-- available to send, 
+						-- which is indicated by
+						-- sending 0 bytes and 
+						-- Invalid.
+						return (False, UnVerified)
 					_ -> do
 						-- Invalid, or old protocol
 						-- version. Validity is not
diff --git a/P2P/Protocol.hs b/P2P/Protocol.hs
index e9895d3de4..bc340e1c76 100644
--- a/P2P/Protocol.hs
+++ b/P2P/Protocol.hs
@@ -508,13 +508,15 @@ serveAuthed servermode myuuid = void $ serverLoop handler
 sendContent :: Key -> AssociatedFile -> Offset -> MeterUpdate -> Proto Bool
 sendContent key af offset@(Offset n) p = go =<< local (contentSize key)
   where
- 	go Nothing = sender (Len 0) L.empty (return Valid)
 	go (Just (Len totallen)) = do
 		let len = totallen - n
 		if len <= 0
 			then sender (Len 0) L.empty (return Valid)
 			else local $ readContent key af offset $
 				sender (Len len)
+	-- Content not available to send. Indicate this by sending
+	-- empty data and indlicate it's invalid.
+ 	go Nothing = sender (Len 0) L.empty (return Invalid)
 	sender len content validitycheck = do
 		let p' = offsetMeterUpdate p (toBytesProcessed n)
 		net $ sendMessage (DATA len)
diff --git a/doc/bugs/p2p_protocol_misbehavior_when_location_log_out_of_date.mdwn b/doc/bugs/p2p_protocol_misbehavior_when_location_log_out_of_date.mdwn
index 9e967a2000..5e5aa74721 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/p2p_protocol_misbehavior_when_location_log_out_of_date.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/p2p_protocol_misbehavior_when_location_log_out_of_date.mdwn
@@ -35,9 +35,16 @@ closes the connection, the next move fails when it should not need to.
 > to avoid needing to add to the protocol. That should avoid
 > the spurious "verification of content failed".
 > 
+> > Done and it did.
+> 
 > But what causes the connection to get closed? It seems that
 > while the server sends VALID, the client never debugs that it received
 > it. Indeeed, the receiveMessage call that should receive it
 > fails because the handle is closed at that point. Seems that
 > this is caused by trying to receive 0 bytes as indicated by DATA
-> ending up closing the handle.
+> ending up closing the handle. Another case of it involved getting
+> an empty file followed by a second file.
+> 
+> > This bug is fixed.
+
+[[done]] --[[Joey]]