diff --git a/Command/Fsck.hs b/Command/Fsck.hs
index aec29a39b8..77e189f436 100644
--- a/Command/Fsck.hs
+++ b/Command/Fsck.hs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ performRemote key file backend numcopies remote = withTmp key $ \tmpfile -> do
 			showNote err
 			stop
 		Right True -> do
-			copied <- Remote.retrieveKeyFile remote key tmpfile
+			copied <- Remote.retrieveKeyFile remote key True tmpfile
 			if copied then go True (Just tmpfile) else go False Nothing
 		Right False -> go False Nothing
 	where
diff --git a/Command/Get.hs b/Command/Get.hs
index 5d032e13c4..7f5c08a7e6 100644
--- a/Command/Get.hs
+++ b/Command/Get.hs
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ getKeyFile key file = do
 				else return True
 		docopy r continue = do
 			showAction $ "from " ++ Remote.name r
-			copied <- Remote.retrieveKeyFile r key file
+			copied <- Remote.retrieveKeyFile r key False file
 			if copied
 				then return True
 				else continue
diff --git a/Command/Move.hs b/Command/Move.hs
index 2f2cd1b5d6..003ca27b86 100644
--- a/Command/Move.hs
+++ b/Command/Move.hs
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ fromPerform src move key = moveLock move key $ do
 		then handle move True
 		else do
 			showAction $ "from " ++ Remote.name src
-			ok <- getViaTmp key $ Remote.retrieveKeyFile src key
+			ok <- getViaTmp key $ Remote.retrieveKeyFile src key False
 			handle move ok
 	where
 		handle _ False = stop -- failed
diff --git a/Remote/Bup.hs b/Remote/Bup.hs
index 37f3e02e09..9a20d9e60b 100644
--- a/Remote/Bup.hs
+++ b/Remote/Bup.hs
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ storeEncrypted r buprepo (cipher, enck) k = do
 		withEncryptedHandle cipher (L.readFile src) $ \h ->
 			pipeBup params (Just h) Nothing
 
-retrieve :: BupRepo -> Key -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
-retrieve buprepo k f = do
+retrieve :: BupRepo -> Key -> Bool -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
+retrieve buprepo k _ f = do
 	let params = bupParams "join" buprepo [Param $ show k]
 	liftIO $ catchBoolIO $ do
 		tofile <- openFile f WriteMode
diff --git a/Remote/Directory.hs b/Remote/Directory.hs
index 23265dabc9..9705d58435 100644
--- a/Remote/Directory.hs
+++ b/Remote/Directory.hs
@@ -109,8 +109,9 @@ storeHelper d key a = do
 		preventWrite dir
 	return ok
 
-retrieve :: FilePath -> Key -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
-retrieve d k f = liftIO $ withStoredFile d k $ \file -> copyFileExternal file f
+retrieve :: FilePath -> Key -> Bool -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
+retrieve d k _ f = do
+	liftIO $ withStoredFile d k $ \file -> copyFileExternal file f
 
 retrieveEncrypted :: FilePath -> (Cipher, Key) -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
 retrieveEncrypted d (cipher, enck) f =
diff --git a/Remote/Git.hs b/Remote/Git.hs
index 7964074496..5dae3334ec 100644
--- a/Remote/Git.hs
+++ b/Remote/Git.hs
@@ -198,8 +198,8 @@ dropKey r key
 		]
 
 {- Tries to copy a key's content from a remote's annex to a file. -}
-copyFromRemote :: Git.Repo -> Key -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
-copyFromRemote r key file
+copyFromRemote :: Git.Repo -> Key -> Bool -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
+copyFromRemote r key _ file
 	| not $ Git.repoIsUrl r = do
 		params <- rsyncParams r
 		loc <- liftIO $ gitAnnexLocation key r
diff --git a/Remote/Helper/Encryptable.hs b/Remote/Helper/Encryptable.hs
index 3abea7bc6a..ad99c3092e 100644
--- a/Remote/Helper/Encryptable.hs
+++ b/Remote/Helper/Encryptable.hs
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ encryptableRemote c storeKeyEncrypted retrieveKeyFileEncrypted r =
 		store k = cip k >>= maybe
 			(storeKey r k)
 			(`storeKeyEncrypted` k)
-		retrieve k f = cip k >>= maybe
-			(retrieveKeyFile r k f)
+		retrieve k t f = cip k >>= maybe
+			(retrieveKeyFile r k t f)
 			(`retrieveKeyFileEncrypted` f)
 		withkey a k = cip k >>= maybe (a k) (a . snd)
 		cip = cipherKey c
diff --git a/Remote/Hook.hs b/Remote/Hook.hs
index 6c4a044ac9..88124133aa 100644
--- a/Remote/Hook.hs
+++ b/Remote/Hook.hs
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ storeEncrypted h (cipher, enck) k = withTmp enck $ \tmp -> do
 	liftIO $ withEncryptedContent cipher (L.readFile src) $ L.writeFile tmp
 	runHook h "store" enck (Just tmp) $ return True
 
-retrieve :: String -> Key -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
-retrieve h k f = runHook h "retrieve" k (Just f) $ return True
+retrieve :: String -> Key -> Bool -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
+retrieve h k _ f = runHook h "retrieve" k (Just f) $ return True
 
 retrieveEncrypted :: String -> (Cipher, Key) -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
 retrieveEncrypted h (cipher, enck) f = withTmp enck $ \tmp ->
diff --git a/Remote/Rsync.hs b/Remote/Rsync.hs
index eeb116675f..b4ff3d6f17 100644
--- a/Remote/Rsync.hs
+++ b/Remote/Rsync.hs
@@ -104,9 +104,9 @@ storeEncrypted o (cipher, enck) k = withTmp enck $ \tmp -> do
 	liftIO $ withEncryptedContent cipher (L.readFile src) $ L.writeFile tmp
 	rsyncSend o enck tmp
 
-retrieve :: RsyncOpts -> Key -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
-retrieve o k f = untilTrue (rsyncUrls o k) $ \u -> do
-	unlessM (liftIO $ doesFileExist f) $ whenM (inAnnex k) $ preseed
+retrieve :: RsyncOpts -> Key -> Bool -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
+retrieve o k tmp f = untilTrue (rsyncUrls o k) $ \u -> do
+	when tmp $ preseed
 	rsyncRemote o
 		-- use inplace when retrieving to support resuming
 		[ Param "--inplace"
@@ -115,14 +115,15 @@ retrieve o k f = untilTrue (rsyncUrls o k) $ \u -> do
 		]
 	where
 		-- this speeds up fsck --from
-		preseed = do
-			s <- inRepo $ gitAnnexLocation k
-			liftIO $ whenM (copyFileExternal s f) $
-				allowWrite f
+		preseed = unlessM (liftIO $ doesFileExist f) $
+			whenM (inAnnex k) $ do
+				s <- inRepo $ gitAnnexLocation k
+				liftIO $ whenM (copyFileExternal s f) $
+					allowWrite f
 
 retrieveEncrypted :: RsyncOpts -> (Cipher, Key) -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
 retrieveEncrypted o (cipher, enck) f = withTmp enck $ \tmp -> do
-	res <- retrieve o enck tmp
+	res <- retrieve o enck False tmp
 	if res
 		then liftIO $ catchBoolIO $ do
 			withDecryptedContent cipher (L.readFile tmp) $ L.writeFile f
diff --git a/Remote/S3.hs b/Remote/S3.hs
index bef89b5539..b879448244 100644
--- a/Remote/S3.hs
+++ b/Remote/S3.hs
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ storeHelper (conn, bucket) r k file = do
 		xheaders = filter isxheader $ M.assocs $ fromJust $ config r
 		isxheader (h, _) = "x-amz-" `isPrefixOf` h
 
-retrieve :: Remote -> Key -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
-retrieve r k f = s3Action r False $ \(conn, bucket) -> do
+retrieve :: Remote -> Key -> Bool -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
+retrieve r k _ f = s3Action r False $ \(conn, bucket) -> do
 	res <- liftIO $ getObject conn $ bucketKey r bucket k
 	case res of
 		Right o -> do
diff --git a/Remote/Web.hs b/Remote/Web.hs
index 4d6348e596..6db3429ebe 100644
--- a/Remote/Web.hs
+++ b/Remote/Web.hs
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ gen r _ _ =
 		remotetype = remote
 	}
 
-downloadKey :: Key -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
-downloadKey key file = get =<< getUrls key
+downloadKey :: Key -> Bool -> FilePath -> Annex Bool
+downloadKey key _ file = get =<< getUrls key
 	where
 		get [] = do
 			warning "no known url"
diff --git a/Types/Remote.hs b/Types/Remote.hs
index 216b34857d..d524ea2ca5 100644
--- a/Types/Remote.hs
+++ b/Types/Remote.hs
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ data RemoteA a = Remote {
 	cost :: Int,
 	-- Transfers a key to the remote.
 	storeKey :: Key -> a Bool,
-	-- retrieves a key's contents to a file
-	retrieveKeyFile :: Key -> FilePath -> a Bool,
+	-- retrieves a key's contents to a file (possibly a tmp file)
+	retrieveKeyFile :: Key -> Bool -> FilePath -> a Bool,
 	-- removes a key's contents
 	removeKey :: Key -> a Bool,
 	-- Checks if a key is present in the remote; if the remote