diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 0db6d1e567..f67afb497b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ git-annex (6.20160528) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     that had not been synced back to master. 
     (This bug caused broken tree objects to get built by a later git annex
     sync.)
+  * Make lock and unlock work in v6 repos on files whose content is not
+    present.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Fri, 27 May 2016 13:12:48 -0400
 
diff --git a/Command/Lock.hs b/Command/Lock.hs
index 1cd50de7bb..f9d9036221 100644
--- a/Command/Lock.hs
+++ b/Command/Lock.hs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ startNew file key = ifM (isJust <$> isAnnexLink file)
 	)
   where
 	go (Just key')
-		| key' == key = error "content not present; cannot lock"
+		| key' == key = cont True
 		| otherwise = errorModified
 	go Nothing = 
 		ifM (isUnmodified key file) 
diff --git a/Command/Unlock.hs b/Command/Unlock.hs
index 2fe1175a8b..4dc02642e5 100644
--- a/Command/Unlock.hs
+++ b/Command/Unlock.hs
@@ -37,14 +37,9 @@ start :: FilePath -> Key -> CommandStart
 start file key = ifM (isJust <$> isAnnexLink file)
 	( do
 		showStart "unlock" file
-		ifM (inAnnex key)
-			( ifM versionSupportsUnlockedPointers
-				( next $ performNew file key
-				, startOld file key 
-				)
-			, do
-				warning "content not present; cannot unlock"
-				next $ next $ return False
+		ifM versionSupportsUnlockedPointers
+			( next $ performNew file key
+			, startOld file key
 			)
 	, stop
 	)
@@ -52,11 +47,16 @@ start file key = ifM (isJust <$> isAnnexLink file)
 performNew :: FilePath -> Key -> CommandPerform
 performNew dest key = do
 	destmode <- liftIO $ catchMaybeIO $ fileMode <$> getFileStatus dest
-	replaceFile dest $ \tmp -> do
-		r <- linkFromAnnex key tmp destmode
-		case r of
-			LinkAnnexOk -> return ()
-			_ -> error "unlock failed"
+	replaceFile dest $ \tmp ->
+		ifM (inAnnex key)
+			( do
+				r <- linkFromAnnex key tmp destmode
+				case r of
+					LinkAnnexOk -> return ()
+					LinkAnnexNoop -> return ()
+					_ -> error "unlock failed"
+			, liftIO $ writePointerFile tmp key destmode
+			)
 	next $ cleanupNew dest key destmode
 
 cleanupNew ::  FilePath -> Key -> Maybe FileMode -> CommandCleanup
diff --git a/doc/bugs/content_not_present__58___cannot_lock.mdwn b/doc/bugs/content_not_present__58___cannot_lock.mdwn
index ddf86f44b3..89bf043959 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/content_not_present__58___cannot_lock.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/content_not_present__58___cannot_lock.mdwn
@@ -22,4 +22,5 @@ lock git/bup.git/bupindex.hlink git-annex: content not present; cannot lock
 
 ### Have you had any luck using git-annex before? (Sometimes we get tired of reading bug reports all day and a lil' positive end note does wonders)
 
-
+> Well, that was simply not implemented, but I've done so now. (unlocking
+> too). [[done]] --[[Joey]]