diff --git a/Command/InitRemote.hs b/Command/InitRemote.hs
index a78505a197..ad93529cc2 100644
--- a/Command/InitRemote.hs
+++ b/Command/InitRemote.hs
@@ -38,18 +38,19 @@ start (name:ws) = do
 	t <- findType fullconfig
 
 	showStart "initremote" name
-	next $ perform t u $ M.union config c
+	next $ perform t u name $ M.union config c
 
 	where
 		config = Logs.Remote.keyValToConfig ws
 
-perform :: RemoteType -> UUID -> R.RemoteConfig -> CommandPerform
-perform t u c = do
+perform :: RemoteType -> UUID -> String -> R.RemoteConfig -> CommandPerform
+perform t u name c = do
 	c' <- R.setup t u c
-	next $ cleanup u c'
+	next $ cleanup u name c'
 
-cleanup :: UUID -> R.RemoteConfig -> CommandCleanup
-cleanup u c = do
+cleanup :: UUID -> String -> R.RemoteConfig -> CommandCleanup
+cleanup u name c = do
+	describeUUID u name
 	Logs.Remote.configSet u c
         return True
 
@@ -61,7 +62,6 @@ findByName name = do
 	where
 		generate = do
 			uuid <- liftIO genUUID
-			describeUUID uuid name
 			return (uuid, M.insert nameKey name M.empty)
 
 findByName' :: String ->  M.Map UUID R.RemoteConfig -> Maybe (UUID, R.RemoteConfig)
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 387dacd53f..82bf5009a1 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+git-annex (3.20120722) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
+
+  * initremote: Avoid recording remote's description before checking
+    that its config is valid.
+
+ -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:04:47 -0400
+
 git-annex (3.20120721) unstable; urgency=low
 
   * get, move, copy: Now refuse to do anything when the requested file
diff --git a/doc/bugs/git_annex_initremote_needs_some___34__error_checking__34__.mdwn b/doc/bugs/git_annex_initremote_needs_some___34__error_checking__34__.mdwn
index 3521038d74..6b57f8ce5f 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/git_annex_initremote_needs_some___34__error_checking__34__.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/git_annex_initremote_needs_some___34__error_checking__34__.mdwn
@@ -60,3 +60,6 @@ bloom filter size: 16 mebibytes (0% full)
 backend usage: 
 x00:atest jtang$ 
 </pre>
+
+> Indeed, I broke that in June by making it record the name in a much too
+> early stage. Now fixed. [[done]] --[[Joey]]