diff --git a/Assistant.hs b/Assistant.hs
index e924d94777..33c7cef36c 100644
--- a/Assistant.hs
+++ b/Assistant.hs
@@ -55,10 +55,10 @@ import Utility.LogFile
 
 import Control.Concurrent
 
-startDaemon :: Bool -> Annex ()
-startDaemon foreground
+startDaemon :: Bool -> Bool -> Annex ()
+startDaemon assistant foreground
 	| foreground = do
-		showStart "watch" "."
+		showStart (if assistant then "assistant" else "watch") "."
 		go id
 	| otherwise = do
 		logfd <- liftIO . openLog =<< fromRepo gitAnnexLogFile
diff --git a/Command/Assistant.hs b/Command/Assistant.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..60eac5d219
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Command/Assistant.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{- git-annex assistant
+ -
+ - Copyright 2012 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
+ -
+ - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
+ -}
+
+module Command.Assistant where
+
+import Command
+import qualified Command.Watch
+
+def :: [Command]
+def = [withOptions [Command.Watch.foregroundOption, Command.Watch.stopOption] $ 
+	command "assistant" paramNothing seek "automatically handle changes"]
+
+seek :: [CommandSeek]
+seek = Command.Watch.mkSeek True
diff --git a/Command/Watch.hs b/Command/Watch.hs
index 5681b38619..744844c4dc 100644
--- a/Command/Watch.hs
+++ b/Command/Watch.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
-{-# LANGUAGE BangPatterns #-}
-
 {- git-annex watch command
  -
  - Copyright 2012 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
@@ -19,10 +16,13 @@ def :: [Command]
 def = [withOptions [foregroundOption, stopOption] $ 
 	command "watch" paramNothing seek "watch for changes"]
 
-seek :: [CommandSeek]
-seek = [withFlag stopOption $ \stopdaemon -> 
+mkSeek :: Bool -> [CommandSeek]
+mkSeek assistant = [withFlag stopOption $ \stopdaemon -> 
 	withFlag foregroundOption $ \foreground ->
-	withNothing $ start foreground stopdaemon]
+	withNothing $ start assistant foreground stopdaemon]
+
+seek :: [CommandSeek]
+seek = mkSeek False
 
 foregroundOption :: Option
 foregroundOption = Option.flag [] "foreground" "do not daemonize"
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ foregroundOption = Option.flag [] "foreground" "do not daemonize"
 stopOption :: Option
 stopOption = Option.flag [] "stop" "stop daemon"
 
-start :: Bool -> Bool -> CommandStart
-start foreground stopdaemon = notBareRepo $ do
+start :: Bool -> Bool -> Bool -> CommandStart
+start assistant foreground stopdaemon = notBareRepo $ do
 	if stopdaemon
 		then stopDaemon
-		else startDaemon foreground -- does not return
+		else startDaemon assistant foreground -- does not return
 	stop
diff --git a/GitAnnex.hs b/GitAnnex.hs
index a4c5eb8490..ee451352f4 100644
--- a/GitAnnex.hs
+++ b/GitAnnex.hs
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ import qualified Command.Map
 import qualified Command.Upgrade
 import qualified Command.Version
 import qualified Command.Watch
+import qualified Command.Assistant
 
 cmds :: [Command]
 cmds = concat
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ cmds = concat
 	, Command.Upgrade.def
 	, Command.Version.def
 	, Command.Watch.def
+	, Command.Assistant.def
 	]
 
 options :: [Option]
diff --git a/doc/git-annex.mdwn b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
index 39fad04882..965a07f0d7 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
@@ -180,6 +180,10 @@ subdirectories).
   To not daemonize, run with --foreground ; to stop a running daemon,
   run with --stop
 
+* assistant
+
+  Like watch, but also automatically syncs changes to other remotes.
+
 # REPOSITORY SETUP COMMANDS
 
 * init [description]