diff --git a/Assistant.hs b/Assistant.hs
index aa1399c031..c7ca98ee91 100644
--- a/Assistant.hs
+++ b/Assistant.hs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import Assistant.Threads.TransferWatcher
 import Assistant.Threads.Transferrer
 import Assistant.Threads.SanityChecker
 import Assistant.Threads.Cronner
-import Assistant.Threads.ProblemChecker
+import Assistant.Threads.ProblemFixer
 #ifdef WITH_CLIBS
 import Assistant.Threads.MountWatcher
 #endif
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ startDaemon assistant foreground startdelay listenhost startbrowser = do
 			, assist $ daemonStatusThread
 			, assist $ sanityCheckerDailyThread
 			, assist $ sanityCheckerHourlyThread
-			, assist $ problemCheckerThread urlrenderer
+			, assist $ problemFixerThread urlrenderer
 #ifdef WITH_CLIBS
 			, assist $ mountWatcherThread
 #endif
diff --git a/Assistant/Repair.hs b/Assistant/Repair.hs
index 06fa7202fc..1f54451251 100644
--- a/Assistant/Repair.hs
+++ b/Assistant/Repair.hs
@@ -118,13 +118,16 @@ runRepair u mrmt destructiverepair = do
  - the size changed, delay for another minute, and so on. This will at
  - least work to detect is another machine is writing out a new index
  - file, since git does so by writing the new content to index.lock.
+ -
+ - Returns true if locks were cleaned up.
  -}
-repairStaleGitLocks :: Git.Repo -> Assistant ()
+repairStaleGitLocks :: Git.Repo -> Assistant Bool
 repairStaleGitLocks r = do
 	lockfiles <- filter (not . isInfixOf "gc.pid") 
 		. filter (".lock" `isSuffixOf`)
 		<$> liftIO (findgitfiles r)
 	repairStaleLocks lockfiles
+	return $ not $ null lockfiles
   where
 	findgitfiles = dirContentsRecursiveSkipping (== dropTrailingPathSeparator annexDir) . Git.localGitDir
 repairStaleLocks :: [FilePath] -> Assistant ()
diff --git a/Assistant/RepoProblem.hs b/Assistant/RepoProblem.hs
index d2e5a5cf19..6913fefc62 100644
--- a/Assistant/RepoProblem.hs
+++ b/Assistant/RepoProblem.hs
@@ -8,16 +8,27 @@
 module Assistant.RepoProblem where
 
 import Assistant.Common
+import Assistant.Types.RepoProblem
 import Utility.TList
 
 import Control.Concurrent.STM
 
-{- Gets all repositories that have problems. 
- - Blocks until there is at least one. -}
-getRepoProblems :: Assistant [UUID]
-getRepoProblems = (atomically . getTList) <<~ repoProblemChan
+{- Gets all repositories that have problems. Blocks until there is at
+ - least one. -}
+getRepoProblems :: Assistant [RepoProblem]
+getRepoProblems = nubBy sameRepoProblem
+	<$> (atomically . getTList) <<~ repoProblemChan
 
-{- Indicates that there was a problem accessing a repo, and the problem
- - appears to not be a transient (eg network connection) problem. -}
-repoHasProblem :: UUID -> Assistant ()
-repoHasProblem r  = (atomically . flip consTList r) <<~ repoProblemChan
+{- Indicates that there was a problem with a repository, and the problem
+ - appears to not be a transient (eg network connection) problem.
+ -
+ - If the problem is able to be repaired, the passed action will be run.
+ - (However, if multiple problems are reported with a single repository,
+ - only a single action will be run.)
+ -}
+repoHasProblem :: UUID -> Assistant () -> Assistant ()
+repoHasProblem u afterrepair = do
+	rp <- RepoProblem
+		<$> pure u
+		<*> asIO afterrepair
+	(atomically . flip consTList rp) <<~ repoProblemChan
diff --git a/Assistant/Sync.hs b/Assistant/Sync.hs
index 4a021df2e5..f7656f52df 100644
--- a/Assistant/Sync.hs
+++ b/Assistant/Sync.hs
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ reconnectRemotes notifypushes rs = void $ do
 		failedrs <- syncAction rs' (const go)
 		forM_ failedrs $ \r ->
 			whenM (liftIO $ Remote.checkAvailable False r) $
-				repoHasProblem (Remote.uuid r)
+				repoHasProblem (Remote.uuid r) (syncRemote r)
 		mapM_ signal $ filter (`notElem` failedrs) rs'
   where
 	gitremotes = filter (notspecialremote . Remote.repo) rs
diff --git a/Assistant/Threads/ProblemChecker.hs b/Assistant/Threads/ProblemChecker.hs
deleted file mode 100644
index 66dcadfffc..0000000000
--- a/Assistant/Threads/ProblemChecker.hs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,55 +0,0 @@
-{- git-annex assistant thread to handle reported problems with repositories
- -
- - Copyright 2013 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
- -
- - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
- -}
-
-module Assistant.Threads.ProblemChecker (
-	problemCheckerThread
-) where
-
-import Assistant.Common
-import Utility.ThreadScheduler
-import Assistant.Types.UrlRenderer
-import Assistant.Alert
-import Remote
-import qualified Types.Remote as Remote
-import qualified Git.Fsck
-import Assistant.Repair
-import qualified Git
-import Assistant.RepoProblem
-import Assistant.Sync
-import Annex.UUID
-
-{- Waits for problems with a repo, and tries to fsck the repo and repair
- - the problem. -}
-problemCheckerThread :: UrlRenderer -> NamedThread
-problemCheckerThread urlrenderer = namedThread "ProblemChecker" $ forever $ do
-	mapM_ (handleProblem urlrenderer)
-		=<< nub <$> getRepoProblems
-	liftIO $ threadDelaySeconds (Seconds 60)
-
-handleProblem :: UrlRenderer -> UUID -> Assistant ()
-handleProblem urlrenderer u = ifM ((==) u <$> liftAnnex getUUID)
-	( handleLocalRepoProblem urlrenderer
-	, maybe noop (handleRemoteProblem urlrenderer)
-		=<< liftAnnex (remoteFromUUID u)
-	)
-
-handleRemoteProblem :: UrlRenderer -> Remote -> Assistant ()
-handleRemoteProblem urlrenderer rmt
-	| Git.repoIsLocal r && not (Git.repoIsLocalUnknown r) =
-		whenM (liftIO $ checkAvailable True rmt) $ do
-			repairStaleGitLocks r
-			fsckresults <- showFscking urlrenderer (Just $ Remote.name rmt) $ tryNonAsync $
-				Git.Fsck.findBroken True r
-			whenM (repairWhenNecessary urlrenderer (Remote.uuid rmt) (Just rmt) fsckresults) $
-				syncRemote rmt
-	| otherwise = noop
-  where
-	r = Remote.repo rmt
-
-handleLocalRepoProblem :: UrlRenderer -> Assistant ()
-handleLocalRepoProblem urlrenderer = do
-	repairStaleGitLocks =<< liftAnnex gitRepo
diff --git a/Assistant/Threads/ProblemFixer.hs b/Assistant/Threads/ProblemFixer.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f9774e0f06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Assistant/Threads/ProblemFixer.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+{- git-annex assistant thread to handle fixing problems with repositories
+ -
+ - Copyright 2013 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
+ -
+ - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
+ -}
+
+module Assistant.Threads.ProblemFixer (
+	problemFixerThread
+) where
+
+import Assistant.Common
+import Assistant.Types.RepoProblem
+import Assistant.RepoProblem
+import Assistant.Types.UrlRenderer
+import Assistant.Alert
+import Remote
+import qualified Types.Remote as Remote
+import qualified Git.Fsck
+import Assistant.Repair
+import qualified Git
+import Annex.UUID
+import Utility.ThreadScheduler
+
+{- Waits for problems with a repo, and tries to fsck the repo and repair
+ - the problem. -}
+problemFixerThread :: UrlRenderer -> NamedThread
+problemFixerThread urlrenderer = namedThread "ProblemFixer" $
+	go =<< getRepoProblems
+  where
+	go problems = do
+		mapM_ (handleProblem urlrenderer) problems
+		liftIO $ threadDelaySeconds (Seconds 60)
+		-- Problems may have been re-reported while they were being
+		-- fixed, so ignore those. If a new unique problem happened
+		-- 60 seconds after the last was fixed, we're unlikely
+		-- to do much good anyway.
+		go =<< filter (\p -> not (any (sameRepoProblem p) problems))
+			<$> getRepoProblems
+
+handleProblem :: UrlRenderer -> RepoProblem -> Assistant ()
+handleProblem urlrenderer repoproblem = do
+	fixed <- ifM ((==) (problemUUID repoproblem) <$> liftAnnex getUUID)
+		( handleLocalRepoProblem urlrenderer
+		, maybe (return False) (handleRemoteProblem urlrenderer)
+			=<< liftAnnex (remoteFromUUID $ problemUUID repoproblem)
+		)
+	when fixed $
+		liftIO $ afterFix repoproblem
+
+handleRemoteProblem :: UrlRenderer -> Remote -> Assistant Bool
+handleRemoteProblem urlrenderer rmt
+	| Git.repoIsLocal r && not (Git.repoIsLocalUnknown r) =
+		ifM (liftIO $ checkAvailable True rmt)
+			( do
+				fixedlocks <- repairStaleGitLocks r
+				fsckresults <- showFscking urlrenderer (Just $ Remote.name rmt) $ tryNonAsync $
+					Git.Fsck.findBroken True r
+				repaired <- repairWhenNecessary urlrenderer (Remote.uuid rmt) (Just rmt) fsckresults
+				return $ fixedlocks || repaired
+			, return False
+			)
+	| otherwise = return False
+  where
+	r = Remote.repo rmt
+
+{- This is not yet used, and should probably do a fsck. -}
+handleLocalRepoProblem :: UrlRenderer -> Assistant Bool
+handleLocalRepoProblem urlrenderer = do
+	repairStaleGitLocks =<< liftAnnex gitRepo
diff --git a/Assistant/Threads/SanityChecker.hs b/Assistant/Threads/SanityChecker.hs
index 0dd047fc9e..4f5eeda50c 100644
--- a/Assistant/Threads/SanityChecker.hs
+++ b/Assistant/Threads/SanityChecker.hs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import Data.Time.Clock.POSIX
  - being nonresponsive.) -}
 sanityCheckerStartupThread :: Maybe Duration -> NamedThread
 sanityCheckerStartupThread startupdelay = namedThreadUnchecked "SanityCheckerStartup" $ do
-	repairStaleGitLocks =<< liftAnnex gitRepo
+	void $ repairStaleGitLocks =<< liftAnnex gitRepo
 
 	liftIO $ maybe noop (threadDelaySeconds . Seconds . fromIntegral . durationSeconds) startupdelay
 
diff --git a/Assistant/Types/RepoProblem.hs b/Assistant/Types/RepoProblem.hs
index 40397c7087..ece5a52868 100644
--- a/Assistant/Types/RepoProblem.hs
+++ b/Assistant/Types/RepoProblem.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{- git-annex assistant remote problem detection
+{- git-annex assistant repository problem tracking
  -
  - Copyright 2013 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
  -
@@ -11,8 +11,18 @@ import Types
 import Utility.TList
 
 import Control.Concurrent.STM
+import Data.Function
 
-type RepoProblemChan = TList UUID
+data RepoProblem = RepoProblem
+	{ problemUUID :: UUID
+	, afterFix :: IO ()
+	}
+
+{- The afterFix actions are assumed to all be equivilant. -}
+sameRepoProblem :: RepoProblem -> RepoProblem -> Bool
+sameRepoProblem = (==) `on` problemUUID
+
+type RepoProblemChan = TList RepoProblem
 
 newRepoProblemChan :: IO RepoProblemChan
 newRepoProblemChan = atomically newTList
diff --git a/doc/design/assistant/disaster_recovery.mdwn b/doc/design/assistant/disaster_recovery.mdwn
index 4f72d96c34..40e48650e4 100644
--- a/doc/design/assistant/disaster_recovery.mdwn
+++ b/doc/design/assistant/disaster_recovery.mdwn
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ Add git fsck to scheduled self fsck **done**
 TODO: git fsck on ssh remotes? Probably not worth the complexity..
 
 TODO: If committing to the repository fails, after resolving any dangling
-lock files (see above), it should git fsck.
+lock files (see above), it should git fsck. This is difficult, because
+git commit will also fail if the commit turns out to be empty, or due to
+other transient problems.. So commit failures are currently ignored by the
+assistant.
 
 If git fsck finds problems, launch git repository repair. **done**