diff --git a/Annex.hs b/Annex.hs
index add568a1be..8e79e63c18 100644
--- a/Annex.hs
+++ b/Annex.hs
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ import Types.UUID
 import Types.FileMatcher
 import Types.NumCopies
 import Types.LockCache
+import Types.Transfer
 import Types.DesktopNotify
 import Types.CleanupActions
 import qualified Database.Keys.Handle as Keys
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ data AnnexState = AnnexState
 	, groupmap :: Maybe GroupMap
 	, ciphers :: M.Map StorableCipher Cipher
 	, lockcache :: LockCache
+	, currentprocesstransfers :: TVar (S.Set Transfer)
 	, sshstalecleaned :: TMVar Bool
 	, flags :: M.Map String Bool
 	, fields :: M.Map String String
@@ -149,6 +151,7 @@ newState c r = do
 	emptyactiveremotes <- newMVar M.empty
 	o <- newMessageState
 	sc <- newTMVarIO False
+	cpt <- newTVarIO S.empty
 	return $ AnnexState
 		{ repo = r
 		, repoadjustment = return
@@ -179,6 +182,7 @@ newState c r = do
 		, groupmap = Nothing
 		, ciphers = M.empty
 		, lockcache = M.empty
+		, currentprocesstransfers = cpt
 		, sshstalecleaned = sc
 		, flags = M.empty
 		, fields = M.empty
diff --git a/Annex/Transfer.hs b/Annex/Transfer.hs
index 3fcf1a1b97..35294ba2b7 100644
--- a/Annex/Transfer.hs
+++ b/Annex/Transfer.hs
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ import qualified Types.Remote as Remote
 import Types.Concurrency
 
 import Control.Concurrent
+import Control.Concurrent.STM
 import qualified Data.Map.Strict as M
+import qualified Data.Set as S
 import Data.Ord
 
 class Observable a where
@@ -89,22 +91,23 @@ alwaysRunTransfer :: Observable v => Transfer -> AssociatedFile -> RetryDecider
 alwaysRunTransfer = runTransfer' True
 
 runTransfer' :: Observable v => Bool -> Transfer -> AssociatedFile -> RetryDecider -> (MeterUpdate -> Annex v) -> Annex v
-runTransfer' ignorelock t afile shouldretry transferaction = checkSecureHashes t $ do
-	info <- liftIO $ startTransferInfo afile
-	(meter, tfile, metervar) <- mkProgressUpdater t info
-	mode <- annexFileMode
-	(lck, inprogress) <- prep tfile mode info
-	if inprogress && not ignorelock
-		then do
-			showNote "transfer already in progress, or unable to take transfer lock"
-			return observeFailure
-		else do
-			v <- retry info metervar $ transferaction meter
-			liftIO $ cleanup tfile lck
-			if observeBool v
-				then removeFailedTransfer t
-				else recordFailedTransfer t info
-			return v
+runTransfer' ignorelock t afile shouldretry transferaction = 
+	checkSecureHashes t $ currentProcessTransfer t $ do
+		info <- liftIO $ startTransferInfo afile
+		(meter, tfile, metervar) <- mkProgressUpdater t info
+		mode <- annexFileMode
+		(lck, inprogress) <- prep tfile mode info
+		if inprogress && not ignorelock
+			then do
+				showNote "transfer already in progress, or unable to take transfer lock"
+				return observeFailure
+			else do
+				v <- handleretry info metervar $ transferaction meter
+				liftIO $ cleanup tfile lck
+				if observeBool v
+					then removeFailedTransfer t
+					else recordFailedTransfer t info
+				return v
   where
 #ifndef mingw32_HOST_OS
 	prep tfile mode info = catchPermissionDenied (const prepfailed) $ do
@@ -153,7 +156,7 @@ runTransfer' ignorelock t afile shouldretry transferaction = checkSecureHashes t
 		dropLock lockhandle
 		void $ tryIO $ removeFile lck
 #endif
-	retry oldinfo metervar run = do
+	handleretry oldinfo metervar run = do
 		v <- tryNonAsync run
 		case v of
 			Right b -> return b
@@ -162,7 +165,7 @@ runTransfer' ignorelock t afile shouldretry transferaction = checkSecureHashes t
 				b <- getbytescomplete metervar
 				let newinfo = oldinfo { bytesComplete = Just b }
 				if shouldretry oldinfo newinfo
-					then retry newinfo metervar run
+					then handleretry newinfo metervar run
 					else return observeFailure
 	getbytescomplete metervar
 		| transferDirection t == Upload =
@@ -256,3 +259,20 @@ lessActiveFirst :: M.Map Remote Integer -> Remote -> Remote -> Ordering
 lessActiveFirst active a b
 	| Remote.cost a == Remote.cost b = comparing (`M.lookup` active) a b
 	| otherwise = compare a b
+
+{- Runs a transfer action. Only one thread can run for a given Transfer
+ - at a time; other threads will block. -}
+currentProcessTransfer :: Transfer -> Annex a -> Annex a
+currentProcessTransfer t a = go =<< Annex.getState Annex.concurrency
+  where
+	go NonConcurrent = a
+	go (Concurrent _) = do
+		tv <- Annex.getState Annex.currentprocesstransfers
+		bracket_ (setup tv) (cleanup tv) a
+	setup tv = liftIO $ atomically $ do
+		s <- readTVar tv
+		if S.member t s
+			then retry
+			else writeTVar tv $! S.insert t s
+	cleanup tv = liftIO $ atomically $
+		modifyTVar' tv $ S.delete t
diff --git a/Assistant/Types/DaemonStatus.hs b/Assistant/Types/DaemonStatus.hs
index 1166cd18ad..f775e3064b 100644
--- a/Assistant/Types/DaemonStatus.hs
+++ b/Assistant/Types/DaemonStatus.hs
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ data DaemonStatus = DaemonStatus
 	, lastSanityCheck :: Maybe POSIXTime
 	-- True when a scan for file transfers is running
 	, transferScanRunning :: Bool
-	-- Currently running file content transfers
+	-- Currently running file content transfers, for both this process
+	-- and other processes.
 	, currentTransfers :: TransferMap
 	-- Messages to display to the user.
 	, alertMap :: AlertMap
diff --git a/Assistant/Types/TransferQueue.hs b/Assistant/Types/TransferQueue.hs
index 7e2b4ce3bb..f7ce33bda2 100644
--- a/Assistant/Types/TransferQueue.hs
+++ b/Assistant/Types/TransferQueue.hs
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 module Assistant.Types.TransferQueue where
 
 import Annex.Common
-import Types.Transfer
 
 import Control.Concurrent.STM
 import Utility.TList
diff --git a/Assistant/WebApp/Types.hs b/Assistant/WebApp/Types.hs
index 5450638d92..c4e43e1405 100644
--- a/Assistant/WebApp/Types.hs
+++ b/Assistant/WebApp/Types.hs
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import Utility.NotificationBroadcaster
 import Utility.AuthToken
 import Utility.WebApp
 import Utility.Yesod
-import Types.Transfer
 import Utility.Gpg (KeyId)
 import Build.SysConfig (packageversion)
 import Types.ScheduledActivity
diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 748fb2cc76..1c9d6132ae 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ git-annex (6.20171004) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     where interrupting an add could result in the file being
     moved into the annex, with no symlink yet created.
   * Avoid repeated checking that files passed on the command line exist.
+  * Improve behavior when -J transfers multiple files that point to the
+    same key.
   * stack.yaml: Update to lts-9.9.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Sat, 07 Oct 2017 14:11:00 -0400
diff --git a/Command/Get.hs b/Command/Get.hs
index 5cb0245d94..e91798eba2 100644
--- a/Command/Get.hs
+++ b/Command/Get.hs
@@ -109,9 +109,10 @@ getKey' key afile = dispatch
 		| Remote.hasKeyCheap r =
 			either (const False) id <$> Remote.hasKey r key
 		| otherwise = return True
-	docopy r witness = getViaTmp (RemoteVerify r) key $ \dest ->
-		download (Remote.uuid r) key afile forwardRetry
-			(\p -> do
+	docopy r = download (Remote.uuid r) key afile forwardRetry $ \p ->
+		ifM (inAnnex key)
+			( return True
+			, getViaTmp (RemoteVerify r) key $ \dest -> do
 				showAction $ "from " ++ Remote.name r
 				Remote.retrieveKeyFile r key afile dest p
-			) witness
+			)
diff --git a/Command/Move.hs b/Command/Move.hs
index b9e0b65488..9e6c03e3b9 100644
--- a/Command/Move.hs
+++ b/Command/Move.hs
@@ -200,8 +200,11 @@ fromPerform src move key afile = do
   where
 	go = notifyTransfer Download afile $ 
 		download (Remote.uuid src) key afile forwardRetry $ \p ->
-			getViaTmp (RemoteVerify src) key $ \t ->
-				Remote.retrieveKeyFile src key afile t p
+			ifM (inAnnex key)
+				( return True
+				, getViaTmp (RemoteVerify src) key $ \t ->
+					Remote.retrieveKeyFile src key afile t p
+				)
 	dispatch _ False = stop -- failed
 	dispatch False True = next $ return True -- copy complete
 	-- Finish by dropping from remote, taking care to verify that
diff --git a/Logs/Transfer.hs b/Logs/Transfer.hs
index 3e90ae1ee2..91683b1d08 100644
--- a/Logs/Transfer.hs
+++ b/Logs/Transfer.hs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 module Logs.Transfer where
 
+import Types
 import Types.Transfer
 import Types.ActionItem
 import Annex.Common
diff --git a/Types.hs b/Types.hs
index 884c91a6bb..ec7709a0e9 100644
--- a/Types.hs
+++ b/Types.hs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ module Types (
 	RemoteGitConfig(..),
 	Remote,
 	RemoteType,
+	Transfer,
+	TransferInfo,
 ) where
 
 import Annex
@@ -23,7 +25,9 @@ import Types.GitConfig
 import Types.Key
 import Types.UUID
 import Types.Remote
+import Types.Transfer
 
 type Backend = BackendA Annex
 type Remote = RemoteA Annex
 type RemoteType = RemoteTypeA Annex
+type TransferInfo = TransferInfoA Annex
diff --git a/Types/ActionItem.hs b/Types/ActionItem.hs
index 73d8451017..0b53bec018 100644
--- a/Types/ActionItem.hs
+++ b/Types/ActionItem.hs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 module Types.ActionItem where
 
 import Key
+import Types
 import Types.Transfer
 import Git.FilePath
 
diff --git a/Types/Transfer.hs b/Types/Transfer.hs
index ade8fc7630..093307ea9d 100644
--- a/Types/Transfer.hs
+++ b/Types/Transfer.hs
@@ -7,10 +7,13 @@
 
 module Types.Transfer where
 
-import Types
+import Types.Remote
+import Types.Key
+import Types.UUID
 import Utility.PID
 import Utility.QuickCheck
 
+import Control.Concurrent.STM
 import Data.Time.Clock.POSIX
 import Control.Concurrent
 import Control.Applicative
@@ -30,18 +33,18 @@ data Transfer = Transfer
  - git repository. It's some file, possibly relative to some directory,
  - of some repository, that was acted on to initiate the transfer.
  -}
-data TransferInfo = TransferInfo
+data TransferInfoA a = TransferInfo
 	{ startedTime :: Maybe POSIXTime
 	, transferPid :: Maybe PID
 	, transferTid :: Maybe ThreadId
-	, transferRemote :: Maybe Remote
+	, transferRemote :: Maybe (RemoteA a)
 	, bytesComplete :: Maybe Integer
 	, associatedFile :: AssociatedFile
 	, transferPaused :: Bool
 	}
 	deriving (Show, Eq, Ord)
 
-stubTransferInfo :: TransferInfo
+stubTransferInfo :: TransferInfoA a
 stubTransferInfo = TransferInfo Nothing Nothing Nothing Nothing Nothing (AssociatedFile Nothing) False
 
 data Direction = Upload | Download
@@ -56,7 +59,7 @@ parseDirection "upload" = Just Upload
 parseDirection "download" = Just Download
 parseDirection _ = Nothing
 
-instance Arbitrary TransferInfo where
+instance Arbitrary (TransferInfoA a) where
 	arbitrary = TransferInfo
 		<$> arbitrary
 		<*> arbitrary
diff --git a/doc/bugs/get_-J___34__fails__34___to_get_files_with_the_same_key.mdwn b/doc/bugs/get_-J___34__fails__34___to_get_files_with_the_same_key.mdwn
index fade3b3318..80c16d6e18 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/get_-J___34__fails__34___to_get_files_with_the_same_key.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/get_-J___34__fails__34___to_get_files_with_the_same_key.mdwn
@@ -46,3 +46,5 @@ so at the end we get a run of git-annex which exits with error 1... and in json
 I wondered if annex should first analyze passed paths to get actual keys to be fetched?
 
 [[!meta author=yoh]]
+
+> [[fixed|done]] --[[Joey]]