diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 426f035114..936d00b61a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ git-annex (10.20231130) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
   * sync: Fix locking problems during merge when annex.pidlock is set.
   * Avoid a problem with temp file names ending in "." on certian
     filesystems that have problems with such filenames.
+  * sync, push: Avoid trying to send individual files to special remotes
+    configured with importtree=yes exporttree=no, which would always fail.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:48:12 -0400
 
diff --git a/Command/Sync.hs b/Command/Sync.hs
index d4bbafef27..260740d5b5 100644
--- a/Command/Sync.hs
+++ b/Command/Sync.hs
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ syncFile o ebloom rs af k = do
 	wantput r
 		| pushOption o == False && operationMode o /= SatisfyMode = return False
 		| Remote.readonly r || remoteAnnexReadOnly (Remote.gitconfig r) = return False
-		| isExport r = return False
+		| isExport r || isImport r = return False
 		| isThirdPartyPopulated r = return False
 		| otherwise = wantGetBy True (Just k) af (Remote.uuid r)
 	handleput lack inhere
diff --git a/doc/forum/Don__39__t_copy_files_to_exporttree__61__no_remote/comment_5_e9ea995c99785dd6dffba91ef0fceb02._comment b/doc/forum/Don__39__t_copy_files_to_exporttree__61__no_remote/comment_5_e9ea995c99785dd6dffba91ef0fceb02._comment
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dfbd56835a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/forum/Don__39__t_copy_files_to_exporttree__61__no_remote/comment_5_e9ea995c99785dd6dffba91ef0fceb02._comment
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[[!comment format=mdwn
+ username="joey"
+ subject="""comment 5"""
+ date="2023-12-26T19:44:23Z"
+ content="""
+I reproduced it with the current version and a remote set up with:
+
+	git-annex initremote test type=directory directory=../d encryption=none exporttree=no importtree=yes
+	git config remote.directory.annex-tracking-branch master
+
+Fixed for tomorrow's release.
+"""]]