diff --git a/doc/internals/git-remote-annex.mdwn b/doc/internals/git-remote-annex.mdwn
index 0334e53edb..0e916c99ff 100644
--- a/doc/internals/git-remote-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/internals/git-remote-annex.mdwn
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 This adds two new object types to git-annex, GITMANIFEST and a GITBUNDLE.
 
-GITMANIFEST-$UUID is the manifest for a git repository stored in the
+GITMANIFEST--$UUID is the manifest for a git repository stored in the
 git-annex repository with that UUID.
 
 GITBUNDLE--sha256 is a git bundle.
@@ -9,16 +9,21 @@ GITBUNDLE--sha256 is a git bundle.
 
 An ordered list of bundle keys, one per line.
 
+The last bundle in the list provides all refs that are currently stored in
+the repository. The bundles before it in the list can incrementally provide
+objects, but not refs.
+
 # fetching
 
 1. download GITMANIFEST for the uuid of the special remote
 2. download each listed GITBUNDLE object that we don't have
-3. git fetch from bundles in timestamp order
+3. `git bundle unpack` each bundle in order
+4. `git fetch` from the last bundle listed in the manifest
 
 # pushing (incrementally)
 
-1. create git bundle containing refs to push, and objects since
-   the previously pushed refs
+1. create git bundle all refs that will be stored in the repository, 
+   and objects since the previously pushed refs
 2. hash to calculate GITBUNDLE key
 3. upload GITBUNDLE object
 4. download current manifest
@@ -26,7 +31,8 @@ An ordered list of bundle keys, one per line.
 
 # pushing (replacing incrementals with single bundle)
 
-1. create git bundle containing refs to push and all objects
+1. create git bundle containing all refs stored in the repository, and all
+   objects
 2. hash to calculate GITBUNDLE object name
 3. upload GITBUNDLE object
 4. download current manifest
diff --git a/git-remote-annex b/git-remote-annex
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..6171e9d7b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/git-remote-annex
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -x
+
+# remember the refs that were uploaded already
+git for-each-ref refs/namespaces/mine/ > .git/old-refs
+
+# Unfortunately, git bundle omits prerequisites that are omitted once,
+# even if they are used by a later ref.
+# For example, where x is a ref that points at A, and y is a ref
+# that points at B (which has A as its parent), git bundle x A..y
+# will omit inclding the x ref in the bundle at all.
+check_prereq () {
+	# So, if a sha is one of the other refs that will be included in the
+	# bundle, it cannot be treated as a prerequisite.
+	if git for-each-ref refs/namespaces/mine/ | grep -Pv "\t$2$" | awk '{print $1}' | grep -q "$1"; then
+		echo "$2"
+	else
+		# And, if one of the other refs that will be included in the bundle
+		# is an ancestor of the sha, it cannot be treated as a prerequisite.
+		if [ -n "$(for x in $(git for-each-ref refs/namespaces/mine/ | grep -Pv "\t$2$" | awk '{print $1}'); do git log --oneline -n1 $x..$1; done)" ]; then
+			echo "$2"
+		else
+			echo "$1..$2"
+		fi
+	fi
+}
+
+while read foo; do
+	case "$foo" in
+		capabilities)
+			echo fetch
+			echo push
+			echo
+		;;
+		list*)
+			if [ -e "MANIFEST" ]; then
+				# Only list the refs in the last bundle
+				# listed in the manifest. Each push
+				# includes all refs in its bundle.
+				f=$(tail -n 1 MANIFEST)
+				if [ -n "$f" ]; then
+					# refs in the bundle may end up prefixed with refs/namespaces/mine/
+					# when the intent is for the bundle to include a
+					# ref with the name that comes after that.
+					git bundle list-heads $f | sed 's/refs\/namespaces\/mine\///'
+				fi
+			fi
+			echo
+		;;
+		fetch*)
+			dofetch=1
+		;;
+		push*)
+			set -- $foo
+			x="$2"
+			# src ref if prefixed with a + in a forced push
+			srcref="$(echo "$x" | cut -d : -f 1 | sed 's/^\+//')"
+			dstref="$(echo "$x" | cut -d : -f 2)"
+			if [ -z "$srcref" ]; then
+				git update-ref -d refs/namespaces/mine/"$dstref"
+			else
+				# Need to create a bundle containing $dstref, but
+				# don't want to overwrite that ref in the local
+				# repo. Unfortunately, git bundle does not support
+				# GIT_NAMESPACE, so it's not possible to do that
+				# without making a clone of the whole git repo.
+				# Instead, just create a ref under the namespace
+				# refs/namespaces/mine/ that will be put in the
+				# bundle.
+				git update-ref refs/namespaces/mine/"$dstref" "$srcref"
+			fi
+			dopush=1
+		;;
+		# docs say a blank line ends communication, but that's not
+		# accurate, actually a blank line comes after a series of
+		# fetch or push commands, and also according to the docs,
+		# another series of commands could follow
+		"")
+			if [ "$dofetch" ]; then
+				if [ -e "MANIFEST" ]; then
+					for f in $(cat MANIFEST); do
+						git bundle unbundle "$f" >/dev/null 2>&1
+					done
+				fi
+				echo
+				dofetch=""
+			fi
+			if [ "$dopush" ]; then
+				if [ -z "$(git for-each-ref refs/namespaces/mine/)" ]; then
+					# deleted all refs
+					if [ -e "MANIFEST" ]; then
+						for f in $(cat MANIFEST); do
+							rm "$f"
+						done
+						rm MANIFEST
+						touch MANIFEST
+					fi
+				else
+					# set REPUSH=1 to do a full push
+					# rather than incremental
+					if [ "$REPUSH" ]; then
+						rm MANIFEST
+						rm *.bundle
+						git for-each-ref refs/namespaces/mine/ | awk '{print $3}' | \
+							git bundle create --quiet new.bundle --stdin
+					else
+						# incremental bundle
+						IFS="
+"
+						(for l in $(git for-each-ref refs/namespaces/mine/); do
+							r=$(echo "$l" | awk '{print $3}')
+							newsha=$(echo "$l" | awk '{print $1}')
+							oldsha=$(grep -P "\t$r$" .git/old-refs | awk '{print $1}')
+							if [ -n "$oldsha" ]; then
+								# include changes from $oldsha to $r when there are some
+								if [ -n "$(git log --oneline $oldsha..$r)" ]; then
+									check_prereq "$oldsha" "$r"
+								else
+									if [ "$oldsha" = "$newsha" ]; then
+										# $r is unchanged from last push, so include
+										# the minimum data to make the bundle contain $r
+										rparentsha=$(git log -n 2 "$r" --format='%H' | tail -n+2)
+										if [ -n "$rparentsha" ]; then
+											check_prereq "$rparentsha" "$r"
+										else
+											# $r has no parent so include it as is
+											echo "$r"
+										fi
+									else
+										# $oldsha is not a parent of $r, so 
+										# include $r and all its parents
+										echo "$r"
+									fi
+								fi	
+							else
+								# no old version was pushed so include $r and all its parents
+								echo "$r"
+							fi
+						done) \
+							| git bundle create --quiet new.bundle --stdin
+					fi
+					sha1=$(sha1sum new.bundle | awk '{print $1}')
+					mv new.bundle "$sha1.bundle"
+					echo "$sha1.bundle" >> MANIFEST
+				fi
+				echo 
+				dopush=""
+			fi
+		;;
+	esac
+done