diff --git a/Command/Sync.hs b/Command/Sync.hs
index 62b557ccc7..b010c8847e 100644
--- a/Command/Sync.hs
+++ b/Command/Sync.hs
@@ -315,7 +315,8 @@ seek' o = startConcurrency transferStages $ do
 				-- importing only downloads new files not
 				-- old files)
 				let shouldsynccontent r
-					| isExport r && not (isImport r) = False
+					| isExport r && not (isImport r) 
+						&& not (exportHasAnnexObjects r) = False
 					| otherwise = True
 				syncedcontent <- withbranch $
 					seekSyncContent o
@@ -944,7 +945,8 @@ 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 || isImport r = return False
+		| isImport r && not (isExport r) = return False
+		| isExport r && not (exportHasAnnexObjects r) = return False
 		| isThirdPartyPopulated r = return False
 		| otherwise = wantGetBy True (Just k) af (Remote.uuid r)
 	handleput lack inhere
@@ -1147,6 +1149,9 @@ isExport = exportTree . Remote.config
 isImport :: Remote -> Bool
 isImport = importTree . Remote.config
 
+exportHasAnnexObjects :: Remote -> Bool
+exportHasAnnexObjects = annexObjects . Remote.config
+
 isThirdPartyPopulated :: Remote -> Bool
 isThirdPartyPopulated = Remote.thirdPartyPopulated . Remote.remotetype
 
diff --git a/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn b/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
index cc4ce80a52..e9562e70a4 100644
--- a/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
+++ b/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
@@ -33,6 +33,15 @@ Planned schedule of work:
 * Working on `exportreeplus` branch which is groundwork for proxying to
   exporttree=yes special remotes.
 
+* `git-annex sync` with an annexobjects=true special remote, when exporting
+  a subdir that contained a file, which has now been moved out of the
+  subdir, first unexports the file, and then re-uploads it to the remote.
+  This could be avoided if when unexporting, it moves to the annex objects
+  location.
+
+  (Might be worth doing that by default, this would let annexobjects=true
+  special remotes not be untrusted.)
+
 * `git-annex sync --content` to an annexobjects=true special remote should 
   get and put keys that are not in the exported tree to the annexobjects
   location.