diff --git a/Annex/Cluster.hs b/Annex/Cluster.hs
index 0f748ef732..e43cc737bd 100644
--- a/Annex/Cluster.hs
+++ b/Annex/Cluster.hs
@@ -51,9 +51,8 @@ proxyCluster clusteruuid proxydone servermode clientside protoerrhandler = do
 		-- known at this point, and would be too expensive to
 		-- determine. Instead, pick the newest protocol version
 		-- that we and the client both speak. The proxy code
-		-- checks protocol versions when operating on multiple
-		-- nodes, and allows nodes to have different protocol
-		-- versions.
+		-- checks protocol versions of remotes, so nodes can
+		-- have different protocol versions.
 		let protocolversion = min maxProtocolVersion clientmaxversion
 		sendClientProtocolVersion clientside othermsg protocolversion
 			(getclientbypass protocolversion) (protoerrhandler noop)
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ proxyCluster clusteruuid proxydone servermode clientside protoerrhandler = do
 			, proxyUUID = fromClusterUUID clusteruuid
 			, proxySelector = selectnode
 			, proxyConcurrencyConfig = concurrencyconfig
-			, proxyProtocolVersion = protocolversion
+			, proxyClientProtocolVersion = protocolversion
 			}
 		proxy proxydone proxyparams othermsg
 			(protoerrhandler closenodes)
diff --git a/Command/P2PStdIO.hs b/Command/P2PStdIO.hs
index dfc4499601..cc5d675e53 100644
--- a/Command/P2PStdIO.hs
+++ b/Command/P2PStdIO.hs
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ performProxy clientuuid servermode r = do
 			, proxyUUID = Remote.uuid r
 			, proxySelector = singleProxySelector remoteside
 			, proxyConcurrencyConfig = concurrencyconfig
-			, proxyProtocolVersion = protocolversion
+			, proxyClientProtocolVersion = protocolversion
 			}
 		let runproxy othermsg' = proxy closer proxyparams 
 			othermsg' errhandler
diff --git a/P2P/Http/State.hs b/P2P/Http/State.hs
index 377357f7f9..ac9898f8c8 100644
--- a/P2P/Http/State.hs
+++ b/P2P/Http/State.hs
@@ -346,9 +346,8 @@ proxyConnection relv connparams workerpool proxyconn = do
 		inAnnexWorker' workerpool $ do
 			proxystate <- liftIO Proxy.mkProxyState
 			concurrencyconfig <- Proxy.noConcurrencyConfig
-			-- TODO run remote protocol to get its version and
-			-- take minimum of that and connectionProtocolVersion
-			let protocolversion = connectionProtocolVersion connparams
+			let protocolversion = min remoteprotocolversion $
+				connectionProtocolVersion connparams
 			let proxyparams = Proxy.ProxyParams
 				{ Proxy.proxyMethods = mkProxyMethods
 				, Proxy.proxyState = proxystate
@@ -358,7 +357,7 @@ proxyConnection relv connparams workerpool proxyconn = do
 				, Proxy.proxySelector = Proxy.singleProxySelector $
 					proxyConnectionRemoteSide proxyconn
 				, Proxy.proxyConcurrencyConfig = concurrencyconfig
-				, Proxy.proxyProtocolVersion = protocolversion
+				, Proxy.proxyClientProtocolVersion = protocolversion
 				}
 			let proxy mrequestmessage = case mrequestmessage of
 				Just requestmessage -> do
@@ -516,8 +515,8 @@ openProxyConnectionToRemote
 	-> [UUID]
 	-> Remote
 	-> IO (Either SomeException ProxyConnection)
-openProxyConnectionToRemote workerpool protoversion bypass remote =
-	inAnnexWorker' workerpool (proxyRemoteSide protoversion bypass' remote) >>= \case
+openProxyConnectionToRemote workerpool clientmaxversion bypass remote =
+	inAnnexWorker' workerpool (proxyRemoteSide clientmaxversion bypass' remote) >>= \case
 		Left ex -> return (Left ex)
 		Right remoteside -> return $ Right $
 			ProxyConnection (Remote.uuid remote) remoteside
diff --git a/P2P/Proxy.hs b/P2P/Proxy.hs
index d1d6aa860b..e78ef5a12e 100644
--- a/P2P/Proxy.hs
+++ b/P2P/Proxy.hs
@@ -208,10 +208,9 @@ data ProxyParams = ProxyParams
 	, proxyUUID :: UUID
 	, proxySelector :: ProxySelector
 	, proxyConcurrencyConfig :: ConcurrencyConfig
-	, proxyProtocolVersion :: ProtocolVersion
-	-- ^ Protocol version being spoken between the proxy and the
-	-- client. When there are multiple remotes, some may speak an
-	-- earlier version.
+	, proxyClientProtocolVersion :: ProtocolVersion
+	-- ^ The remote(s) may speak an earlier version, or the same
+	-- version, but not a later version.
 	}
 
 {- Proxy between the client and the remote. This picks up after
@@ -452,7 +451,7 @@ proxyRequest proxydone proxyparams requestcomplete requestmessage protoerrhandle
 		protoerrhandler requestcomplete $
 			client $ net $ sendMessage $
 				let nonplussed = all (== proxyUUID proxyparams) us 
-					|| proxyProtocolVersion proxyparams < ProtocolVersion 2
+					|| proxyClientProtocolVersion proxyparams < ProtocolVersion 2
 				in if all (maybe False (fst . fst)) v'
 					then if nonplussed
 						then SUCCESS
@@ -496,7 +495,7 @@ proxyRequest proxydone proxyparams requestcomplete requestmessage protoerrhandle
 			relayDATAFinish (runRemoteSide remoteside) client $
 				relayonemessage client (runRemoteSide remoteside) $
 					const requestcomplete
-	
+
 	relayPUT remoteside k len = relayDATAStart (runRemoteSide remoteside) $
 		relayDATACore len client (runRemoteSide remoteside) $
 			relayDATAFinish client (runRemoteSide remoteside) $
@@ -536,7 +535,7 @@ proxyRequest proxydone proxyparams requestcomplete requestmessage protoerrhandle
 			_ -> False
 		l <- forMC (proxyConcurrencyConfig proxyparams) remotesides initiate
 		if all alreadyhave l
-			then if proxyProtocolVersion proxyparams < ProtocolVersion 2
+			then if proxyClientProtocolVersion proxyparams < ProtocolVersion 2
 				then protoerrhandler requestcomplete $
 					client $ net $ sendMessage ALREADY_HAVE
 				else protoerrhandler requestcomplete $
@@ -621,7 +620,7 @@ proxyRequest proxydone proxyparams requestcomplete requestmessage protoerrhandle
 		| otherwise = relayonemessage x y (\_ () -> sendsuccessfailure)
 
 	relayDATAFinishMulti k rs
-		| proxyProtocolVersion proxyparams == ProtocolVersion 0 = 
+		| proxyProtocolVersion proxyparams == ProtocolVersion 0 =
 			finish $ net receiveMessage
 		| otherwise =
 			flip protoerrhandler (client $ net $ receiveMessage) $
@@ -646,7 +645,7 @@ proxyRequest proxydone proxyparams requestcomplete requestmessage protoerrhandle
 					case concat (catMaybes storeduuids) of
 						[] -> FAILURE
 						us
-							| proxyProtocolVersion proxyparams < ProtocolVersion 2 -> SUCCESS
+							| proxyClientProtocolVersion proxyparams < ProtocolVersion 2 -> SUCCESS
 							| otherwise -> SUCCESS_PLUS us
 
 	-- The associated file received from the P2P protocol
diff --git a/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn b/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
index 1eed6540c7..947114a703 100644
--- a/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
+++ b/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
@@ -30,9 +30,6 @@ Planned schedule of work:
 
 * http server proxying hangs on git-annex copy --to it
 
-* http server proxying needs to get the version negotiated with the proxied
-  remote and feed that into the proxy function.
-
 * test http server proxying with special remotes
 
 * http server proxying needs to reuse connections to special remotes,