diff --git a/Command/Sync.hs b/Command/Sync.hs
index a0f9bc8147..62b557ccc7 100644
--- a/Command/Sync.hs
+++ b/Command/Sync.hs
@@ -1158,7 +1158,3 @@ splitRemoteAnnexTrackingBranchSubdir tb = (branch, subdir)
 	subdir = if S.null p
 		then Nothing
 		else Just (asTopFilePath p)
-
-sameGitRepo :: Remote -> Remote -> Bool
-sameGitRepo x y = 
-	remoteUrl (Remote.gitconfig x) == remoteUrl (Remote.gitconfig y)
diff --git a/Remote.hs b/Remote.hs
index a57a929114..9038d2a767 100644
--- a/Remote.hs
+++ b/Remote.hs
@@ -449,11 +449,13 @@ claimingUrl' remotefilter url = do
 	checkclaim = maybe (pure False) (`id` url) . claimUrl
 
 {- Is this a remote of a type that git pull and push work with?
- - That includes special remotes with an annex:: url configured. -}
+ - That includes special remotes with an annex:: url configured.
+ - It does not include proxied remotes. -}
 gitSyncableRemote :: Remote -> Bool
 gitSyncableRemote r
 	| gitSyncableRemoteType (remotetype r) 
-		&& isJust (remoteUrl (gitconfig r)) = True
+		&& isJust (remoteUrl (gitconfig r)) =
+			not (remoteAnnexProxied (gitconfig r))
 	| otherwise = case remoteUrl (gitconfig r) of
 		Just u | "annex::" `isPrefixOf` u -> True
 		_ -> False
diff --git a/Remote/Git.hs b/Remote/Git.hs
index 6f7d4265c2..6e3906892f 100644
--- a/Remote/Git.hs
+++ b/Remote/Git.hs
@@ -827,7 +827,8 @@ listProxied proxies rs = concat <$> mapM go rs
 		
 		annexconfigadjuster r' = 
 			let c = adduuid (configRepoUUID renamedr) $
-				addurl (remoteConfig renamedr "url") $
+				addurl $
+				addproxied $
 				inheritconfigs $ Git.fullconfig r'
 			in r'
 				{ Git.config = M.map Prelude.head c
@@ -837,8 +838,11 @@ listProxied proxies rs = concat <$> mapM go rs
 		adduuid ck = M.insert ck
 			[Git.ConfigValue $ fromUUID $ proxyRemoteUUID p]
 
-		addurl ck = M.insert ck
+		addurl = M.insert (remoteConfig renamedr "url")
 			[Git.ConfigValue $ encodeBS $ Git.repoLocation r]
+		
+		addproxied = M.insert (remoteAnnexConfig renamedr "proxied")
+			[Git.ConfigValue $ Git.Config.boolConfig' True]
 
 		inheritconfigs c = foldl' inheritconfig c proxyInheritedFields
 		
diff --git a/Remote/Helper/Git.hs b/Remote/Helper/Git.hs
index ccefb231ea..b240ee0a2f 100644
--- a/Remote/Helper/Git.hs
+++ b/Remote/Helper/Git.hs
@@ -64,5 +64,7 @@ gitRepoInfo r = do
 	repo <- Remote.getRepo r
 	return
 		[ ("repository location", Git.repoLocation repo)
+		, ("proxied", Git.Config.boolConfig 
+			(remoteAnnexProxied (Remote.gitconfig r)))
 		, ("last synced", lastsynctime)
 		]
diff --git a/Types/GitConfig.hs b/Types/GitConfig.hs
index 2f8a4e3875..56eb25713b 100644
--- a/Types/GitConfig.hs
+++ b/Types/GitConfig.hs
@@ -388,6 +388,7 @@ data RemoteGitConfig = RemoteGitConfig
 	, remoteAnnexMaxGitBundles :: Int
 	, remoteAnnexAllowEncryptedGitRepo :: Bool
 	, remoteAnnexProxy :: Bool
+	, remoteAnnexProxied :: Bool
 	, remoteAnnexClusterNode :: Maybe [RemoteName]
 	, remoteUrl :: Maybe String
 
@@ -474,6 +475,7 @@ extractRemoteGitConfig r remotename = do
 		, remoteAnnexAllowEncryptedGitRepo = 
 			getbool AllowEncryptedGitRepoField False
 		, remoteAnnexProxy = getbool ProxyField False
+		, remoteAnnexProxied = getbool ProxiedField False
 		, remoteAnnexClusterNode = 
 			(filter isLegalName . words)
 				<$> getmaybe ClusterNodeField
@@ -554,6 +556,7 @@ data RemoteGitConfigField
 	| MaxGitBundlesField
 	| AllowEncryptedGitRepoField
 	| ProxyField
+	| ProxiedField
 	| ClusterNodeField
 	| UrlField
 	| ShellField
@@ -619,6 +622,7 @@ remoteGitConfigField = \case
 	AllowEncryptedGitRepoField -> inherited "allow-encrypted-gitrepo"
 	-- Allow proxy chains.
 	ProxyField -> inherited "proxy"
+	ProxiedField -> uninherited "proxied"
 	ClusterNodeField -> uninherited "cluster-node"
 	UrlField -> uninherited "url"
 	ShellField -> inherited "shell"
diff --git a/doc/git-annex.mdwn b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
index 06b2b63abd..428068f04e 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
@@ -1674,6 +1674,15 @@ Remotes are configured using these settings in `.git/config`.
   After configuring this, run [[git-annex-updateproxy](1) to store
   the new configuration in the git-annex branch.
 
+* `remote.<name>.annex-proxied`
+
+  Setting this to "true" indicates that a remote is proxied via the
+  git-annex repository that its remote points to. That prevents commands
+  like `git-annex sync` from pulling and pushing the remote. 
+
+  Usually this is used internally, when git-annex sets up proxied remotes,
+  and will not need to be set.
+
 * `remote.<name>.annex-cluster-node`
 
   Set to the name of a cluster to make this remote be part of
diff --git a/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn b/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
index 57f7ca5186..15637fe78a 100644
--- a/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
+++ b/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
@@ -26,17 +26,17 @@ In development on the `proxy` branch.
 
 For June's work on [[design/passthrough_proxy]], remaining todos:
 
-* `git-annex sync` etc should not treat clusters as git syncable remotes.
+* On upload to cluster, send to nodes where it's preferred content, and not
+  to other nodes.
 
-* `git-annex sync` etc, when operating on clusters, should first 
+* `git-annex sync --content` etc, when operating on clusters, should first 
   operate on the cluster as a whole, to take advantages of fanout on upload
   and mass drop. Only operate on individual cluster nodes afterwards,
   to handle cases such as a cluster containing a key, but some node
   wanting and lacking the key. Perhaps just setting cost for nodes slightly
-  higher than the cluster cost will be enough?
-
-* On upload to cluster, send to nodes where it's preferred content, and not
-  to other nodes.
+  higher than the cluster cost will be enough? Or should it even send a key
+  to a cluster node if the cluster contains the key? Perhaps that is
+  unnecessary work, the cluster should be able to rebalance itself.
 
 * Getting a key from a cluster currently always selects the lowest cost
   remote, and always the same remote if cost is the same. Should