diff --git a/Annex/Direct.hs b/Annex/Direct.hs
index 3745993698..7b91cc342e 100644
--- a/Annex/Direct.hs
+++ b/Annex/Direct.hs
@@ -353,11 +353,8 @@ toDirectGen k f = do
 		void $ addAssociatedFile k f
 		modifyContent loc $ do
 			thawContent loc
-			replaceFileOr f
-				(liftIO . moveFile loc)
-				$ \tmp -> do -- rollback
-					liftIO (moveFile tmp loc)
-					freezeContent loc
+			liftIO (replaceFileFrom loc f)
+				`catchIO` (\_ -> freezeContent loc)
 	fromdirect loc = do
 		replaceFile f $
 			liftIO . void . copyFileExternal loc
diff --git a/Annex/ReplaceFile.hs b/Annex/ReplaceFile.hs
index 8cb0cc6da7..9700d4b60c 100644
--- a/Annex/ReplaceFile.hs
+++ b/Annex/ReplaceFile.hs
@@ -39,7 +39,12 @@ replaceFileOr file action rollback = do
 		return tmpfile
 	go tmpfile = do
 		action tmpfile
-		liftIO $ catchIO (rename tmpfile file) (fallback tmpfile)
-	fallback tmpfile _ = do
-		createDirectoryIfMissing True $ parentDir file
-		moveFile tmpfile file
+		liftIO $ replaceFileFrom tmpfile file
+
+replaceFileFrom :: FilePath -> FilePath -> IO ()
+replaceFileFrom src dest = go `catchIO` fallback
+  where
+	go = moveFile src dest
+	fallback _ = do
+		createDirectoryIfMissing True $ parentDir dest
+		go
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index b1d53a8415..eaa36b3621 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ git-annex (5.20140718) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     subdirectory in the key name.
   * S3, Glacier, WebDAV: Fix bug that prevented accessing the creds
     when the repository was configured with encryption=shared embedcreds=yes.
+  * direct: Avoid leaving file content in misctemp if interrupted.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Mon, 21 Jul 2014 14:41:26 -0400
 
diff --git a/doc/bugs/direct_command_leaves_repository_inconsistent_if_interrupted.mdwn b/doc/bugs/direct_command_leaves_repository_inconsistent_if_interrupted.mdwn
index 0d81c67789..c19db9727d 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/direct_command_leaves_repository_inconsistent_if_interrupted.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/direct_command_leaves_repository_inconsistent_if_interrupted.mdwn
@@ -41,3 +41,5 @@ Similar issues and discussions:
 * [[forum/Cleaning_up_after_aborted_sync_in_direct_mode/]]
 * [[bugs/failure_to_return_to_indirect_mode_on_usb/]]
 * [[forum/git-status_typechange_in_direct_mode/]]
+
+[[!meta title="git annex lock --force deletes only copy of content after interrupted switch to direct mode"]