diff --git a/Annex/FileMatcher.hs b/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
index 3c2840c73d..a2bfd23dce 100644
--- a/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
+++ b/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ checkMatcher matcher mkey afile lu notpresent notconfigured d
 
 checkMatcher' :: FileMatcher Annex -> MatchInfo -> LiveUpdate -> AssumeNotPresent -> Annex Bool
 checkMatcher' (matcher, (MatcherDesc matcherdesc)) mi lu notpresent =
-	checkLiveUpdate lu go
+	checkLiveUpdate lu matcher go
   where
 	go = do
 		(matches, desc) <- runWriterT $ matchMrun' matcher $ \op ->
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ call desc (Right sub) = Right $ Operation $ MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = any matchNeedsFileContent sub
 	, matchNeedsKey = any matchNeedsKey sub
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = any matchNeedsLocationLog sub
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = any matchNeedsLiveRepoSize sub
 	, matchDesc = matchDescSimple desc
 	}
 call _ (Left err) = Left err
diff --git a/Annex/RepoSize/LiveUpdate.hs b/Annex/RepoSize/LiveUpdate.hs
index aaacb31450..602e8f374a 100644
--- a/Annex/RepoSize/LiveUpdate.hs
+++ b/Annex/RepoSize/LiveUpdate.hs
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import Annex.Common
 import Logs.Presence.Pure
 import qualified Database.RepoSize as Db
 import Annex.UUID
+import Types.FileMatcher
+import qualified Utility.Matcher as Matcher
 
 import Control.Concurrent
 import System.Process
@@ -95,9 +97,16 @@ needLiveUpdate lu = liftIO $ void $ tryPutMVar (liveUpdateNeeded lu) ()
 -- This serializes calls to the action, so that if the action
 -- queries getLiveRepoSizes it will not race with another such action
 -- that may also be starting a live update.
-checkLiveUpdate :: LiveUpdate -> Annex Bool -> Annex Bool
-checkLiveUpdate NoLiveUpdate a = a
-checkLiveUpdate lu a = Db.lockDbWhile (const go) go
+checkLiveUpdate
+	:: LiveUpdate
+	-> Matcher.Matcher (MatchFiles Annex)
+	-> Annex Bool
+	-> Annex Bool
+checkLiveUpdate NoLiveUpdate _ a = a
+checkLiveUpdate lu matcher a
+	| Matcher.introspect matchNeedsLiveRepoSize matcher =
+		Db.lockDbWhile (const go) go
+	| otherwise = a
   where
 	go = do
 		r <- a
diff --git a/Limit.hs b/Limit.hs
index b824bcc640..778a7e65d8 100644
--- a/Limit.hs
+++ b/Limit.hs
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ limitInclude glob = Right $ MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = False
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = "include" =? glob
 	}
 
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ limitExclude glob = Right $ MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = False
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = "exclude" =? glob
 	}
 
@@ -153,6 +155,7 @@ limitIncludeSameContent glob = Right $ MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = False
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = "includesamecontent" =? glob
 	}
 
@@ -168,6 +171,7 @@ limitExcludeSameContent glob = Right $ MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = False
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = "excludesamecontent" =? glob
 	}
 
@@ -244,6 +248,7 @@ matchMagic limitname querymagic selectprovidedinfo selectuserprovidedinfo (Just
 		, matchNeedsFileContent = True
 		, matchNeedsKey = False
 		, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+		, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 		, matchDesc = limitname =? glob
 		}
   where
@@ -271,6 +276,7 @@ addUnlocked = addLimit $ Right $ MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = False
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = matchDescSimple "unlocked"
 	}
 
@@ -281,6 +287,7 @@ addLocked = addLimit $ Right $ MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = False
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = matchDescSimple "locked"
 	}
 
@@ -316,6 +323,7 @@ addIn s = do
 		, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 		, matchNeedsKey = True
 		, matchNeedsLocationLog = not inhere
+		, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 		, matchDesc = "in" =? s
 		}
 	checkinuuid u notpresent key
@@ -346,6 +354,7 @@ addExpectedPresent = do
 		, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 		, matchNeedsKey = True
 		, matchNeedsLocationLog = True
+		, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 		, matchDesc = matchDescSimple "expected-present"
 		}
 
@@ -363,6 +372,7 @@ limitPresent u = MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = True
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = not (isNothing u)
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = matchDescSimple "present"
 	}
 
@@ -374,6 +384,7 @@ limitInDir dir desc = MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = False
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = matchDescSimple desc
 	}
   where
@@ -406,6 +417,7 @@ limitCopies want = case splitc ':' want of
 			, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 			, matchNeedsKey = True
 			, matchNeedsLocationLog = True
+			, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 			, matchDesc = "copies" =? want
 			}
 	go' n good notpresent key = do
@@ -431,6 +443,7 @@ limitLackingCopies desc approx want = case readish want of
 		, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 		, matchNeedsKey = True
 		, matchNeedsLocationLog = True
+		, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 		, matchDesc = matchDescSimple desc
 		}
 	Nothing -> Left "bad value for number of lacking copies"
@@ -461,6 +474,7 @@ limitUnused = MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = True
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = matchDescSimple "unused"
 	}
   where
@@ -484,6 +498,7 @@ limitAnything = MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = False
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = matchDescSimple "anything"
 	}
 
@@ -499,6 +514,7 @@ limitNothing = MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = False
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = matchDescSimple "nothing"
 	}
 
@@ -522,6 +538,7 @@ limitInAllGroup getgroupmap groupname = Right $ MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = True
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = True
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = "inallgroup" =? groupname
 	}
   where
@@ -547,6 +564,7 @@ limitOnlyInGroup getgroupmap groupname = Right $ MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = True
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = True
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = "inallgroup" =? groupname
 	}
   where
@@ -592,6 +610,7 @@ limitBalanced' termname fullybalanced mu groupname = do
 			matchNeedsLocationLog present ||
 			matchNeedsLocationLog fullybalanced ||
 			matchNeedsLocationLog copies
+		, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = True
 		, matchDesc = termname =? groupname
 		}
 
@@ -677,6 +696,7 @@ limitFullyBalanced''' filtercandidates termname mu getgroupmap g n want = Right
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = True
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = True
 	, matchDesc = termname =? want
 	}
 
@@ -736,6 +756,7 @@ limitInBackend name = Right $ MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = True
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = "inbackend" =? name
 	}
   where
@@ -753,6 +774,7 @@ limitSecureHash = MatchFiles
 	, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 	, matchNeedsKey = True
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 	, matchDesc = matchDescSimple "securehash"
 	}
 
@@ -774,6 +796,7 @@ limitSize lb desc vs s = case readSize dataUnits s of
 		, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 		, matchNeedsKey = False
 		, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+		, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 		, matchDesc = desc =? s
 		}
   where
@@ -804,6 +827,7 @@ limitMetaData s = case parseMetaDataMatcher s of
 		, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 		, matchNeedsKey = True
 		, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+		, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 		, matchDesc = "metadata" =? s
 		}
   where
@@ -820,6 +844,7 @@ addAccessedWithin duration = do
 		, matchNeedsFileContent = False
 		, matchNeedsKey = False
 		, matchNeedsLocationLog = False
+		, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = False
 		, matchDesc = "accessedwithin" =? fromDuration duration
 		}
   where
diff --git a/Limit/Wanted.hs b/Limit/Wanted.hs
index a31f08be92..1e1be390d8 100644
--- a/Limit/Wanted.hs
+++ b/Limit/Wanted.hs
@@ -40,12 +40,14 @@ addPreferredContentLimit desc a = do
 	nfc <- introspectPreferredRequiredContent matchNeedsFileContent Nothing
 	nk <- introspectPreferredRequiredContent matchNeedsKey Nothing
 	nl <- introspectPreferredRequiredContent matchNeedsLocationLog Nothing
+	lsz <- introspectPreferredRequiredContent matchNeedsLiveRepoSize Nothing
 	addLimit $ Right $ MatchFiles
 		{ matchAction = const $ const a
 		, matchNeedsFileName = nfn
 		, matchNeedsFileContent = nfc
 		, matchNeedsKey = nk
 		, matchNeedsLocationLog = nl
+		, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize = lsz
 		, matchDesc = matchDescSimple desc
 		}
 
diff --git a/Types/FileMatcher.hs b/Types/FileMatcher.hs
index 1f0b6de5a8..4fa7d20e67 100644
--- a/Types/FileMatcher.hs
+++ b/Types/FileMatcher.hs
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ data MatchFiles a = MatchFiles
 	-- ^ does the matchAction look at information about the key?
 	, matchNeedsLocationLog :: Bool
 	-- ^ does the matchAction look at the location log?
+	, matchNeedsLiveRepoSize :: Bool
+	-- ^ does the matchAction need live repo size information?
 	, matchDesc :: Bool -> MatchDesc
 	-- ^ displayed to the user to describe whether it matched or not
 	}
diff --git a/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn b/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
index 481df391df..7621f4f878 100644
--- a/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
+++ b/doc/todo/git-annex_proxies.mdwn
@@ -37,14 +37,6 @@ Planned schedule of work:
 
 * Test that live repo size data is correct and really works.
 
-* Avoid using checkLiveUpdate except when checking a preferred content
-  expression that does use balanced preferred content. No reason to pay
-  its time penalty otherwise.
-
-  Alternatively, make it not use file locking. It could rely on a database
-  transaction, or it could check the live changes before and after and
-  re-run the Annex action if they are not stable.
-
 * When loading the live update table, check if PIDs in it are still
   running (and are still git-annex), and if not, remove stale entries
   from it, which can accumulate when processes are interrupted.