diff --git a/Backend/File.hs b/Backend/File.hs
index eba4b88f83..b2c5c90ebb 100644
--- a/Backend/File.hs
+++ b/Backend/File.hs
@@ -26,12 +26,16 @@ import qualified Annex
 import UUID
 
 backend = Backend {
+	name = mustProvide,
+	getKey = mustProvide,
 	storeFileKey = dummyStore,
 	retrieveKeyFile = copyKeyFile,
 	removeKey = dummyRemove,
 	hasKey = checkKeyFile
 }
 
+mustProvide = error "must provide this field"
+
 {- Storing a key is a no-op. -}
 dummyStore :: FilePath -> Key -> Annex (Bool)
 dummyStore file key = return True
@@ -74,11 +78,12 @@ copyKeyFile key file = do
 		cantfind = do
 			g <- Annex.gitRepo
 			uuids <- liftIO $ keyLocations g key
+			ppuuids <- prettyPrintUUIDs uuids
 			error $ "no available git remotes have: " ++
-				(keyFile key) ++ (uuidlist uuids)
-		uuidlist [] = ""
-		uuidlist uuids = "\nIt has been seen before in these repositories:\n" ++
-				prettyPrintUUIDs uuids
+				(keyFile key) ++ 
+				if (0 < length uuids)
+					then "\nIt has been seen before in these repositories:\n" ++ ppuuids
+					else ""
 
 {- Tries to copy a file from a remote, exception on error. -}
 copyFromRemote :: Git.Repo -> Key -> FilePath -> IO ()
diff --git a/UUID.hs b/UUID.hs
index 9348c7b437..3653eeec42 100644
--- a/UUID.hs
+++ b/UUID.hs
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ reposByUUID repos uuids = do
 
 {- Pretty-prints a list of UUIDs 
  - TODO: use lookup file to really show pretty names. -}
-prettyPrintUUIDs :: [UUID] -> String
+prettyPrintUUIDs :: [UUID] -> Annex String
 prettyPrintUUIDs uuids = 
-	unwords $ map (\u -> "\tUUID "++u++"\n") uuids
+	return $ unwords $ map (\u -> "\tUUID "++u++"\n") uuids