diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index e43cdbccb8..2457dc0c36 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ git-annex (10.20230408) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     Those plus a git commit are equivilant to git-annex sync.
     (Note that the new commands default to syncing content, unless
     annex.synccontent is explicitly set to false.)
+  * assist: New command, which is the same as git-annex sync but with
+    new files added and content transferred by default.
   * Many commands now quote filenames that contain unusual characters the
     same way that git does, to avoid exposing control characters to the terminal.
   * Support core.quotePath, which can be set to false to display utf8
diff --git a/CmdLine/GitAnnex.hs b/CmdLine/GitAnnex.hs
index 5917606d64..8fcaf956e8 100644
--- a/CmdLine/GitAnnex.hs
+++ b/CmdLine/GitAnnex.hs
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ import qualified Command.Ungroup
 import qualified Command.Config
 import qualified Command.Vicfg
 import qualified Command.Sync
+import qualified Command.Assist
 import qualified Command.Pull
 import qualified Command.Push
 import qualified Command.Mirror
@@ -147,6 +148,7 @@ cmds testoptparser testrunner mkbenchmarkgenerator = map addGitAnnexCommonOption
 	, Command.Unlock.editcmd
 	, Command.Lock.cmd
 	, Command.Sync.cmd
+	, Command.Assist.cmd
 	, Command.Pull.cmd
 	, Command.Push.cmd
 	, Command.Mirror.cmd
diff --git a/Command/Add.hs b/Command/Add.hs
index 3a00aaa637..5f0daaab08 100644
--- a/Command/Add.hs
+++ b/Command/Add.hs
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ checkGitIgnoreSwitch = CheckGitIgnore <$>
 		(help "Do not check .gitignore when adding files")
 
 seek :: AddOptions -> CommandSeek
-seek o = startConcurrency commandStages $ do
+seek o = startConcurrency commandStages (seek' o)
+
+seek' :: AddOptions -> CommandSeek
+seek' o = do
 	largematcher <- largeFilesMatcher
 	addunlockedmatcher <- addUnlockedMatcher
 	annexdotfiles <- getGitConfigVal annexDotFiles 
diff --git a/Command/Assist.hs b/Command/Assist.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1ec83c1339
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Command/Assist.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+{- git-annex command
+ -
+ - Copyright 2023 Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>
+ -
+ - Licensed under the GNU AGPL version 3 or higher.
+ -}
+
+module Command.Assist (cmd) where
+
+import Command
+import qualified Command.Sync
+import qualified Command.Add
+import Annex.CheckIgnore
+
+cmd :: Command
+cmd = withAnnexOptions [jobsOption, backendOption] $
+	command "assist" SectionCommon 
+		"add files and sync changes with remotes"
+		(paramRepeating paramRemote)
+		(myseek <--< Command.Sync.optParser Command.Sync.AssistMode)
+
+myseek :: Command.Sync.SyncOptions -> CommandSeek
+myseek o = startConcurrency transferStages $ do
+	-- Run before prepMerge so it adds only files in the current
+	-- directory and below, not new files elsewhere in the working
+	-- tree.
+	Command.Add.seek Command.Add.AddOptions
+		{ Command.Add.addThese = []
+		, Command.Add.batchOption = NoBatch
+		, Command.Add.updateOnly = False
+		, Command.Add.largeFilesOverride = Nothing
+		, Command.Add.checkGitIgnoreOption = CheckGitIgnore (False)
+		, Command.Add.dryRunOption = DryRun False
+		}
+	
+	Command.Sync.prepMerge
+	Command.Sync.seek' o'
+  where
+	o'
+		| Command.Sync.contentOption o == Nothing 
+			&& Command.Sync.noContentOption o == Nothing =
+				o { Command.Sync.contentOption = Just True }
+		| otherwise = o
diff --git a/Command/Assistant.hs b/Command/Assistant.hs
index 66758f1941..92db99664d 100644
--- a/Command/Assistant.hs
+++ b/Command/Assistant.hs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ cmd :: Command
 cmd = dontCheck repoExists $ notBareRepo $
 	noRepo (startNoRepo <$$> optParser) $
 		command "assistant" SectionCommon
-			"automatically sync changes"
+			"daemon to add files and automatically sync changes"
 			paramNothing (seek <$$> optParser)
 
 data AssistantOptions = AssistantOptions
diff --git a/Command/Sync.hs b/Command/Sync.hs
index dfdc3a83b2..eaad7f0eb2 100644
--- a/Command/Sync.hs
+++ b/Command/Sync.hs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 module Command.Sync (
 	cmd,
 	seek,
+	seek',
 	CurrBranch,
 	mergeConfig,
 	merge,
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ cmd = withAnnexOptions [jobsOption, backendOption] $
 		"synchronize local repository with remotes"
 		(paramRepeating paramRemote) (seek <--< optParser SyncMode)
 
-data OperationMode = SyncMode | PullMode | PushMode
+data OperationMode = SyncMode | PullMode | PushMode | AssistMode
 	deriving (Eq, Show)
 
 data SyncOptions = SyncOptions
@@ -151,15 +152,15 @@ optParser mode desc = SyncOptions
 		( long "not-only-annex"
 		<> help "operate on git branches as well as annex"
 		)
-	<*> unlessmode SyncMode False (switch
+	<*> unlessmode [SyncMode] False (switch
 		( long "commit"
 		<> help "commit changes to git"
 		))
-	<*> unlessmode SyncMode True (switch
+	<*> unlessmode [SyncMode] True (switch
 		( long "no-commit"
 		<> help "avoid git commit" 
 		))
-	<*> unlessmode SyncMode Nothing (optional (strOption
+	<*> unlessmode [SyncMode, AssistMode] Nothing (optional (strOption
 		( long "message" <> short 'm' <> metavar "MSG"
 		<> help "commit message"
 		)))
@@ -169,12 +170,14 @@ optParser mode desc = SyncOptions
 			)
 		PullMode -> pure True
 		PushMode -> pure False
+		AssistMode -> pure True
 	<*> case mode of
 		SyncMode -> invertableSwitch "push" True
 			( help "avoid git pushes to remotes" 
 			)
 		PullMode -> pure False
 		PushMode -> pure True
+		AssistMode -> pure True
 	<*> optional (flag' True 
 		( long "content"
 		<> help "transfer annexed file contents" 
@@ -190,25 +193,24 @@ optParser mode desc = SyncOptions
 		<> help "transfer contents of annexed files in a given location"
 		<> metavar paramPath
 		))
-	<*> whenmode PullMode False (switch
+	<*> whenmode [PullMode] False (switch
 		( long "cleanup"
 		<> help "remove synced/ branches from previous sync"
 		))
 	<*> optional parseAllOption
-	<*> whenmode PushMode False (invertableSwitch "resolvemerge" True
+	<*> whenmode [PushMode] False (invertableSwitch "resolvemerge" True
 		( help "do not automatically resolve merge conflicts"
 		))
-	<*> case mode of
-		PushMode -> pure False
-		_ -> parseUnrelatedHistoriesOption
+	<*> whenmode [PushMode] False
+		parseUnrelatedHistoriesOption
 	<*> pure mode
   where
-	unlessmode m v a
-		| mode /= m = pure v
-		| otherwise = a
 	whenmode m v a
-		| mode == m = pure v
+		| mode `elem` m = pure v
 		| otherwise = a
+	unlessmode m v a
+		| mode `elem` m = a
+		| otherwise = pure v
 
 parseUnrelatedHistoriesOption :: Parser Bool
 parseUnrelatedHistoriesOption = 
@@ -240,8 +242,9 @@ instance DeferredParseClass SyncOptions where
 seek :: SyncOptions -> CommandSeek
 seek o = do
 	warnSyncContentTransition o
-
+	
 	prepMerge
+	
 	startConcurrency transferStages (seek' o)
 
 seek' :: SyncOptions -> CommandSeek
@@ -828,6 +831,7 @@ seekSyncContent o rs currbranch = do
 			SyncMode -> "sync"
 			PullMode -> "pull"
 			PushMode -> "push"
+			AssistMode -> "assist"
 
 	gofile bloom mvar _ f k = 
 		go (Right bloom) mvar (AssociatedFile (Just f)) k
@@ -1044,7 +1048,7 @@ cleanupRemote remote (Just b, _) =
 shouldSyncContent :: SyncOptions -> Annex Bool
 shouldSyncContent o
 	| fromMaybe False (noContentOption o) = pure False
-	-- For git-annex pull and git-annex push, 
+	-- For git-annex pull and git-annex push and git-annex assist,
 	-- annex.syncontent defaults to True unless set
 	| operationMode o /= SyncMode = annexsynccontent True
 	| fromMaybe False (contentOption o) || not (null (contentOfOption o)) = pure True
diff --git a/Command/Watch.hs b/Command/Watch.hs
index 7a613ad460..340559d2b6 100644
--- a/Command/Watch.hs
+++ b/Command/Watch.hs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import Utility.HumanTime
 cmd :: Command
 cmd = notBareRepo $
 	command "watch" SectionCommon 
-		"watch for changes and autocommit"
+		"daemon to watch for changes and autocommit"
 		paramNothing (seek <$$> const (parseDaemonOptions True))
 
 seek :: DaemonOptions -> CommandSeek
diff --git a/doc/git-annex-assist.mdwn b/doc/git-annex-assist.mdwn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..35be1d8072
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/git-annex-assist.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# NAME
+
+git-annex assist - add files and sync changes with remotes
+
+# SYNOPSIS
+
+git annex assist `[remote ...]`
+
+# DESCRIPTION
+
+This command assists you in checking files into the repository
+and syncing with remotes. It's the simplest possible way to use git-annex
+at the command line, since only this one command needs to be run on a
+regular basis.
+
+This command first adds any new files (in the current directory and
+its children) to the repository, and commits those as well as any
+modified files. Then it does the equivilant of running
+[[git-annex-pull](1) followed by [[git-annex-push]](1).
+
+To block some files from being added to the repository, use `.gitignore`
+files.
+
+By default, all files that are added are added to the annex, the same
+as when you run `git annex add`. If you configure annex.largefiles,
+files that it does not match will instead be added with `git add`.
+
+# OPTIONS
+
+* `--message=msg`
+
+  Use this option to specify a commit message.
+
+* Also all options supported by [[git-annex-pull]](1) and
+  [[git-annex-push]](1) can be used.
+
+* Also the [[git-annex-common-options]](1) can be used.
+
+# SEE ALSO
+
+[[git-annex]](1)
+
+[[git-annex-add]](1)
+
+[[git-annex-pull]](1)
+
+[[git-annex-push]](1)
+
+[[git-annex-sync]](1)
+
+[[git-annex-assistant]](1)
+
+# AUTHOR
+
+Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>
+
+Warning: Automatically converted into a man page by mdwn2man. Edit with care.
diff --git a/doc/git-annex-assistant.mdwn b/doc/git-annex-assistant.mdwn
index c0254f6156..076c26f37f 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex-assistant.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex-assistant.mdwn
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # NAME
 
-git-annex assistant - automatically sync changes
+git-annex assistant - daemon to add files and automatically sync changes
 
 # SYNOPSIS
 
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ files that it does not match will instead be added with `git add`.
 
 [[git-annex-watch]](1)
 
+[[git-annex-assist]](1)
+
 [[git-annex-schedule]](1)
 
 For more details about the git-annex assistant, see
diff --git a/doc/git-annex-config.mdwn b/doc/git-annex-config.mdwn
index 6583cf0739..a0499d1c15 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex-config.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex-config.mdwn
@@ -35,6 +35,18 @@ looks for these.
   It is an expression that matches the large files, eg
   "`include=*.mp3 or largerthan(500kb)`".
   See [[git-annex-matching-expression]](1) for details on the syntax.
+  
+  This configures the behavior of both git-annex and git when adding
+  files to the repository. By default, `git-annex add` adds all files
+  to the annex (except dotfiles), and `git add` adds files to git
+  (unless they were added to the annex previously).
+  When annex.largefiles is configured, both
+  `git annex add` and `git add` will add matching large files to the
+  annex, and the other files to git.
+
+  Other git-annex commands also honor annex.largefiles, including
+  `git annex import`, `git annex addurl`, `git annex importfeed`,
+  `git-annex assist`, and the `git-annex assistant`.
 
   This sets a default, which can be overridden by annex.largefiles
   attributes in `.gitattributes` files, or by `git config`.
@@ -64,8 +76,9 @@ looks for these.
 
 * `annex.autocommit`
 
-  Set to false to prevent the `git-annex assistant` and `git-annex sync`
-  from automatically committing changes to files in the repository.
+  Set to false to prevent the `git-annex assistant`, `git-annex assist`
+  and `git-annex sync` from automatically committing changes to files
+  in the repository.
    
   This sets a default, which can be overridden by annex.autocommit
   in `git config`.
diff --git a/doc/git-annex-sync.mdwn b/doc/git-annex-sync.mdwn
index 8e0db80410..d1c02def0a 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex-sync.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex-sync.mdwn
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ content by default. That will change in a future version of git-annex,
 
 [[git-annex-push]](1)
 
+[[git-annex-assist]](1)
+
 # AUTHOR
 
 Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>
diff --git a/doc/git-annex-watch.mdwn b/doc/git-annex-watch.mdwn
index b65b4dc657..7f82cbb62f 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex-watch.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex-watch.mdwn
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # NAME
 
-git-annex watch - watch for changes
+git-annex watch - daemon to watch for changes
 
 # SYNOPSIS
 
diff --git a/doc/git-annex.mdwn b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
index 78427a4ba5..f071e7895c 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
@@ -132,6 +132,12 @@ content from the key-value store.
   
   See [[git-annex-sync]](1) for details.
 
+* `assist [remote ...]`
+
+  Add files and sync changes with remotes.
+  
+  See [[git-annex-assist]](1) for details.
+
 * `mirror [path ...] [--to=remote|--from=remote]`
 
   Mirror content of files to/from another repository.
@@ -182,13 +188,13 @@ content from the key-value store.
 
 * `watch`
 
-  Watch for changes and autocommit.
+  Daemon to watch for changes and autocommit.
   
   See [[git-annex-watch]](1) for details.
 
 * `assistant`
 
-  Automatically sync folders between devices.
+  Daemon to automatically sync changes.
 
   See [[git-annex-assistant]](1) for details.
 
@@ -904,8 +910,8 @@ repository, using [[git-annex-config]]. See its man page for a list.)
   annex, and the other files to git.
 
   Other git-annex commands also honor annex.largefiles, including
-  `git annex import`, `git annex addurl`, `git annex importfeed`
-  and the assistant.
+  `git annex import`, `git annex addurl`, `git annex importfeed`,
+  `git-annex assist`, and the `git-annex assistant`.
 
 * `annex.dotfiles`
 
@@ -1177,7 +1183,7 @@ repository, using [[git-annex-config]]. See its man page for a list.)
 
   Set to false to prevent merge conflicts in the checked out branch
   being automatically resolved by the `git-annex assitant`,
-  `git-annex sync`, `git-annex pull`, `git-annex merge`,
+  `git-annex assist`, `git-annex sync`, `git-annex pull`, `git-annex merge`,
   and the git-annex post-receive hook.
 
   To configure the behavior in all clones of the repository,
@@ -1188,16 +1194,17 @@ repository, using [[git-annex-config]]. See its man page for a list.)
   Set to true to make `git-annex sync` default to transferring
   annexed content.
 
-  Set to false to prevent `git-annex pull` and `git-annex push` from
-  transferring annexed content.
+  Set to false to prevent `git-annex assist`, `git-annex pull` and
+  `git-annex push` from transferring annexed content.
 
   To configure the behavior in all clones of the repository,
   this can be set in [[git-annex-config]](1).
 
 * `annex.synconlyannex`
 
-  Set to true to make git-annex sync, git-annex pull, and git-annex push
-  default to only operating on the git-annex branch and annexed content.
+  Set to true to make `git-annex assist`, `git-annex sync`, 
+  `git-annex pull`, and `git-annex push` default to only operating
+  on the git-annex branch and annexed content.
 
   To configure the behavior in all clones of the repository,
   this can be set in [[git-annex-config]](1).
@@ -1377,8 +1384,9 @@ Remotes are configured using these settings in `.git/config`.
   Or, it could be used if the network connection between two
   repositories is too slow to be used normally.
 
-  This does not prevent git-annex sync, git-annex pull, git-annex push,
-  or the git-annex assistant from operating on the git repository.
+  This does not prevent `git-annex sync`, `git-annex pull`, `git-annex push`,
+  `git-annex assist` or the `git-annex assistant` from operating on the
+  git repository.
 
 * `remote.<name>.annex-ignore-command`
 
@@ -1388,8 +1396,9 @@ Remotes are configured using these settings in `.git/config`.
 
 * `remote.<name>.annex-sync`
 
-  If set to `false`, prevents git-annex sync (and git-annex pull, git-annex
-  sync, and the git-annex assistant) from operating on this remote by default.
+  If set to `false`, prevents `git-annex sync` (and `git-annex pull`, 
+  `git-annex push`, `git-annex assist`, and the `git-annex assistant`)
+  from operating on this remote by default.
 
 * `remote.<name>.annex-sync-command`
 
@@ -1399,20 +1408,22 @@ Remotes are configured using these settings in `.git/config`.
 
 * `remote.<name>.annex-pull`
 
-  If set to `false`, prevents git-annex sync, git-annex pull,
-  (and the git-annex assistant etc) from ever pulling (or fetching)
-  from the remote.
+  If set to `false`, prevents `git-annex pull`, `git-annex sync`,
+  `git-annex assist` and the `git-annex assistant` from ever pulling
+  (or fetching) from the remote.
 
 * `remote.<name>.annex-push`
 
-  If set to `false`, prevents git-annex sync, git-annex push,
-  (and the git-annex assistant etc) from ever pushing to the remote.
+  If set to `false`, prevents `git-annex push`, `git-annex sync`,
+  `git-annex assist` and the `git-annex assistant` from ever pushing
+  to the remote.
 
 * `remote.<name>.annex-readonly`
 
   If set to `true`, prevents git-annex from making changes to a remote.
-  This both prevents git-annex sync from pushing changes, and prevents
-  storing or removing files from read-only remote.
+  This prevents `git-annex sync` and `git-annex assist` from pushing
+  changes to a git repository. And it prevents storing or removing
+  files from read-only remote.
 
 * `remote.<name>.annex-verify`, `annex.verify`
 
@@ -1434,9 +1445,11 @@ Remotes are configured using these settings in `.git/config`.
   When set to eg, "master:subdir", the special remote tracks only
   the subdirectory of that branch.
 
-  `git-annex sync --content` will import changes from the remote and 
-  merge them into the annex-tracking-branch. They also export changes
-  made to the branch to the remote.
+  Setting this enables some other command to work with these special
+  remotes: `git-annex pull` will import changes from the remote and merge them into
+  the annex-tracking-branch. And `git-annex push` will export changes to
+  the remote. Higher-level commands `git-annex sync --content`
+  and `git-annex assist` both import and export.
 
 * `remote.<name>.annex-export-tracking`
 
@@ -1928,8 +1941,9 @@ Remotes are configured using these settings in `.git/config`.
 
 * `annex.autocommit`
 
-  Set to false to prevent the git-annex assistant and git-annex sync
-  from automatically committing changes to files in the repository.
+  Set to false to prevent the `git-annex assistant`, `git-annex assist`, 
+  and `git-annex sync` from automatically committing changes to files in
+  the repository.
 
   To configure the behavior in all clones of the repository,
   this can be set in [[git-annex-config]](1).
diff --git a/doc/todo/Having___39__git_annex_sync__39___optionally_add.mdwn b/doc/todo/Having___39__git_annex_sync__39___optionally_add.mdwn
index b43ad2988b..5a357bb233 100644
--- a/doc/todo/Having___39__git_annex_sync__39___optionally_add.mdwn
+++ b/doc/todo/Having___39__git_annex_sync__39___optionally_add.mdwn
@@ -34,3 +34,5 @@ while true;do git annex sync --content;done
 What do you think?
 
 Cheers, Yann
+
+> [[done]] as `git-annex assist` --[[Joey]]
diff --git a/doc/todo/Having___39__git_annex_sync__39___optionally_add/comment_10_6d9ef10f9534c7b95ca58913cfe3b5fd._comment b/doc/todo/Having___39__git_annex_sync__39___optionally_add/comment_10_6d9ef10f9534c7b95ca58913cfe3b5fd._comment
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..be5c98392b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/todo/Having___39__git_annex_sync__39___optionally_add/comment_10_6d9ef10f9534c7b95ca58913cfe3b5fd._comment
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+[[!comment format=mdwn
+ username="joey"
+ subject="""comment 10"""
+ date="2023-05-18T17:45:44Z"
+ content="""
+Implementing `git-annex assist` now...
+
+A tricky point is, should it add files only in the current directory and
+below, or all files in the repository? Note that the assistant can be run
+in a directory and it will only add changed/new files in that directory,
+although it can receive pulls that change files in other directories
+(and will then download those files content).
+
+OTOH, `git-annex sync` commits all changes, not only those in the
+current directory. (The assistant does in some circumstanges commit
+changes made outside the current directory. Its behavior is a bit
+inconsistent in this area.)
+
+So I think it makes sense for `git-annex assist` to only add files in the
+current directory by default. (Of course an option like -A could be added
+later.)
+
+And while I'm a bit ambivilant about it, I'm making it commit all staged
+changes, not only those in the current directory. As well as following the
+behavior of `git-annex sync` and to an extent the assistant, it seems to 
+me that if you run `git-annex add ../foo; git-annex assist`, you are
+intentionally building up a commit that includes file "foo". The same
+as if you ran `git-annex add ../foo; git-annex add .` ... If you're not,
+and you care about what files get added in what commit, you can of course
+commit manually.
+"""]]
diff --git a/git-annex.cabal b/git-annex.cabal
index c4122d3de7..22342240fc 100644
--- a/git-annex.cabal
+++ b/git-annex.cabal
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ Extra-Source-Files:
   doc/git-annex-addunused.mdwn
   doc/git-annex-addurl.mdwn
   doc/git-annex-adjust.mdwn
+  doc/git-annex-assist.mdwn
   doc/git-annex-assistant.mdwn
   doc/git-annex-backends.mdwn
   doc/git-annex-calckey.mdwn
@@ -709,6 +710,7 @@ Executable git-annex
     Command.AddUnused
     Command.AddUrl
     Command.Adjust
+    Command.Assist
     Command.Benchmark
     Command.CalcKey
     Command.CheckPresentKey