diff --git a/doc/todo/smudge.mdwn b/doc/todo/smudge.mdwn
index f4005f4cb3..e73562681c 100644
--- a/doc/todo/smudge.mdwn
+++ b/doc/todo/smudge.mdwn
@@ -12,6 +12,26 @@ git-annex should use smudge/clean filters. v6 mode
 	# because it doesn't know it has that name
 	# git commit clears up this mess
 
+* If the user is getting a file that was not present, and at the same
+  time overwrites the file with new content, the new content can be staged
+  accidentially when git-annex runs git update-index on the file.
+
+  The race window size has been made fairly small, but still
+  varies with annex.queuesize, since it filters out modified files
+  before running git update-index on all queued files. A modification
+  that occurs after the filter checks the file triggers the race.
+
+  Here's how to prevent this race: Lock the index file before running git
+  update-index. Filter out worktree files that were modified already.
+  Run git update-index on a copy of the index so it runs despite the lock,
+  and once it's done, replace the old index with it and drop the lock.
+
+  Copying the index would be expensive. Could hard link it on systems that
+  support them.
+
+  Note that git split index files complicate this since there are other
+  files than the main index file.
+
 * Checking out a different branch causes git to smudge all changed files,
   and write their content. This does not honor annex.thin. A warning
   message is printed in this case.  
@@ -47,19 +67,6 @@ git-annex should use smudge/clean filters. v6 mode
 
   The git-annex proxy idea above could work around this problem.
 
-* If the user is getting a file that was not present, and at the same
-  time overwrites the file with new content, the new content can be staged
-  accidentially when git-annex runs git update-index on the file.
-
-  The race window size has been made fairly small, but still
-  varies with annex.queuesize, since it filters out modified files
-  before running git update-index on all queued files. A modification
-  that occurs after the filter checks the file triggers the race.
-
-  To fully close this race would need a way to manually update the index
-  with the information git-annex knows, including the inode etc of the 
-  worktree file.
-
 ### long term todos
 
 * Potentially: Use git's new `filter.<driver>.process` interface, which will