diff --git a/Annex/FileMatcher.hs b/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
index bcde9ba4a8..77c0f3f72f 100644
--- a/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
+++ b/Annex/FileMatcher.hs
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ fileMatchInfo file mkey = do
 	matchfile <- getTopFilePath <$> inRepo (toTopFilePath file)
 	return $ MatchingFile FileInfo
 		{ matchFile = matchfile
-		, contentFile = Just file
+		, contentFile = file
 		, matchKey = mkey
 		}
 
diff --git a/Annex/Import.hs b/Annex/Import.hs
index 115f9a1ec5..b82f8fa97b 100644
--- a/Annex/Import.hs
+++ b/Annex/Import.hs
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ importKeys remote importtreeconfig importcontent thirdpartypopulated importablec
 		mkkey tmpfile = do
 			let mi = MatchingFile FileInfo
 				{ matchFile = f
-				, contentFile = Just tmpfile
+				, contentFile = tmpfile
 				, matchKey = Nothing
 				}
 			islargefile <- checkMatcher' matcher mi mempty
diff --git a/Annex/Ingest.hs b/Annex/Ingest.hs
index 66e1d71c69..489f68c295 100644
--- a/Annex/Ingest.hs
+++ b/Annex/Ingest.hs
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ addAnnexedFile ci matcher file key mtmp = ifM (addUnlocked matcher mi (isJust mt
 	af = AssociatedFile (Just file)
 	mi = case mtmp of
 		Just tmp -> MatchingFile $ FileInfo
-			{ contentFile = Just tmp
+			{ contentFile = tmp
 			, matchFile = file
 			, matchKey = Just key
 			}
diff --git a/CmdLine/Batch.hs b/CmdLine/Batch.hs
index d2667a819c..799f586e84 100644
--- a/CmdLine/Batch.hs
+++ b/CmdLine/Batch.hs
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ batchFilesMatching fmt a = do
 	matcher <- getMatcher
 	go $ \si f ->
 		let f' = toRawFilePath f
-		in ifM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just f') f' Nothing)
+		in ifM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo f' f' Nothing)
 			( a (si, f')
 			, return Nothing
 			)
diff --git a/CmdLine/Seek.hs b/CmdLine/Seek.hs
index f6e9dee556..9377185cc6 100644
--- a/CmdLine/Seek.hs
+++ b/CmdLine/Seek.hs
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ withPathContents a params = do
 		p' = toRawFilePath p
 
 	checkmatch matcher (f, relf) = matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo
-		{ contentFile = Just f
+		{ contentFile = f
 		, matchFile = relf
 		, matchKey = Nothing
 		}
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ seekFiltered prefilter a listfs = do
 	go _ _ [] = return ()
 	go matcher checktimelimit (v@(_si, f):rest) = checktimelimit noop $ do
 		whenM (prefilter v) $
-			whenM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just f) f Nothing) $
+			whenM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo f f Nothing) $
 				a v
 		go matcher checktimelimit rest
 
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ seekFilteredKeys seeker listfs = do
 			maybe noop (Annex.BranchState.setCache logf) logcontent
 			checkMatcherWhen mi
 				(matcherNeedsLocationLog mi && not (matcherNeedsFileName mi))
-				(MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just f) f (Just k))
+				(MatchingFile $ FileInfo f f (Just k))
 				(commandAction $ startAction seeker si f k)
 			precachefinisher mi lreader checktimelimit
 		Nothing -> return ()
@@ -399,14 +399,14 @@ seekFilteredKeys seeker listfs = do
 		-- checked later, to avoid a slow lookup here.
 		(not ((matcherNeedsKey mi || matcherNeedsLocationLog mi) 
 			&& not (matcherNeedsFileName mi)))
-		(MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just f) f Nothing)
+		(MatchingFile $ FileInfo f f Nothing)
 		(liftIO $ ofeeder ((si, f), sha))
 
 	keyaction f mi content a = 
 		case parseLinkTargetOrPointerLazy =<< content of
 			Just k -> checkMatcherWhen mi
 				(matcherNeedsKey mi && not (matcherNeedsFileName mi || matcherNeedsLocationLog mi))
-				(MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just f) f (Just k))
+				(MatchingFile $ FileInfo f f (Just k))
 				(checkpresence k (a k))
 			Nothing -> noop
 	
diff --git a/Command/Add.hs b/Command/Add.hs
index 73e355b421..7ded87490c 100644
--- a/Command/Add.hs
+++ b/Command/Add.hs
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ start o si file addunlockedmatcher = do
 perform :: AddOptions -> RawFilePath -> AddUnlockedMatcher -> CommandPerform
 perform o file addunlockedmatcher = withOtherTmp $ \tmpdir -> do
 	lockingfile <- not <$> addUnlocked addunlockedmatcher
-		(MatchingFile (FileInfo (Just file) file Nothing))
+		(MatchingFile (FileInfo file file Nothing))
 		True
 	let cfg = LockDownConfig
 		{ lockingFile = lockingfile
diff --git a/Command/Import.hs b/Command/Import.hs
index d1957e0582..d10310a9bf 100644
--- a/Command/Import.hs
+++ b/Command/Import.hs
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ startLocal o addunlockedmatcher largematcher mode (srcfile, destfile) =
 		stop
 	lockdown a = do
 		let mi = MatchingFile $ FileInfo
-			{ contentFile = Just srcfile
+			{ contentFile = srcfile
 			, matchFile = destfile
 			, matchKey = Nothing
 			}
diff --git a/Command/Info.hs b/Command/Info.hs
index 34801d19c8..f90230cac0 100644
--- a/Command/Info.hs
+++ b/Command/Info.hs
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ getDirStatInfo o dir = do
   where
 	initial = (emptyKeyInfo, emptyKeyInfo, emptyNumCopiesStats, M.empty)
 	update matcher fast key file vs@(presentdata, referenceddata, numcopiesstats, repodata) =
-		ifM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just file) file (Just key))
+		ifM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo file file (Just key))
 			( do
 				!presentdata' <- ifM (inAnnex key)
 					( return $ addKey key presentdata
diff --git a/Command/Multicast.hs b/Command/Multicast.hs
index b2c6093d4f..8133e1e726 100644
--- a/Command/Multicast.hs
+++ b/Command/Multicast.hs
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ send ups fs = do
 			(fs', cleanup) <- seekHelper id ww LsFiles.inRepo
 				=<< workTreeItems ww fs
 			matcher <- Limit.getMatcher
-			let addlist f o = whenM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo (Just f) f Nothing) $
+			let addlist f o = whenM (matcher $ MatchingFile $ FileInfo f f Nothing) $
 				liftIO $ hPutStrLn h o
 			forM_ fs' $ \(_, f) -> do
 				mk <- lookupKey f
diff --git a/Limit.hs b/Limit.hs
index 145b57291e..e68c47fb33 100644
--- a/Limit.hs
+++ b/Limit.hs
@@ -166,14 +166,12 @@ matchMagic _limitname querymagic selectprovidedinfo selectuserprovidedinfo (Just
 		}
   where
  	cglob = compileGlob glob CaseSensative (GlobFilePath False) -- memoized
-	go (MatchingKey k _) = withObjectLoc k $ \obj -> 
+	go (MatchingKey k _) = withObjectLoc k $ \obj -> catchBoolIO $
 		maybe False (matchGlob cglob)
 			<$> querymagic magic (fromRawFilePath obj)
-	go (MatchingFile fi) = case contentFile fi of
-		Just f -> catchBoolIO $
-			maybe False (matchGlob cglob)
-				<$> querymagic magic (fromRawFilePath f)
-		Nothing -> return False
+	go (MatchingFile fi) = catchBoolIO $
+		maybe False (matchGlob cglob)
+			<$> querymagic magic (fromRawFilePath (contentFile fi))
 	go (MatchingInfo p) = pure $
 		maybe False (matchGlob cglob) (selectprovidedinfo p)
 	go (MatchingUserInfo p) =
@@ -203,14 +201,13 @@ matchLockStatus :: Bool -> MatchInfo -> Annex Bool
 matchLockStatus _ (MatchingKey _ _) = pure False
 matchLockStatus _ (MatchingInfo _) = pure False
 matchLockStatus _ (MatchingUserInfo _) = pure False
-matchLockStatus wantlocked (MatchingFile fi) = case contentFile fi of
-	Just f -> liftIO $ do
-		islocked <- isPointerFile f >>= \case
-			Just _key -> return False
-			Nothing -> isSymbolicLink
-				<$> getSymbolicLinkStatus (fromRawFilePath f)
-		return (islocked == wantlocked)
-	Nothing -> return False
+matchLockStatus wantlocked (MatchingFile fi) = liftIO $ do
+	let f = contentFile fi
+	islocked <- isPointerFile f >>= \case
+		Just _key -> return False
+		Nothing -> isSymbolicLink
+			<$> getSymbolicLinkStatus (fromRawFilePath f)
+	return (islocked == wantlocked)
 
 {- Adds a limit to skip files not believed to be present
  - in a specfied repository. Optionally on a prior date. -}
@@ -462,21 +459,18 @@ limitSize lb vs s = case readSize dataUnits s of
 		}
   where
 	go sz _ (MatchingFile fi) = case lb of
-		LimitAnnexFiles -> goannexed sz fi
-		LimitDiskFiles -> case contentFile fi of
-			Just f -> do
-				filesize <- liftIO $ catchMaybeIO $ getFileSize f
-				return $ filesize `vs` Just sz
-			Nothing -> goannexed sz fi
+		LimitAnnexFiles -> lookupFileKey fi >>= \case
+			Just key -> checkkey sz key
+			Nothing -> return False
+		LimitDiskFiles -> do
+			filesize <- liftIO $ catchMaybeIO $ getFileSize (contentFile fi)
+			return $ filesize `vs` Just sz
 	go sz _ (MatchingKey key _) = checkkey sz key
 	go sz _ (MatchingInfo p) = return $
 		Just (providedFileSize p) `vs` Just sz
 	go sz _ (MatchingUserInfo p) =
 		getUserInfo (userProvidedFileSize p) 
 			>>= \sz' -> return (Just sz' `vs` Just sz)
-	goannexed sz fi = lookupFileKey fi >>= \case
-		Just key -> checkkey sz key
-		Nothing -> return False
 	checkkey sz key = return $ fromKey keySize key `vs` Just sz
 
 addMetaData :: String -> Annex ()
@@ -519,9 +513,7 @@ addAccessedWithin duration = do
 lookupFileKey :: FileInfo -> Annex (Maybe Key)
 lookupFileKey fi = case matchKey fi of
 	Just k -> return (Just k)
-	Nothing -> case contentFile fi of
-		Just f -> lookupKey f
-		Nothing -> return Nothing
+	Nothing -> lookupKey (contentFile fi)
 
 checkKey :: (Key -> Annex Bool) -> MatchInfo -> Annex Bool
 checkKey a (MatchingFile fi) = lookupFileKey fi >>= maybe (return False) a
diff --git a/Types/FileMatcher.hs b/Types/FileMatcher.hs
index 2b8811d743..8ac1274d1d 100644
--- a/Types/FileMatcher.hs
+++ b/Types/FileMatcher.hs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ data MatchInfo
 	| MatchingUserInfo UserProvidedInfo
 
 data FileInfo = FileInfo
-	{ contentFile :: Maybe RawFilePath
+	{ contentFile :: RawFilePath
 	-- ^ path to a file containing the content, for operations
 	-- that examine it
 	, matchFile :: RawFilePath