diff --git a/http-pull.c b/http-pull.c
index d877c4abe3..f693aba61b 100644
--- a/http-pull.c
+++ b/http-pull.c
@@ -53,10 +53,6 @@ int fetch(unsigned char *sha1)
 	char *url;
 	char *posn;
 
-	if (has_sha1_file(sha1)) {
-		return 0;
-	}
-
 	local = open(filename, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, 0666);
 
 	if (local < 0)
diff --git a/pull.c b/pull.c
index 86a7b6901f..bbef245fc8 100644
--- a/pull.c
+++ b/pull.c
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ int get_tree = 0;
 int get_history = 0;
 int get_all = 0;
 
+static int make_sure_we_have_it(unsigned char *sha1)
+{
+	if (has_sha1_file(sha1))
+		return 0;
+	return fetch(sha1);	
+}
+
 static int process_tree(unsigned char *sha1)
 {
 	struct tree *tree = lookup_tree(sha1);
@@ -17,7 +24,7 @@ static int process_tree(unsigned char *sha1)
 		return -1;
 
 	for (entries = tree->entries; entries; entries = entries->next) {
-		if (fetch(entries->item.tree->object.sha1))
+		if (make_sure_we_have_it(entries->item.tree->object.sha1))
 			return -1;
 		if (entries->directory) {
 			if (process_tree(entries->item.tree->object.sha1))
@@ -31,14 +38,14 @@ static int process_commit(unsigned char *sha1)
 {
 	struct commit *obj = lookup_commit(sha1);
 
-	if (fetch(sha1))
+	if (make_sure_we_have_it(sha1))
 		return -1;
 
 	if (parse_commit(obj))
 		return -1;
 
 	if (get_tree) {
-		if (fetch(obj->tree->object.sha1))
+		if (make_sure_we_have_it(obj->tree->object.sha1))
 			return -1;
 		if (process_tree(obj->tree->object.sha1))
 			return -1;
@@ -50,7 +57,7 @@ static int process_commit(unsigned char *sha1)
 		for (; parents; parents = parents->next) {
 			if (has_sha1_file(parents->item->object.sha1))
 				continue;
-			if (fetch(parents->item->object.sha1)) {
+			if (make_sure_we_have_it(parents->item->object.sha1)) {
 				/* The server might not have it, and
 				 * we don't mind. 
 				 */
@@ -70,7 +77,7 @@ int pull(char *target)
 	retval = get_sha1_hex(target, sha1);
 	if (retval)
 		return retval;
-	retval = fetch(sha1);
+	retval = make_sure_we_have_it(sha1);
 	if (retval)
 		return retval;
 	return process_commit(sha1);
diff --git a/rpull.c b/rpull.c
index 6624440d5a..d4d4b9b9ae 100644
--- a/rpull.c
+++ b/rpull.c
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ static int fd_out;
 
 int fetch(unsigned char *sha1)
 {
-	if (has_sha1_file(sha1))
-		return 0;
 	write(fd_out, sha1, 20);
 	return write_sha1_from_fd(sha1, fd_in);
 }