diff --git a/html/inc/submit.inc b/html/inc/submit.inc
index 8d4b42209f..dbf8d6a58b 100644
--- a/html/inc/submit.inc
+++ b/html/inc/submit.inc
@@ -100,7 +100,12 @@ function do_http_op($req, $xml, $op) {
     if (!$reply) return array(null, "HTTP error");
     $r = simplexml_load_string($reply);
     if (!$r) return array(null, "Can't parse reply XML: <pre>".htmlentities($reply)."</pre>");
-    return array($r, null);
+    $e = (string)$r->error_msg;
+    if ($e) {
+        return array(null, $e);
+    } else {
+        return array($r, null);
+    }
 }
 
 function do_batch_op($req, $op) {
@@ -149,7 +154,7 @@ function boinc_submit_batch($req) {
     if ($name == 'batch_id') {
         return array((int)$reply, null);
     }  else if ($name == 'error') {
-        return array(null, (string)$reply->message);
+        return array(null, (string)$reply->err_message);
     } else {
         return array(null, "Bad reply message");
     }
diff --git a/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php b/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php
index 2f71869440..0d93c3a279 100644
--- a/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php
+++ b/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ function stage_file($file) {
     global $fanout;
 
     switch ($file->mode) {
+    case "remote":
     case "local":
         $md5 = md5_file($file->source);
         if (!$md5) {
@@ -107,8 +108,6 @@ function stage_file($file) {
         return $name;
     case "local_staged":
         return $file->source;
-    case "remote":
-        xml_error(-1, "remote file mode not implemented");
     case "semilocal":
         xml_error(-1, "semilocal file mode not implemented");
     }