diff --git a/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php b/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php
index 2652047216..afcbf0c4df 100644
--- a/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php
+++ b/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php
@@ -153,8 +153,6 @@ function stage_file($file) {
             xml_error(-1, "BOINC server: can't write to file $path");
         }
         return $name;
-    case "remote":
-        return "jf_".$file->md5;
     }
     xml_error(-1, "BOINC server: unsupported file mode: $file->mode");
 }
@@ -164,7 +162,9 @@ function stage_file($file) {
 function stage_files(&$jobs, $template) {
     foreach($jobs as $job) {
         foreach ($job->input_files as $file) {
-            $file->name = stage_file($file);
+            if ($file->mode != "remote") {
+                $file->name = stage_file($file);
+            }
         }
     }
 }
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ function submit_jobs($jobs, $template, $app, $batch_id, $priority) {
         }
         foreach ($job->input_files as $file) {
             if ($file->mode == "remote") {
-                $x .= " --remote_file $file->name $file->url $file->nbytes $file->md5";
+                $x .= " --remote_file $file->url $file->nbytes $file->md5";
             } else {
                 $x .= " $file->name";
             }
diff --git a/tools/backend_lib.h b/tools/backend_lib.h
index 6d82353370..f57d6b94a5 100644
--- a/tools/backend_lib.h
+++ b/tools/backend_lib.h
@@ -27,12 +27,17 @@
 // describes an input file, possibly remote
 //
 struct INFILE_DESC {
-    char name[1024];     // physical name
     bool is_remote;
-    // the following defined if remote
+
+    // the following defined if remote (physical name is jf_MD5)
+    //
     double nbytes;
     char md5[64];
     char url[1024];         // make this a vector to support multiple URLs
+
+    // the following defined if not remote
+    //
+    char name[1024];     // physical name
 };
 
 extern int add_signatures(char*, R_RSA_PRIVATE_KEY&);
diff --git a/tools/create_work.cpp b/tools/create_work.cpp
index fd2767ff1c..7d191b7fb1 100644
--- a/tools/create_work.cpp
+++ b/tools/create_work.cpp
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ void JOB_DESC::parse_cmdline(int argc, char** argv) {
         } else if (arg(argv, i, (char*)"remote_file")) {
             INFILE_DESC id;
             id.is_remote = true;
-            strcpy(id.name, argv[++i]);
             strcpy(id.url, argv[++i]);
             id.nbytes = atof(argv[++i]);
             strcpy(id.md5, argv[++i]);
@@ -261,7 +260,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         } else if (arg(argv, i, (char*)"remote_file")) {
             INFILE_DESC id;
             id.is_remote = true;
-            strcpy(id.name, argv[++i]);
             strcpy(id.url, argv[++i]);
             id.nbytes = atof(argv[++i]);
             strcpy(id.md5, argv[++i]);
diff --git a/tools/process_input_template.cpp b/tools/process_input_template.cpp
index 29f372e415..03bc2bd5f6 100644
--- a/tools/process_input_template.cpp
+++ b/tools/process_input_template.cpp
@@ -239,12 +239,12 @@ static int process_file_info(
                 strcat(buf, "</file_info>\n");
             } else if (infile.is_remote) {
                 sprintf(buf,
-                    "    <name>%s</name>\n"
+                    "    <name>jf_%s</name>\n"
                     "    <url>%s</url>\n"
                     "    <md5_cksum>%s</md5_cksum>\n"
                     "    <nbytes>%.0f</nbytes>\n"
                     "</file_info>\n",
-                    infile.name,
+                    infile.md5,
                     infile.url,
                     infile.md5,
                     infile.nbytes