diff --git a/common/spaces/sync.ts b/common/spaces/sync.ts
index 5426c3e..923bb98 100644
--- a/common/spaces/sync.ts
+++ b/common/spaces/sync.ts
@@ -93,10 +93,11 @@ export class SpaceSync {
       logger: Logger,
     ) => Promise<number>,
   ): Promise<number> {
+    console.log("Syncing", name, primaryHash, secondaryHash);
     let operations = 0;
 
     if (
-      primaryHash && !secondaryHash &&
+      primaryHash !== undefined && secondaryHash === undefined &&
       !this.snapshot.has(name)
     ) {
       // New file, created on primary, copy from primary to secondary
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ export class SpaceSync {
       ]);
       operations++;
     } else if (
-      secondaryHash && !primaryHash &&
+      secondaryHash !== undefined && primaryHash === undefined &&
       !this.snapshot.has(name)
     ) {
       // New file, created on secondary, copy from secondary to primary
@@ -138,8 +139,8 @@ export class SpaceSync {
       ]);
       operations++;
     } else if (
-      primaryHash && this.snapshot.has(name) &&
-      !secondaryHash
+      primaryHash !== undefined && this.snapshot.has(name) &&
+      secondaryHash === undefined
     ) {
       // File deleted on B
       this.logger.log(
@@ -151,8 +152,8 @@ export class SpaceSync {
       this.snapshot.delete(name);
       operations++;
     } else if (
-      secondaryHash && this.snapshot.has(name) &&
-      !primaryHash
+      secondaryHash !== undefined && this.snapshot.has(name) &&
+      primaryHash === undefined
     ) {
       // File deleted on A
       this.logger.log(
@@ -164,8 +165,8 @@ export class SpaceSync {
       this.snapshot.delete(name);
       operations++;
     } else if (
-      this.snapshot.has(name) && !primaryHash &&
-      !secondaryHash
+      this.snapshot.has(name) && primaryHash === undefined &&
+      secondaryHash === undefined
     ) {
       // File deleted on both sides, :shrug:
       this.logger.log(
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ export class SpaceSync {
       this.snapshot.delete(name);
       operations++;
     } else if (
-      primaryHash && secondaryHash &&
+      primaryHash !== undefined && secondaryHash !== undefined &&
       this.snapshot.get(name) &&
       primaryHash !== this.snapshot.get(name)![0] &&
       secondaryHash === this.snapshot.get(name)![1]
@@ -199,7 +200,7 @@ export class SpaceSync {
       ]);
       operations++;
     } else if (
-      primaryHash && secondaryHash &&
+      primaryHash !== undefined && secondaryHash !== undefined &&
       this.snapshot.get(name) &&
       secondaryHash !== this.snapshot.get(name)![1] &&
       primaryHash === this.snapshot.get(name)![0]
@@ -218,7 +219,7 @@ export class SpaceSync {
       operations++;
     } else if (
       ( // File changed on both ends, but we don't have any info in the snapshot (resync scenario?): have to run through conflict handling
-        primaryHash && secondaryHash &&
+        primaryHash !== undefined && secondaryHash !== undefined &&
         !this.snapshot.has(name)
       ) ||
       ( // File changed on both ends, CONFLICT!
diff --git a/common/syscalls/sync.ts b/common/syscalls/sync.ts
index bcd7c91..0536aee 100644
--- a/common/syscalls/sync.ts
+++ b/common/syscalls/sync.ts
@@ -59,9 +59,7 @@ export function syncSyscalls(
         const localHash = (await localSpace.getFileMeta(name)).lastModified;
         let remoteHash: number | undefined = undefined;
         try {
-          remoteHash =
-            (await race([remoteSpace.getFileMeta(name), timeout(1000)]))
-              .lastModified;
+          remoteHash = (await remoteSpace.getFileMeta(name)).lastModified;
         } catch (e: any) {
           if (e.message.includes("File not found")) {
             // File doesn't exist remotely, that's ok
@@ -95,12 +93,9 @@ export function syncSyscalls(
         endpoint.user,
         endpoint.password,
       );
-      // Let's just fetch metadata for the SETTINGS.md file (which should always exist)
+      // Let's just fetch the file list and see if it works
       try {
-        await race([
-          syncSpace.getFileMeta("SETTINGS.md"),
-          timeout(2000),
-        ]);
+        await syncSpace.fetchFileList();
       } catch (e: any) {
         console.error("Sync check failure", e.message);
         throw e;
diff --git a/plugs/sync/sync.ts b/plugs/sync/sync.ts
index f9d9229..d336093 100644
--- a/plugs/sync/sync.ts
+++ b/plugs/sync/sync.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
 import { store } from "$sb/plugos-syscall/mod.ts";
-import {
-  editor,
-  index,
-  space,
-  sync,
-  system,
-} from "$sb/silverbullet-syscall/mod.ts";
+import { editor, space, sync, system } from "$sb/silverbullet-syscall/mod.ts";
 import type { SyncEndpoint } from "$sb/silverbullet-syscall/sync.ts";
 
 export async function configureCommand() {
@@ -136,12 +130,6 @@ export async function performSync() {
     return;
   }
 
-  try {
-    await sync.check(config);
-  } catch (e: any) {
-    console.error("Sync check failed", e.message);
-    return;
-  }
   // Check if sync not already in progress
   const ongoingSync: number | undefined = await store.get("sync.startTime");
   if (ongoingSync) {