diff --git a/asink/client.go b/asink/client.go
index d241841..fccbb81 100644
--- a/asink/client.go
+++ b/asink/client.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"os/user"
@@ -204,7 +205,19 @@ func ProcessLocalEvent(globals AsinkGlobals, event *asink.Event) {
 
 			//upload file to remote storage
 			StatStartUpload()
-			err = globals.storage.Put(cachedFilename, event.Hash)
+			uploadWriteCloser, err := globals.storage.Put(event.Hash)
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			defer uploadWriteCloser.Close()
+
+			uploadFile, err := os.Open(cachedFilename)
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			defer uploadFile.Close()
+
+			_, err = io.Copy(uploadWriteCloser, uploadFile)
 			StatStopUpload()
 			if err != nil {
 				panic(err)
@@ -270,9 +283,15 @@ func ProcessRemoteEvent(globals AsinkGlobals, event *asink.Event) {
 				panic(err) //TODO handle sensibly
 			}
 			tmpfilename := outfile.Name()
-			outfile.Close()
 			StatStartDownload()
-			err = globals.storage.Get(tmpfilename, event.Hash)
+			downloadReadCloser, err := globals.storage.Get(event.Hash)
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			defer downloadReadCloser.Close()
+			_, err = io.Copy(outfile, downloadReadCloser)
+
+			outfile.Close()
 			StatStopDownload()
 			if err != nil {
 				panic(err) //TODO handle sensibly
diff --git a/asink/storage.go b/asink/storage.go
index 6a0e05c..d135570 100644
--- a/asink/storage.go
+++ b/asink/storage.go
@@ -7,11 +7,14 @@ package main
 import (
 	"code.google.com/p/goconf/conf"
 	"errors"
+	"io"
 )
 
 type Storage interface {
-	Put(filename string, hash string) error
-	Get(filename string, hash string) error
+	// Close() MUST be called on the returned io.WriteCloser
+	Put(hash string) (io.WriteCloser, error)
+	// Close() MUST be called on the returned io.ReadCloser
+	Get(hash string) (io.ReadCloser, error)
 }
 
 func GetStorage(config *conf.ConfigFile) (Storage, error) {
diff --git a/asink/storage_ftp.go b/asink/storage_ftp.go
index be38179..eb0c9cd 100644
--- a/asink/storage_ftp.go
+++ b/asink/storage_ftp.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"github.com/jlaffaye/goftp"
 	"io"
-	"os"
 	"strconv"
 )
 
@@ -58,68 +57,70 @@ func NewFTPStorage(config *conf.ConfigFile) (*FTPStorage, error) {
 	return fs, nil
 }
 
-func (fs *FTPStorage) Put(filename string, hash string) (e error) {
+func (fs *FTPStorage) Put(hash string) (w io.WriteCloser, e error) {
+	returningNormally := false
 	//make sure we don't flood the FTP server
 	fs.connectionsChan <- 0
-	defer func() { <-fs.connectionsChan }()
-
-	infile, err := os.Open(filename)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer infile.Close()
+	defer func() {
+		if !returningNormally {
+			<-fs.connectionsChan
+		}
+	}()
 
 	connection, err := ftp.Connect(fs.server + ":" + strconv.Itoa(fs.port))
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	defer connection.Quit()
+	defer func() {
+		if !returningNormally {
+			connection.Quit()
+		}
+	}()
 
 	err = connection.Login(fs.username, fs.password)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	err = connection.ChangeDir(fs.directory)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return connection.Stor(hash, infile)
+	reader, writer := io.Pipe()
+
+	go func() {
+		err := connection.Stor(hash, reader)
+		if err != nil {
+			reader.CloseWithError(err)
+		}
+		<-fs.connectionsChan
+		connection.Quit()
+	}()
+
+	returningNormally = true
+	return writer, nil
 }
 
-func (fs *FTPStorage) Get(filename string, hash string) error {
+func (fs *FTPStorage) Get(hash string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 	fs.connectionsChan <- 0
 	defer func() { <-fs.connectionsChan }()
 
 	connection, err := ftp.Connect(fs.server + ":" + strconv.Itoa(fs.port))
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer connection.Quit()
 
 	err = connection.Login(fs.username, fs.password)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	err = connection.ChangeDir(fs.directory)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	downloadedFile, err := connection.Retr(hash)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer downloadedFile.Close()
-
-	outfile, err := os.Create(filename)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer outfile.Close()
-
-	_, err = io.Copy(outfile, downloadedFile)
-	return err
+	return connection.Retr(hash)
 }
diff --git a/asink/storage_local.go b/asink/storage_local.go
index 567e4a9..f8b6374 100644
--- a/asink/storage_local.go
+++ b/asink/storage_local.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"code.google.com/p/goconf/conf"
 	"errors"
 	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 )
@@ -41,37 +42,44 @@ func NewLocalStorage(config *conf.ConfigFile) (*LocalStorage, error) {
 	return ls, nil
 }
 
-func (ls *LocalStorage) Put(filename string, hash string) (e error) {
-	tmpfile, err := util.CopyToTmp(filename, ls.tmpSubdir)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+type putWriteCloser struct {
+	outfile  *os.File
+	filename string
+}
 
-	err = os.Rename(tmpfile, path.Join(ls.storageDir, hash))
+func (wc putWriteCloser) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	return wc.outfile.Write(p)
+}
+
+func (wc putWriteCloser) Close() error {
+	tmpfilename := wc.outfile.Name()
+	wc.outfile.Close()
+
+	err := os.Rename(tmpfilename, wc.filename)
 	if err != nil {
-		err := os.Remove(tmpfile)
+		err := os.Remove(tmpfilename)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (ls *LocalStorage) Get(filename string, hash string) error {
-	infile, err := os.Open(path.Join(ls.storageDir, hash))
+func (ls *LocalStorage) Put(hash string) (w io.WriteCloser, e error) {
+	outfile, err := ioutil.TempFile(ls.tmpSubdir, "asink")
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	defer infile.Close()
 
-	outfile, err := os.Create(filename)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer outfile.Close()
+	w = putWriteCloser{outfile, path.Join(ls.storageDir, hash)}
 
-	_, err = io.Copy(outfile, infile)
-
-	return err
+	return
+}
+
+func (ls *LocalStorage) Get(hash string) (r io.ReadCloser, e error) {
+	r, err := os.Open(path.Join(ls.storageDir, hash))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return
 }
diff --git a/util/util.go b/util/util.go
index 56dae7d..40e6a00 100644
--- a/util/util.go
+++ b/util/util.go
@@ -46,6 +46,21 @@ func RecursiveRemoveEmptyDirs(dir string) {
 	}
 }
 
+func CopyReaderToTmp(src io.Reader, tmpdir string) (string, error) {
+	outfile, err := ioutil.TempFile(tmpdir, "asink")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer outfile.Close()
+
+	_, err = io.Copy(outfile, src)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return outfile.Name(), nil
+}
+
 func CopyToTmp(src string, tmpdir string) (string, error) {
 	infile, err := os.Open(src)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -53,18 +68,7 @@ func CopyToTmp(src string, tmpdir string) (string, error) {
 	}
 	defer infile.Close()
 
-	outfile, err := ioutil.TempFile(tmpdir, "asink")
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	defer outfile.Close()
-
-	_, err = io.Copy(outfile, infile)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	return outfile.Name(), nil
+	return CopyReaderToTmp(infile, tmpdir)
 }
 
 func ErrorFileNotFound(err error) bool {