weird backward compatibility bug?

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diff --git a/doc/bugs/5.20140517_fails_to_talk_to_other_5.x_git-annex_remotes.mdwn b/doc/bugs/5.20140517_fails_to_talk_to_other_5.x_git-annex_remotes.mdwn
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+### Please describe the problem.
+
+Some time in may 2014, git-annex stopped working with previous versions of git-annex.
+
+### What steps will reproduce the problem?
+
+Trying to sync with the server fails with:
+
+    git-annex-shell: Not a git-annex or gcrypt repository.
+
+With older versions (e.g. 5.20140412), it's even worse:
+
+    Remote marcos does not have git-annex installed; setting annex-ignore
+    This could be a problem with the git-annex installation on the remote. Please make sure that git-annex-shell is available in PATH when you ssh into the remote. Once you have fixed the git-annex installation, run: git config remote.marcos.annex-ignore false
+
+Basically, if git-annex-shell is missing, newer versions of git-annex just crash and burn instead of going the more gentle, backward-compatible way...
+
+### What version of git-annex are you using? On what operating system?
+
+git-annex from debian sid (5.20140517) on the "client" side and from jessie (5.20140421) on the "server".
+
+### Please provide any additional information below.
+
+[[!format sh """
+# If you can, paste a complete transcript of the problem occurring here.
+# If the problem is with the git-annex assistant, paste in .git/annex/daemon.log
+ssh server
+git init books
+exit
+git remote add server server:books
+git annex sync server
+# End of transcript or log.
+"""]]
+
+If this is intended behavior, it seems to me the major version of git annex should be bumped, at the very least... -- [[anarcat]]