diff --git a/app/file/file-open.c b/app/file/file-open.c
index 5c3ba2b9a7..8162c497bc 100644
--- a/app/file/file-open.c
+++ b/app/file/file-open.c
@@ -96,6 +96,26 @@ file_open_image (Gimp                *gimp,
 
   orig_file = file;
 
+  if (! g_file_is_native (file) &&
+      ! file_remote_mount_file (gimp, file, progress, &my_error))
+    {
+      if (my_error)
+        {
+          g_printerr ("%s: mounting remote volume failed, trying to download"
+                      "the file: %s\n",
+                      G_STRFUNC, my_error->message);
+          g_clear_error (&my_error);
+
+          mounted = FALSE;
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          *status = GIMP_PDB_CANCEL;
+
+          return NULL;
+        }
+    }
+
   /* FIXME enable these tests for remote files again, needs testing */
   if (g_file_is_native (file) &&
       g_file_query_exists (file, NULL))
@@ -135,43 +155,14 @@ file_open_image (Gimp                *gimp,
                                                           GIMP_FILE_PROCEDURE_GROUP_OPEN,
                                                           file, error);
 
-  if (! file_proc)
-    {
-      /*  don't bail out on remote files, they might need to be
-       *  downloaded for magic matching
-       */
-      if (g_file_is_native (file))
-        return NULL;
-
-      g_clear_error (error);
-    }
-
-  if (! g_file_is_native (file) &&
-      ! file_remote_mount_file (gimp, file, progress, &my_error))
-    {
-      if (my_error)
-        {
-          g_printerr ("%s: mounting remote volume failed, trying to download"
-                      "the file: %s\n",
-                      G_STRFUNC, my_error->message);
-          g_clear_error (&my_error);
-
-          mounted = FALSE;
-        }
-      else
-        {
-          *status = GIMP_PDB_CANCEL;
-
-          return NULL;
-        }
-    }
-
   if (! file_proc || ! file_proc->handles_remote || ! mounted)
     {
       gchar *my_path = g_file_get_path (file);
 
       if (! my_path)
         {
+          g_clear_error (error);
+
           local_file = file_remote_download_image (gimp, file, progress,
                                                    &my_error);
 
@@ -193,20 +184,23 @@ file_open_image (Gimp                *gimp,
                                                                   GIMP_FILE_PROCEDURE_GROUP_OPEN,
                                                                   local_file, error);
 
-          if (! file_proc)
-            {
-              g_file_delete (local_file, NULL, NULL);
-              g_object_unref (local_file);
-
-              return NULL;
-            }
-
           file = local_file;
         }
 
       g_free (my_path);
     }
 
+  if (! file_proc)
+    {
+      if (local_file)
+        {
+          g_file_delete (local_file, NULL, NULL);
+          g_object_unref (local_file);
+        }
+
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
   if (progress)
     g_object_add_weak_pointer (G_OBJECT (progress), (gpointer) &progress);