diff --git a/copyparty/__main__.py b/copyparty/__main__.py
index fe4f0b51..9b8a86e7 100755
--- a/copyparty/__main__.py
+++ b/copyparty/__main__.py
@@ -661,6 +661,7 @@ def add_upload(ap):
     ap2.add_argument("--dotpart", action="store_true", help="dotfile incomplete uploads, hiding them from clients unless -ed")
     ap2.add_argument("--plain-ip", action="store_true", help="when avoiding filename collisions by appending the uploader's ip to the filename: append the plaintext ip instead of salting and hashing the ip")
     ap2.add_argument("--unpost", metavar="SEC", type=int, default=3600*12, help="grace period where uploads can be deleted by the uploader, even without delete permissions; 0=disabled")
+    ap2.add_argument("--blank-wt", metavar="SEC", type=int, default=300, help="file write grace period (any client can write to a blank file last-modified more recently than SEC seconds ago)")
     ap2.add_argument("--reg-cap", metavar="N", type=int, default=38400, help="max number of uploads to keep in memory when running without -e2d; roughly 1 MiB RAM per 600")
     ap2.add_argument("--no-fpool", action="store_true", help="disable file-handle pooling -- instead, repeatedly close and reopen files during upload (very slow on windows)")
     ap2.add_argument("--use-fpool", action="store_true", help="force file-handle pooling, even when it might be dangerous (multiprocessing, filesystems lacking sparse-files support, ...)")
diff --git a/copyparty/httpcli.py b/copyparty/httpcli.py
index c11cd341..df37eafe 100644
--- a/copyparty/httpcli.py
+++ b/copyparty/httpcli.py
@@ -1431,7 +1431,7 @@ class HttpCli(object):
             #  * volflag 'daw' is set
             #  * and account has delete-access
             # or...
-            #  * file exists and is empty
+            #  * file exists, is empty, sufficiently new
             #  * and there is no .PARTIAL
 
             tnam = fn + ".PARTIAL"
@@ -1442,6 +1442,7 @@ class HttpCli(object):
                 not bos.path.exists(os.path.join(fdir, tnam))
                 and bos.path.exists(path)
                 and not bos.path.getsize(path)
+                and bos.path.getmtime(path) >= time.time() - self.args.blank_wt
             ):
                 # small toctou, but better than clobbering a hardlink
                 bos.unlink(path)