diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c b/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
index c5f63022..30bad186 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
@@ -189,6 +189,18 @@ int SYMEXPORT alpm_db_update(alpm_handle_t *handle, alpm_list_t *dbs, int force)
 		MALLOC(payload->filepath, len,
 			FREE(payload); GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, cleanup));
 		snprintf(payload->filepath, len, "%s%s", db->treename, dbext);
+
+		STRDUP(payload->remote_name, payload->filepath,
+			_alpm_dload_payload_reset(payload); FREE(payload);
+			GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, cleanup));
+		payload->destfile_name = _alpm_get_fullpath(syncpath, payload->remote_name, "");
+		payload->tempfile_name = _alpm_get_fullpath(syncpath, payload->remote_name, ".part");
+		if(!payload->destfile_name || !payload->tempfile_name) {
+			_alpm_dload_payload_reset(payload);
+			FREE(payload);
+			GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, cleanup);
+		}
+
 		payload->handle = handle;
 		payload->force = dbforce;
 		payload->unlink_on_fail = 1;
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/dload.c b/lib/libalpm/dload.c
index 14e30789..89f7eefb 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/dload.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/dload.c
@@ -51,13 +51,65 @@
 #include "handle.h"
 #include "sandbox.h"
 
+
+static const char *get_filename(const char *url)
+{
+	char *filename = strrchr(url, '/');
+	if(filename != NULL) {
+		return filename + 1;
+	}
+
+	/* no slash found, it's a filename */
+	return url;
+}
+
+/* prefix to avoid possible future clash with getumask(3) */
+static mode_t _getumask(void)
+{
+	mode_t mask = umask(0);
+	umask(mask);
+	return mask;
+}
+
+static FILE *create_tempfile(struct dload_payload *payload, const char *localpath)
+{
+	int fd;
+	FILE *fp;
+	char *randpath;
+	size_t len;
+
+	/* create a random filename, which is opened with O_EXCL */
+	len = strlen(localpath) + 14 + 1;
+	MALLOC(randpath, len, RET_ERR(payload->handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, NULL));
+	snprintf(randpath, len, "%salpmtmp.XXXXXX", localpath);
+	if((fd = mkstemp(randpath)) == -1 ||
+			fchmod(fd, ~(_getumask()) & 0666) ||
+			!(fp = fdopen(fd, payload->tempfile_openmode))) {
+		unlink(randpath);
+		close(fd);
+		_alpm_log(payload->handle, ALPM_LOG_ERROR,
+				_("failed to create temporary file for download\n"));
+		free(randpath);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	/* fp now points to our alpmtmp.XXXXXX */
+	free(payload->tempfile_name);
+	payload->tempfile_name = randpath;
+	free(payload->remote_name);
+	STRDUP(payload->remote_name, strrchr(randpath, '/') + 1,
+			fclose(fp); RET_ERR(payload->handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, NULL));
+
+	return fp;
+}
+
+
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBCURL
 
 /* RFC1123 states applications should support this length */
 #define HOSTNAME_SIZE 256
 
 static int curl_add_payload(alpm_handle_t *handle, CURLM *curlm,
-	struct dload_payload *payload, const char *localpath);
+	struct dload_payload *payload);
 static int curl_gethost(const char *url, char *buffer, size_t buf_len);
 
 /* number of "soft" errors required to blacklist a server, set to 0 to disable
@@ -175,29 +227,6 @@ static const char *payload_next_server(struct dload_payload *payload)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static const char *get_filename(const char *url)
-{
-	char *filename = strrchr(url, '/');
-	if(filename != NULL) {
-		return filename + 1;
-	}
-
-	/* no slash found, it's a filename */
-	return url;
-}
-
-static char *get_fullpath(const char *path, const char *filename,
-		const char *suffix)
-{
-	char *filepath;
-	/* len = localpath len + filename len + suffix len + null */
-	size_t len = strlen(path) + strlen(filename) + strlen(suffix) + 1;
-	MALLOC(filepath, len, return NULL);
-	snprintf(filepath, len, "%s%s%s", path, filename, suffix);
-
-	return filepath;
-}
-
 enum {
 	ABORT_OVER_MAXFILESIZE = 1,
 };
@@ -308,14 +337,6 @@ static int utimes_long(const char *path, long seconds)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/* prefix to avoid possible future clash with getumask(3) */
-static mode_t _getumask(void)
-{
-	mode_t mask = umask(0);
-	umask(mask);
-	return mask;
-}
-
 static size_t dload_parseheader_cb(void *ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb, void *user)
 {
 	size_t realsize = size * nmemb;
@@ -420,37 +441,6 @@ static void curl_set_handle_opts(CURL *curl, struct dload_payload *payload)
 	}
 }
 
-static FILE *create_tempfile(struct dload_payload *payload, const char *localpath)
-{
-	int fd;
-	FILE *fp;
-	char *randpath;
-	size_t len;
-
-	/* create a random filename, which is opened with O_EXCL */
-	len = strlen(localpath) + 14 + 1;
-	MALLOC(randpath, len, RET_ERR(payload->handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, NULL));
-	snprintf(randpath, len, "%salpmtmp.XXXXXX", localpath);
-	if((fd = mkstemp(randpath)) == -1 ||
-			fchmod(fd, ~(_getumask()) & 0666) ||
-			!(fp = fdopen(fd, payload->tempfile_openmode))) {
-		unlink(randpath);
-		close(fd);
-		_alpm_log(payload->handle, ALPM_LOG_ERROR,
-				_("failed to create temporary file for download\n"));
-		free(randpath);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-	/* fp now points to our alpmtmp.XXXXXX */
-	free(payload->tempfile_name);
-	payload->tempfile_name = randpath;
-	free(payload->remote_name);
-	STRDUP(payload->remote_name, strrchr(randpath, '/') + 1,
-			fclose(fp); RET_ERR(payload->handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, NULL));
-
-	return fp;
-}
-
 /* Return 0 if retry was successful, -1 otherwise */
 static int curl_retry_next_server(CURLM *curlm, CURL *curl, struct dload_payload *payload)
 {
@@ -632,7 +622,7 @@ static int curl_check_finished_download(alpm_handle_t *handle, CURLM *curlm, CUR
 		if(payload->content_disp_name) {
 			/* content-disposition header has a better name for our file */
 			free(payload->destfile_name);
-			payload->destfile_name = get_fullpath(localpath,
+			payload->destfile_name = _alpm_get_fullpath(localpath,
 				get_filename(payload->content_disp_name), "");
 		} else {
 			const char *effective_filename = strrchr(effective_url, '/');
@@ -647,7 +637,7 @@ static int curl_check_finished_download(alpm_handle_t *handle, CURLM *curlm, CUR
 				if(!payload->destfile_name || strcmp(effective_filename,
 							strrchr(payload->destfile_name, '/') + 1) != 0) {
 					free(payload->destfile_name);
-					payload->destfile_name = get_fullpath(localpath, effective_filename, "");
+					payload->destfile_name = _alpm_get_fullpath(localpath, effective_filename, "");
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -690,16 +680,28 @@ static int curl_check_finished_download(alpm_handle_t *handle, CURLM *curlm, CUR
 			 */
 			const char *final_file = get_filename(realname);
 			int remote_name_len = strlen(final_file) + 5;
-			MALLOC(sig->remote_name, remote_name_len, FREE(sig->fileurl); FREE(sig); GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, cleanup));
+			MALLOC(sig->remote_name, remote_name_len, _alpm_dload_payload_reset(sig);
+					FREE(sig); GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, cleanup));
 			snprintf(sig->remote_name, remote_name_len, "%s.sig", final_file);
+		} else {
+			int remote_name_len = strlen(payload->remote_name) + 5;
+			MALLOC(sig->remote_name, remote_name_len, _alpm_dload_payload_reset(sig);
+					FREE(sig); GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, cleanup));
+			snprintf(sig->remote_name, remote_name_len, "%s.sig", payload->remote_name);
 		}
 
 		/* force the filename to be realname + ".sig" */
 		int destfile_name_len = strlen(realname) + 5;
-		MALLOC(sig->destfile_name, destfile_name_len, FREE(sig->remote_name);
-				FREE(sig->fileurl); FREE(sig); GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, cleanup));
+		MALLOC(sig->destfile_name, destfile_name_len, _alpm_dload_payload_reset(sig);
+				FREE(sig); GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, cleanup));
 		snprintf(sig->destfile_name, destfile_name_len, "%s.sig", realname);
 
+		int tempfile_name_len = strlen(realname) + 10;
+		MALLOC(sig->tempfile_name, tempfile_name_len, _alpm_dload_payload_reset(sig);
+				FREE(sig); GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, cleanup));
+		snprintf(sig->tempfile_name, tempfile_name_len, "%s.sig.part", realname);
+
+
 		sig->signature = 1;
 		sig->handle = handle;
 		sig->force = payload->force;
@@ -708,7 +710,7 @@ static int curl_check_finished_download(alpm_handle_t *handle, CURLM *curlm, CUR
 		/* set hard upper limit of 16KiB */
 		sig->max_size = 16 * 1024;
 
-		curl_add_payload(handle, curlm, sig, localpath);
+		curl_add_payload(handle, curlm, sig);
 		(*active_downloads_num)++;
 	}
 
@@ -791,7 +793,7 @@ cleanup:
  * Returns -1 if am error happened while starting a new download
  */
 static int curl_add_payload(alpm_handle_t *handle, CURLM *curlm,
-		struct dload_payload *payload, const char *localpath)
+		struct dload_payload *payload)
 {
 	size_t len;
 	CURL *curl = NULL;
@@ -817,35 +819,11 @@ static int curl_add_payload(alpm_handle_t *handle, CURLM *curlm,
 	}
 
 	payload->tempfile_openmode = "wb";
-	if(!payload->remote_name) {
-		STRDUP(payload->remote_name, get_filename(payload->fileurl),
-			GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, cleanup));
-	}
 	if(curl_gethost(payload->fileurl, hostname, sizeof(hostname)) != 0) {
 		_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_ERROR, _("url '%s' is invalid\n"), payload->fileurl);
 		GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_SERVER_BAD_URL, cleanup);
 	}
 
-	if(!payload->random_partfile && payload->remote_name && strlen(payload->remote_name) > 0) {
-		if(!payload->destfile_name) {
-			payload->destfile_name = get_fullpath(localpath, payload->remote_name, "");
-		}
-		payload->tempfile_name = get_fullpath(localpath, payload->remote_name, ".part");
-		if(!payload->destfile_name || !payload->tempfile_name) {
-			goto cleanup;
-		}
-	} else {
-		/* We want a random filename or the URL does not contain a filename, so download to a
-		 * temporary location. We can not support resuming this kind of download; any partial
-		 * transfers will be destroyed */
-		payload->unlink_on_fail = 1;
-
-		payload->localf = create_tempfile(payload, localpath);
-		if(payload->localf == NULL) {
-			goto cleanup;
-		}
-	}
-
 	curl_set_handle_opts(curl, payload);
 
 	if(payload->max_size == payload->initial_size && payload->max_size != 0) {
@@ -922,7 +900,7 @@ static int curl_download_internal(alpm_handle_t *handle,
 		for(; active_downloads_num < max_streams && payloads; active_downloads_num++) {
 			struct dload_payload *payload = payloads->data;
 
-			if(curl_add_payload(handle, curlm, payload, localpath) == 0) {
+			if(curl_add_payload(handle, curlm, payload) == 0) {
 				payloads = payloads->next;
 			} else {
 				/* The payload failed to start. Do not start any new downloads.
@@ -1278,12 +1256,32 @@ int SYMEXPORT alpm_fetch_pkgurl(alpm_handle_t *handle, const alpm_list_t *urls,
 			CALLOC(payload, 1, sizeof(*payload), GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, err));
 			STRDUP(payload->fileurl, url, FREE(payload); GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, err));
 
+			STRDUP(payload->remote_name, get_filename(payload->fileurl),
+				GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, err));
+
 			c = strrchr(url, '/');
-			if(c != NULL && strstr(c, ".pkg")) {
+			if(c != NULL &&  strstr(c, ".pkg") && payload->remote_name && strlen(payload->remote_name) > 0) {
 				/* we probably have a usable package filename to download to */
+				payload->destfile_name = _alpm_get_fullpath(cachedir, payload->remote_name, "");
+				payload->tempfile_name = _alpm_get_fullpath(cachedir, payload->remote_name, ".part");
 				payload->allow_resume = 1;
+
+				if(!payload->destfile_name || !payload->tempfile_name) {
+					goto err;
+				}
+
 			} else {
+				/* The URL does not contain a filename, so download to a temporary location.
+				 * We can not support resuming this kind of download; any partial transfers
+				 * will be destroyed */
 				payload->random_partfile = 1;
+				payload->unlink_on_fail = 1;
+
+				payload->tempfile_openmode = "wb";
+				payload->localf = create_tempfile(payload, cachedir);
+				if(payload->localf == NULL) {
+					goto err;
+				}
 			}
 
 			payload->handle = handle;
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/dload.h b/lib/libalpm/dload.h
index b301057d..7eb56b19 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/dload.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/dload.h
@@ -54,10 +54,10 @@ struct dload_payload {
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBCURL
 	CURL *curl;
 	char error_buffer[CURL_ERROR_SIZE];
-	FILE *localf; /* temp download file */
 	int signature; /* specifies if this payload is for a signature file */
 	int request_errors_ok; /* per-request errors-ok */
 #endif
+	FILE *localf; /* temp download file */
 };
 
 void _alpm_dload_payload_reset(struct dload_payload *payload);
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/sync.c b/lib/libalpm/sync.c
index cd2f17b0..455d3a5c 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/sync.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/sync.c
@@ -769,6 +769,7 @@ static int find_dl_candidates(alpm_handle_t *handle, alpm_list_t **files)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+
 static int download_files(alpm_handle_t *handle)
 {
 	const char *cachedir;
@@ -827,8 +828,15 @@ static int download_files(alpm_handle_t *handle)
 			CALLOC(payload, 1, sizeof(*payload), GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, finish));
 			STRDUP(payload->remote_name, pkg->filename, FREE(payload); GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, finish));
 			STRDUP(payload->filepath, pkg->filename,
-				FREE(payload->remote_name); FREE(payload);
+				_alpm_dload_payload_reset(payload); FREE(payload);
 				GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, finish));
+			payload->destfile_name = _alpm_get_fullpath(cachedir, payload->remote_name, "");
+			payload->tempfile_name = _alpm_get_fullpath(cachedir, payload->remote_name, ".part");
+			if(!payload->destfile_name || !payload->tempfile_name) {
+				_alpm_dload_payload_reset(payload);
+				FREE(payload);
+				GOTO_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_MEMORY, finish);
+			}
 			payload->max_size = pkg->size;
 			payload->cache_servers = pkg->origin_data.db->cache_servers;
 			payload->servers = pkg->origin_data.db->servers;
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/util.c b/lib/libalpm/util.c
index 6b56573b..2a530fa8 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/util.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/util.c
@@ -197,6 +197,23 @@ cleanup:
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/** Combines a directory, filename and suffix to provide full path of a file
+ * @param path directory path
+ * @param filename file name
+ * @param suffix suffix
+ * @return file path
+*/
+char *_alpm_get_fullpath(const char *path, const char *filename, const char *suffix)
+{
+	char *filepath;
+	/* len = localpath len + filename len + suffix len + null */
+	size_t len = strlen(path) + strlen(filename) + strlen(suffix) + 1;
+	MALLOC(filepath, len, return NULL);
+	snprintf(filepath, len, "%s%s%s", path, filename, suffix);
+
+	return filepath;
+}
+
 /** Trim trailing newlines from a string (if any exist).
  * @param str a single line of text
  * @param len size of str, if known, else 0
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/util.h b/lib/libalpm/util.h
index bb1aabe4..0952e0c9 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/util.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/util.h
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ struct archive_read_buffer {
 int _alpm_makepath(const char *path);
 int _alpm_makepath_mode(const char *path, mode_t mode);
 int _alpm_copyfile(const char *src, const char *dest);
+char *_alpm_get_fullpath(const char *path, const char *filename, const char *suffix);
 size_t _alpm_strip_newline(char *str, size_t len);
 
 int _alpm_open_archive(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *path,
diff --git a/test/pacman/meson.build b/test/pacman/meson.build
index c26ce0fa..d305b911 100644
--- a/test/pacman/meson.build
+++ b/test/pacman/meson.build
@@ -350,7 +350,6 @@ xfail_tests = {
   'tests/sync403.py': true,
   'tests/sync406.py': true,
   'tests/upgrade078.py': true,
-  'tests/upgrade-download-with-xfercommand.py': true,
 }
 
 foreach input : pacman_tests
diff --git a/test/pacman/tests/upgrade-download-with-xfercommand.py b/test/pacman/tests/upgrade-download-with-xfercommand.py
index 03ce4819..8e0085e6 100644
--- a/test/pacman/tests/upgrade-download-with-xfercommand.py
+++ b/test/pacman/tests/upgrade-download-with-xfercommand.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 self.description = "--upgrade remote packages with XferCommand"
 
 self.option['XferCommand'] = ['/usr/bin/curl %u -o %o']
+self.option['SigLevel'] = ['Never']
 
 p1 = pmpkg('pkg1', '1.0-1')
 self.addpkg(p1)
@@ -20,7 +21,3 @@ self.addrule("PKG_EXIST=pkg1")
 self.addrule("PKG_EXIST=pkg2")
 self.addrule("CACHE_EXISTS=pkg1|1.0-1")
 self.addrule("CACHE_EXISTS=pkg2|2.0-2")
-
-# --upgrade fails hard with XferCommand because the fetch callback has no way
-# to return the file path to alpm
-self.expectfailure = True