diff --git a/sarracenia/__init__.py b/sarracenia/__init__.py
index ba17686ef..ceb36c74a 100755
--- a/sarracenia/__init__.py
+++ b/sarracenia/__init__.py
@@ -769,11 +769,23 @@ def updatePaths(msg, options, new_dir=None, new_file=None):
         ])
         if new_dir:
             msg['new_dir'] = new_dir
+        elif 'new_dir' in msg:
+            new_dir = msg['new_dir']
+        else:
+            new_dir = ''
 
         if new_file or new_file == '':
             msg['new_file'] = new_file
-
-        relPath = new_dir + '/' + new_file
+        elif 'new_file' in msg:
+            new_file = msg['new_file']
+        elif 'new_relPath' in msg:
+            new_file = os.path.basename(msg['rel_relPath'])
+        elif 'relPath' in msg:
+            new_file = os.path.basename(msg['relPath'])
+        else:
+            new_file = 'ErrorInSarraceniaMessageUpdatePaths.txt'
+    
+        newFullPath = new_dir + '/' + new_file
         
         # post_baseUrl option set in msg overrides other possible options
         if 'post_baseUrl' in msg:
@@ -802,23 +814,23 @@ def updatePaths(msg, options, new_dir=None, new_file=None):
             pbd_str = options.variableExpansion(options.post_baseDir, msg)
             parsed_baseUrl = sarracenia.baseUrlParse(baseUrl_str)
 
-            if relPath.startswith(pbd_str):
-                relPath = new_dir.replace(pbd_str, '', 1) + '/' + new_file
+            if newFullPath.startswith(pbd_str):
+                newFullPath = new_dir.replace(pbd_str, '', 1) + '/' + new_file
 
-            if (len(parsed_baseUrl.path) > 1) and relPath.startswith(
+            if (len(parsed_baseUrl.path) > 1) and newFullPath.startswith(
                     parsed_baseUrl.path):
-                relPath = relPath.replace(parsed_baseUrl.path, '', 1)
+                newFullPath = newFullPath.replace(parsed_baseUrl.path, '', 1)
 
         if ('new_dir' not in msg) and options.post_baseDir:
             msg['new_dir'] = options.post_baseDir
             
         msg['new_baseUrl'] = baseUrl_str
 
-        if len(relPath) > 0 and relPath[0] == '/':
-            relPath = relPath[1:]
+        if len(newFullPath) > 0 and newFullPath[0] == '/':
+            newFullPath = newFullPath[1:]
 
-        msg['new_relPath'] = relPath
-        msg['new_subtopic'] = relPath.split('/')[0:-1]
+        msg['new_relPath'] = newFullPath
+        msg['new_subtopic'] = newFullPath.split('/')[0:-1]
 
         for i in ['relPath', 'subtopic', 'baseUrl']:
             if not i in msg:
diff --git a/sarracenia/flow/__init__.py b/sarracenia/flow/__init__.py
index 494b6b938..11aca16fb 100644
--- a/sarracenia/flow/__init__.py
+++ b/sarracenia/flow/__init__.py
@@ -1925,7 +1925,11 @@ def download(self, msg, options) -> bool:
                 if self.o.dry_run:
                     cwd = cdir
                 else:
-                    self.proto[self.scheme].cd(cdir)
+                    try:
+                         self.proto[self.scheme].cd(cdir)
+                    except Exception as ex:
+                         logger.error("chdir %s: %s" % (cdir, ex))
+                         return False
 
             remote_offset = 0
             exactLength=False
diff --git a/sarracenia/sr.py b/sarracenia/sr.py
index 24218c5f5..0859fcde6 100755
--- a/sarracenia/sr.py
+++ b/sarracenia/sr.py
@@ -2659,10 +2659,7 @@ def convert(self):
                 v3_cfg.write('# topicCopy on is only there for bug-for-bug compat with v2. turn it off if you can.\n')
                 v3_cfg.write('#topicCopy on\n')
 
-            if component in [ 'sarra', 'subscribe' ]:
-                v3_cfg.write('#v2 sftp handling is always absolute, sr3 is relative. This plugin helps during conversion, remove when all sr3:\n')
-                v3_cfg.write('flowcb accept.sftp_absolute\n')
-            if component in [ 'sender' ]:
+            if component in [ 'sarra', 'sender', 'subscribe' ]:
                 v3_cfg.write('#v2 sftp handling is always absolute, sr3 is relative. might need this, remove when all sr3:\n')
                 v3_cfg.write('#flowcb accept.sftp_absolute\n')
 
diff --git a/sarracenia/transfer/sftp.py b/sarracenia/transfer/sftp.py
index 76a4e6cc6..9c81d7b5b 100755
--- a/sarracenia/transfer/sftp.py
+++ b/sarracenia/transfer/sftp.py
@@ -79,9 +79,10 @@ def registered_as():
 
     # cd
     def cd(self, path):
-        logger.debug("sr_sftp cd %s" % path)
         alarm_set(self.o.timeout)
+        logger.debug("first cd to %s" % self.originalDir)
         self.sftp.chdir(self.originalDir)
+        logger.debug("then cd to %s" % path)
         self.sftp.chdir(path)
         self.pwd = path
         alarm_cancel()