diff --git a/archiver.go b/archiver.go
index 69d7d8053..c1b9a3578 100644
--- a/archiver.go
+++ b/archiver.go
@@ -513,11 +513,21 @@ func (arch *Archiver) dirWorker(wg *sync.WaitGroup, p *Progress, done <-chan str
 				}
 			}
 
-			node, err := NodeFromFileInfo(dir.Path(), dir.Info())
-			if err != nil {
-				node.Error = err.Error()
-				dir.Result() <- node
-				continue
+			var (
+				node *Node
+				err  error
+			)
+			if dir.Path() == "" {
+				// if this is the top-level dir, only create a stub node
+				node = &Node{}
+			} else {
+				// else create note from path and fi
+				node, err = NodeFromFileInfo(dir.Path(), dir.Info())
+				if err != nil {
+					node.Error = err.Error()
+					dir.Result() <- node
+					continue
+				}
 			}
 
 			blob, err := arch.SaveTreeJSON(tree)
@@ -775,28 +785,10 @@ func (arch *Archiver) Snapshot(p *Progress, paths []string, pid backend.ID) (*Sn
 
 	debug.Log("Archiver.Snapshot", "workers terminated")
 
-	// add the top-level tree
-	tree := NewTree()
-	root := (<-resCh).(pipe.Dir)
-	for i := 0; i < len(paths); i++ {
-		node := (<-root.Entries[i]).(*Node)
-
-		debug.Log("Archiver.Snapshot", "got toplevel node %v, %d/%d blobs", node, len(node.Content), len(node.blobs))
-
-		tree.Insert(node)
-		for _, blob := range node.blobs {
-			debug.Log("Archiver.Snapshot", "  add toplevel blob %v", blob)
-			blob = arch.m.Insert(blob)
-			tree.Map.Insert(blob)
-		}
-	}
-
-	tb, err := arch.SaveTreeJSON(tree)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
-	}
-
-	sn.Tree = tb
+	// receive the top-level tree
+	root := (<-resCh).(*Node)
+	debug.Log("Archiver.Snapshot", "root node received: %#v", root.blobs[0])
+	sn.Tree = root.blobs[0]
 
 	// save snapshot
 	blob, err := arch.s.SaveJSON(backend.Snapshot, sn)
diff --git a/pipe/pipe.go b/pipe/pipe.go
index a8a96d0e1..4ff380d3e 100644
--- a/pipe/pipe.go
+++ b/pipe/pipe.go
@@ -150,7 +150,6 @@ func walk(basedir, path string, done chan struct{}, jobs chan<- Job, res chan<-
 func Walk(paths []string, done chan struct{}, jobs chan<- Job, res chan<- Result) error {
 	defer func() {
 		debug.Log("pipe.Walk", "output channel closed")
-		close(res)
 		close(jobs)
 	}()
 
@@ -165,7 +164,16 @@ func Walk(paths []string, done chan struct{}, jobs chan<- Job, res chan<- Result
 		}
 		debug.Log("pipe.Walk", "walker for %v done", path)
 	}
-	res <- Dir{Entries: entries}
+
+	debug.Log("pipe.Walk", "sending root node")
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+		return errCancelled
+	case jobs <- Dir{Entries: entries, result: res}:
+	}
+
+	debug.Log("pipe.Walk", "walker done")
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pipe/pipe_test.go b/pipe/pipe_test.go
index 1baf0b34d..d0deffccc 100644
--- a/pipe/pipe_test.go
+++ b/pipe/pipe_test.go
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ func TestPipelineWalkerWithSplit(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Logf("walking path %s with %d dirs, %d files", *testWalkerPath,
 		before.dirs, before.files)
 
+	// account for top level dir
+	before.dirs++
+
 	after := stats{}
 	m := sync.Mutex{}
 
@@ -142,6 +145,9 @@ func TestPipelineWalker(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Logf("walking path %s with %d dirs, %d files", *testWalkerPath,
 		before.dirs, before.files)
 
+	// account for top level dir
+	before.dirs++
+
 	after := stats{}
 	m := sync.Mutex{}
 
@@ -305,3 +311,81 @@ func BenchmarkPipelineWalker(b *testing.B) {
 		b.Logf("max duration for a dir: %v", max)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestPipelineWalkerMultiple(t *testing.T) {
+	if *testWalkerPath == "" {
+		t.Skipf("walkerpath not set, skipping TestPipelineWalker")
+	}
+
+	paths, err := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(*testWalkerPath, "*"))
+
+	before, err := statPath(*testWalkerPath)
+	ok(t, err)
+
+	t.Logf("walking paths %v with %d dirs, %d files", paths,
+		before.dirs, before.files)
+
+	after := stats{}
+	m := sync.Mutex{}
+
+	worker := func(wg *sync.WaitGroup, done <-chan struct{}, jobs <-chan pipe.Job) {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		for {
+			select {
+			case job, ok := <-jobs:
+				if !ok {
+					// channel is closed
+					return
+				}
+				assert(t, job != nil, "job is nil")
+
+				switch j := job.(type) {
+				case pipe.Dir:
+					// wait for all content
+					for _, ch := range j.Entries {
+						<-ch
+					}
+
+					m.Lock()
+					after.dirs++
+					m.Unlock()
+
+					j.Result() <- true
+				case pipe.Entry:
+					m.Lock()
+					after.files++
+					m.Unlock()
+
+					j.Result() <- true
+				}
+
+			case <-done:
+				// pipeline was cancelled
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	jobs := make(chan pipe.Job)
+
+	for i := 0; i < *maxWorkers; i++ {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go worker(&wg, done, jobs)
+	}
+
+	resCh := make(chan pipe.Result, 1)
+	err = pipe.Walk(paths, done, jobs, resCh)
+	ok(t, err)
+
+	// wait for all workers to terminate
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	// wait for top-level blob
+	<-resCh
+
+	t.Logf("walked %d paths with %d dirs, %d files", len(paths), after.dirs, after.files)
+
+	assert(t, before == after, "stats do not match, expected %v, got %v", before, after)
+}
diff --git a/walk.go b/walk.go
index 83e2db726..92e2005f5 100644
--- a/walk.go
+++ b/walk.go
@@ -43,9 +43,7 @@ func walkTree(s Server, path string, id backend.ID, done chan struct{}, jobCh ch
 		}
 	}
 
-	if path != "" {
-		jobCh <- WalkTreeJob{Path: filepath.Join(path), Tree: t}
-	}
+	jobCh <- WalkTreeJob{Path: filepath.Join(path), Tree: t}
 	debug.Log("walkTree", "done for %q (%v)", path, id.Str())
 }