diff --git a/src/TDB2.cpp b/src/TDB2.cpp
index ad1d1c0e7..d7dc0a194 100644
--- a/src/TDB2.cpp
+++ b/src/TDB2.cpp
@@ -188,6 +188,13 @@ void TF2::add_line (const std::string& line)
   _dirty = true;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void TF2::clear_tasks ()
+{
+  _tasks.clear ();
+  _dirty = true;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void TF2::clear_lines ()
 {
@@ -243,7 +250,7 @@ void TF2::commit ()
         // Truncate the file and rewrite.
         _file.truncate ();
 
-        // only write out _tasks, because any deltas have already been applied.
+        // Only write out _tasks, because any deltas have already been applied.
         std::vector <Task>::iterator task;
         for (task = _tasks.begin ();
              task != _tasks.end ();
diff --git a/src/TDB2.h b/src/TDB2.h
index aaefcbba6..22b01c610 100644
--- a/src/TDB2.h
+++ b/src/TDB2.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ public:
   void add_task (const Task&);
   bool modify_task (const Task&);
   void add_line (const std::string&);
+  void clear_tasks ();
   void clear_lines ();
   void commit ();
 
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdSync.cpp b/src/commands/CmdSync.cpp
index 5db7d2377..da9e4471c 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdSync.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdSync.cpp
@@ -98,9 +98,9 @@ int CmdSync::execute (std::string& output)
       payload = response.getPayload ();
       std::vector <std::string> lines;
       split (lines, payload, '\n');
-      std::cout << "# received " << lines.size () << " lines of data\n";
 
       // Load all tasks.
+      // TODO This is not necessary if only a synch key was received.
       std::vector <Task> all = context.tdb2.all_tasks ();
 
       std::string synch_key = "";
@@ -116,11 +116,13 @@ int CmdSync::execute (std::string& output)
                     << "\n";
           context.tdb2.modify (from_server);
         }
-        else
+        else if (*line != "")
         {
           synch_key = *line;
           context.debug ("Synch key " + synch_key);
         }
+
+        // Otherwise line is blank, so ignore it.
       }
 
       // Only update everything if there is a new synch_key.  No synch_key means
@@ -128,7 +130,9 @@ int CmdSync::execute (std::string& output)
       if (synch_key != "")
       {
         // Truncate backlog.data, save new synch_key.
-        context.tdb2.backlog.clear ();
+        context.tdb2.backlog._file.truncate ();
+        context.tdb2.backlog.clear_tasks ();
+        context.tdb2.backlog.clear_lines ();
         context.tdb2.backlog.add_line (synch_key + "\n");
 
         // Commit all changes.