diff --git a/remote-backup b/remote-backup
index 36c51c4..5dea4f7 100755
--- a/remote-backup
+++ b/remote-backup
@@ -99,21 +99,27 @@ do
 
 # rotating snapshots of /home (fixme: this should be more general)
 
-# step 1: delete the oldest snapshot, if it exists:
-	if [ -d "$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.${MAX_ROTATE}" ]
+	if [ -f "$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.0" ]
 	then
-		$RM -rf "$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.${MAX_ROTATE}"
-	fi
+		echo "Previous backup failed, skipping rotation."
+		rm "$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.0"
+	else
+# step 1: delete the oldest snapshot, if it exists:
+		if [ -d "$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.${MAX_ROTATE}" ]
+		then
+			$RM -rf "$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.${MAX_ROTATE}"
+		fi
 
 # step 2: shift the snapshots(s) back by one, if they exist
-	for backup_number in $(seq $((${MAX_ROTATE}-1)) -1 0)
-	do
-		if [ -d "$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.${backup_number}" ]
-		then
-			$MV -f "$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.${backup_number}" \
-				"$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.$((${backup_number}+1))"
-		fi
-	done
+		for backup_number in $(seq $((${MAX_ROTATE}-1)) -1 0)
+		do
+			if [ -d "$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.${backup_number}" ]
+			then
+				$MV -f "$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.${backup_number}" \
+					"$SNAPSHOT_RW/$NAME/daily.$((${backup_number}+1))"
+			fi
+		done
+	fi
 
 # step 3: rsync from the system, linking to latest snapshot if files are
 # identical.