diff --git a/src/shared/config.h b/src/shared/config.h
index 7061b57..eccede1 100644
--- a/src/shared/config.h
+++ b/src/shared/config.h
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ typedef struct Config {
   char* compress_choice;
 } Config;
 
-#define PROTOCOL_VERSION "2.2.0"
+#define PROTOCOL_VERSION "2.3.0"
 #define DEFAULT_CHUNK_SIZE (10 * 1024 * 1024)
 
 Config* config_create(void);
diff --git a/src/shared/file.c b/src/shared/file.c
index 9514e87..5884491 100644
--- a/src/shared/file.c
+++ b/src/shared/file.c
@@ -172,8 +172,17 @@ bool file_set_authorized_root(int fd, const char* canonical_path) {
 }
 
 bool file_path_exists_secure(const char* path) {
+  if (!path)
+    return false;
+  char* leaf = NULL;
+  int parent_fd = file_open_secure_parent(path, &leaf, false);
+  if (parent_fd < 0)
+    return false;
   struct stat st;
-  return file_stat_secure(path, &st);
+  bool exists = fstatat(parent_fd, leaf, &st, AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW) == 0;
+  close(parent_fd);
+  free(leaf);
+  return exists;
 }
 
 bool file_stat_secure(const char* path, struct stat* st) {
@@ -302,8 +311,9 @@ bool file_rename_secure(const char* old_path, const char* new_path) {
   return ok;
 }
 
-bool file_to_disk_secure(const char* path, const void* data, unsigned long long data_size,
-                         bool inplace, bool sparse, const FileMetadata* metadata) {
+static bool file_to_disk_secure_impl(const char* path, const void* data,
+                                     unsigned long long data_size, bool inplace, bool sparse,
+                                     const FileMetadata* metadata, bool no_replace) {
   char* leaf = NULL;
   int dirfd = file_open_secure_parent(path, &leaf, true);
   if (dirfd < 0)
@@ -334,8 +344,20 @@ bool file_to_disk_secure(const char* path, const void* data, unsigned long long
       if (close(fd) != 0)
         ok = false;
       fd = -1;
-      if (ok && renameat(dirfd, tmp, dirfd, leaf) != 0)
-        ok = false;
+      if (ok) {
+        if (no_replace) {
+          /* The probe and commit cannot be one operation. A concurrent
+             creator may win; EEXIST is then the requested skip. */
+          if (linkat(dirfd, tmp, dirfd, leaf, 0) == 0 || errno == EEXIST) {
+            if (unlinkat(dirfd, tmp, 0) != 0 && errno != ENOENT)
+              ok = false;
+          } else {
+            ok = false;
+          }
+        } else if (renameat(dirfd, tmp, dirfd, leaf) != 0) {
+          ok = false;
+        }
+      }
       if (!ok)
         unlinkat(dirfd, tmp, 0);
     }
@@ -347,6 +369,17 @@ bool file_to_disk_secure(const char* path, const void* data, unsigned long long
   return ok;
 }
 
+bool file_to_disk_secure(const char* path, const void* data, unsigned long long data_size,
+                         bool inplace, bool sparse, const FileMetadata* metadata) {
+  return file_to_disk_secure_impl(path, data, data_size, inplace, sparse, metadata, false);
+}
+
+bool file_to_disk_secure_no_replace(const char* path, const void* data,
+                                    unsigned long long data_size, bool sparse,
+                                    const FileMetadata* metadata) {
+  return file_to_disk_secure_impl(path, data, data_size, false, sparse, metadata, true);
+}
+
 bool file_write_to_disk(const char* path, const void* data, unsigned long long data_size,
                         bool inplace, bool sparse) {
   if (!path || (!data && data_size != 0) || has_path_traversal(path))
diff --git a/src/shared/file.h b/src/shared/file.h
index 23dac26..d6ff3d4 100644
--- a/src/shared/file.h
+++ b/src/shared/file.h
@@ -32,5 +32,8 @@ bool file_ensure_directory_secure(const char* path);
 bool file_rename_secure(const char* old_path, const char* new_path);
 bool file_to_disk_secure(const char* path, const void* data, unsigned long long data_size,
                          bool inplace, bool sparse, const FileMetadata* metadata);
+bool file_to_disk_secure_no_replace(const char* path, const void* data,
+                                    unsigned long long data_size, bool sparse,
+                                    const FileMetadata* metadata);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/shared/file_receive.c b/src/shared/file_receive.c
index 6ef8a8d..a371ff3 100644
--- a/src/shared/file_receive.c
+++ b/src/shared/file_receive.c
@@ -118,8 +118,11 @@ bool file_save_to_disk(const char* root_directory, const File* file, const Confi
     }
   }
 
-  bool ok = file_to_disk_secure(disk_path, file->data->data, file->data->size, inplace, sparse,
-                                file->metadata);
+  bool ok = config && config->ignore_existing
+                ? file_to_disk_secure_no_replace(disk_path, file->data->data, file->data->size,
+                                                 sparse, file->metadata)
+                : file_to_disk_secure(disk_path, file->data->data, file->data->size, inplace,
+                                      sparse, file->metadata);
   free(parent_copy);
   free(backup_path);
   free(confined_backup);
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_features.py b/tests/integration/test_features.py
index ec974d3..1d96678 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_features.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_features.py
@@ -225,16 +225,20 @@ class TestIgnoreExisting:
         with open(existing_file, "wb") as f:
             f.write(b"destination content\n")
         new_source = os.path.join(SOURCE_DIR, "new.txt")
-        with open(new_source, "wb") as f:
-            f.write(b"new file\n")
+        try:
+            with open(new_source, "wb") as f:
+                f.write(b"new file\n")
 
-        result, _ = run_client(SOURCE_DIR, DEST_DIR,
-                               flags=["--ignore-existing"], port=shared_server.port)
-        assert result.returncode == 0, f"Sync failed: {(result.stderr or result.stdout)[:200]}"
-        with open(existing_file, "rb") as f:
-            assert f.read() == b"destination content\n"
-        with open(os.path.join(received, "new.txt"), "rb") as f:
-            assert f.read() == b"new file\n"
+            result, _ = run_client(SOURCE_DIR, DEST_DIR,
+                                   flags=["--ignore-existing"], port=shared_server.port)
+            assert result.returncode == 0, f"Sync failed: {(result.stderr or result.stdout)[:200]}"
+            with open(existing_file, "rb") as f:
+                assert f.read() == b"destination content\n"
+            with open(os.path.join(received, "new.txt"), "rb") as f:
+                assert f.read() == b"new file\n"
+        finally:
+            if os.path.lexists(new_source):
+                os.unlink(new_source)
 
 
 class TestDelete:
diff --git a/tests/test_config.c b/tests/test_config.c
index ea62295..2f68d66 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.c
+++ b/tests/test_config.c
@@ -188,11 +188,11 @@ static void test_config_send_receive() {
 }
 
 static void test_config_send_receive_version_mismatch() {
-  /* Create a config with a different protocol version */
+  /* A peer using the previous wire format must be rejected. */
   Config* cfg = config_create();
   EXPECT_NOT_NULL(cfg);
   free(cfg->version);
-  cfg->version = str_dup("0.0");
+  cfg->version = str_dup("2.2.0");
   cfg->send_directory = str_dup("/src");
   cfg->receive_root_directory = str_dup("/dst");