diff --git a/src/sync.d b/src/sync.d
index ae6aa5b4..2718df17 100644
--- a/src/sync.d
+++ b/src/sync.d
@@ -1507,17 +1507,19 @@ final class SyncEngine
 	private void applyNewItem(Item item, string path)
 	{
 		if (exists(path)) {
+			// path exists locally
 			if (isItemSynced(item, path)) {
-				//log.vlog("The item is already present");
+				// file details from OneDrive and local file details in database are in-sync
+				log.vdebug("The item to sync is already present on the local file system and is in-sync with the local database");
 				return;
 			} else {
-				// TODO: force remote sync by deleting local item
-				
-				// Is the local file technically 'newer' based on UTC timestamp?
+				// file is not in sync with the database
+				// is the local file technically 'newer' based on UTC timestamp?
 				SysTime localModifiedTime = timeLastModified(path).toUTC();
 				localModifiedTime.fracSecs = Duration.zero;
 				item.mtime.fracSecs = Duration.zero;
 				
+				// is the local modified time greater than that from OneDrive?
 				if (localModifiedTime > item.mtime) {
 					// local file is newer than item on OneDrive based on file modified time
 					// Is this item id in the database?
@@ -1528,6 +1530,21 @@ final class SyncEngine
 						log.vdebug("Skipping OneDrive change as this is determined to be unwanted due to local item modified time being newer than OneDrive item and present in the sqlite database");
 						return;
 					} else {
+						// Should this 'download' be skipped?
+						// Do we need to check for .nosync? Only if --check-for-nosync was passed in
+						if (cfg.getValueBool("check_nosync")) {
+							// need the parent path for this object
+							string parentPath = dirName(path);		
+							if (exists(parentPath ~ "/.nosync")) {
+								log.vlog("Skipping downloading item - .nosync found in parent folder & --check-for-nosync is enabled: ", path);
+								// flag that this download failed, otherwise the 'item' is added to the database - then, as not present on the local disk, would get deleted from OneDrive
+								downloadFailed = true;
+								// clean up this partial file, otherwise every sync we will get theis warning
+								log.vlog("Removing previous partial file download due to .nosync found in parent folder & --check-for-nosync is enabled");
+								safeRemove(path);
+								return;
+							}
+						}
 						// file exists locally but is not in the sqlite database - maybe a failed download?
 						log.vlog("Local item does not exist in local database - replacing with file from OneDrive - failed download?");
 					}
@@ -1538,6 +1555,7 @@ final class SyncEngine
 					auto newPath = path.chomp(ext) ~ "-" ~ deviceName ~ ext;
 					log.vlog("The local item is out-of-sync with OneDrive, renaming to preserve existing file: ", path, " -> ", newPath);
 					if (!dryRun) {
+						// rename the local file to prevent data loss incase the local file is actually needed
 						safeRename(path);
 					} else {
 						// Expectation here is that there is a new file locally (newPath) however as we don't create this, the "new file" will not be uploaded as it does not exist
@@ -1545,7 +1563,23 @@ final class SyncEngine
 					}
 				}
 			}
+		} else {
+			// path does not exist locally - this will be a new file download or folder creation
+			// Should this 'download' be skipped?
+			// Do we need to check for .nosync? Only if --check-for-nosync was passed in
+			if (cfg.getValueBool("check_nosync")) {
+				// need the parent path for this object
+				string parentPath = dirName(path);		
+				if (exists(parentPath ~ "/.nosync")) {
+					log.vlog("Skipping downloading item - .nosync found in parent folder & --check-for-nosync is enabled: ", path);
+					// flag that this download failed, otherwise the 'item' is added to the database - then, as not present on the local disk, would get deleted from OneDrive
+					downloadFailed = true;
+					return;
+				}
+			}
 		}
+		
+		// how to handle this item?
 		final switch (item.type) {
 		case ItemType.file:
 			downloadFileItem(item, path);