diff --git a/src/lib/data.rs b/src/lib/data.rs
index 825049d..7d26823 100644
--- a/src/lib/data.rs
+++ b/src/lib/data.rs
@@ -551,6 +551,10 @@ impl DataCollection {
         }
     }
 
+    pub async fn contains(&self, filename: &str) -> Result<bool> {
+        Ok(self.files.contains_key(filename))
+    }
+
     pub async fn update(&mut self, filename: Option<&String>, path_context: &Path) -> Result<()> {
         match filename {
             Some(file) => {
@@ -1002,7 +1006,7 @@ impl DataCollection {
         }
 
         // now retrieve all the files in the queue.
-        downloads.retrieve(Some(" - {}"), Some("No files downloaded.")).await?;
+        downloads.retrieve(Some(" - {}"), Some("No files downloaded."), true).await?;
 
         let num_skipped = overwrite_skipped.len() + current_skipped.len() +
             messy_skipped.len();
diff --git a/src/lib/download.rs b/src/lib/download.rs
index c70f883..47f6403 100644
--- a/src/lib/download.rs
+++ b/src/lib/download.rs
@@ -72,8 +72,10 @@ impl Downloads {
     }
 
 
-    pub async fn retrieve(&self, success_status: Option<&str>, 
-                              no_downloads_message: Option<&str>) -> Result<()> {
+    pub async fn retrieve(&self, 
+                          success_status: Option<&str>, 
+                          no_downloads_message: Option<&str>,
+                          show_total: bool) -> Result<()> {
         let downloads = &self.list;
         let total_files = downloads.len();
         if !downloads.is_empty() { 
@@ -81,7 +83,9 @@ impl Downloads {
                 .style_options(self.default_style()?)
                 .build();
             downloader.download(&downloads).await;
-            println!("Downloaded {}.", pluralize(total_files as u64, "file"));
+            if show_total {
+                println!("Downloaded {}.", pluralize(total_files as u64, "file"));
+            }
             for download in downloads {
                 if let Some(msg) = success_status {
                     let filename = PathBuf::from(&download.filename);
diff --git a/src/lib/project.rs b/src/lib/project.rs
index 75ef23e..03c321d 100644
--- a/src/lib/project.rs
+++ b/src/lib/project.rs
@@ -393,17 +393,22 @@ impl Project {
             let filepath = dl.filename.clone();
 
             // get the file
-            downloads.retrieve(None, None).await?;
+            downloads.retrieve(Some("Downloaded '{}'."), None, false).await?;
 
             // convert to relative path (based on where we are)
             let filepath = self.relative_path_string(Path::new(&filepath))?;
 
-            let data_file = DataFile::new(filepath.clone(), Some(url), &self.path_context()).await?;
+            if !self.data.contains(&filepath).await? {
+                let data_file = DataFile::new(filepath.clone(), Some(url), &self.path_context()).await?;
 
-            // Note: we do not use Project::add() since this works off strings.
-            // and we need to pass the URL, etc.
-            self.data.register(data_file)?;
-            self.save()?;
+                // Note: we do not use Project::add() since this works off strings.
+                // and we need to pass the URL, etc.
+                self.data.register(data_file)?;
+                self.save()?;
+            } else {
+                println!("File '{}' already existed in \
+                         the manifest, so it was not added.", &filepath);
+            }
             Ok(())
         } else {
             Err(anyhow!("The file at '{}' was not downloaded because it would overwrite a file.\n\
@@ -453,21 +458,27 @@ impl Project {
         }
 
         // grab all the files
-        downloads.retrieve(None, None).await?;
+        downloads.retrieve(None, None, false).await?;
 
         let mut num_added = 0;
+        let mut num_already_registered = 0;
         for (filepath, url) in filepaths.iter().zip(urls.iter()) {
             let rel_file_path = self.relative_path_string(Path::new(&filepath))?;
-            let data_file = DataFile::new(rel_file_path.clone(), Some(url), &self.path_context()).await?;
-            self.data.register(data_file)?;
-            num_added += 1;
+            if !self.data.contains(&rel_file_path).await? {
+                let data_file = DataFile::new(rel_file_path.clone(), Some(url), &self.path_context()).await?;
+                self.data.register(data_file)?;
+                num_added += 1;
+            } else {
+                num_already_registered += 1;
+            }
         }
         let num_skipped = skipped.len();
         println!("{} URLs found in '{}.'\n\
-                  {} files were downloaded and added.\n\
+                  {} files were downloaded, {} added to manifest ({} were already registered).\n\
                   {} files were skipped because they existed (and --overwrite was no specified).",
                   num_lines, filename,
-                  num_added, num_skipped);
+                  urls.len(), num_added, num_already_registered,
+                  num_skipped);
         self.save()?;
         Ok(())
     }