diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.ssh/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/ssh/files/SftpFileService.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.ssh/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/ssh/files/SftpFileService.java
index 523f867c021..f1402201b44 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.ssh/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/ssh/files/SftpFileService.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.ssh/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/ssh/files/SftpFileService.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ import org.eclipse.rse.services.clientserver.messages.SystemMessageException;
 import org.eclipse.rse.services.files.AbstractFileService;
 import org.eclipse.rse.services.files.IFileService;
 import org.eclipse.rse.services.files.IHostFile;
+import org.eclipse.rse.services.files.RemoteFileCancelledException;
 import org.eclipse.rse.services.files.RemoteFileIOException;
 import org.eclipse.rse.services.files.RemoteFileSecurityException;
 
@@ -248,7 +249,6 @@ public class SftpFileService extends AbstractFileService implements IFileService
 		//getFile() must return a dummy even for non-existent files,
 		//or the move() operation will fail. This is described in 
 		//the API docs.
-		//TODO when monitor is canceled, it is unclear whether we should return an empty file node or throw a canceled exception.
 		SftpHostFile node = null;
 		SftpATTRS attrs = null;
 		if (fDirChannelMutex.waitForLock(monitor, fDirChannelTimeout)) {
@@ -267,6 +267,8 @@ public class SftpFileService extends AbstractFileService implements IFileService
 			} finally {
 				fDirChannelMutex.release();
 			}
+		} else {
+			throw new RemoteFileCancelledException();
 		}
 		if (node==null) {
 			node = new SftpHostFile(remoteParent, fileName, false, false, false, 0, 0);
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services/src/org/eclipse/rse/services/files/RemoteFileCancelledException.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services/src/org/eclipse/rse/services/files/RemoteFileCancelledException.java
index 35256f9f1ff..0c6a019bc74 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services/src/org/eclipse/rse/services/files/RemoteFileCancelledException.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services/src/org/eclipse/rse/services/files/RemoteFileCancelledException.java
@@ -22,11 +22,8 @@ import org.eclipse.rse.services.clientserver.messages.SystemMessage;
 import org.eclipse.rse.services.clientserver.messages.SystemMessageException;
 
 /**
- * Exception thrown when attempting an operation and it fails for IO reasons, such as
- * the file is read-only.
- * <p>
- * The original remote system's io message is always embedded and retrievable
- * via getRemoteException().
+ * Exception thrown when attempting a file operation and the user
+ * canceled it before it could be completed.
  */
 public class RemoteFileCancelledException extends RemoteFileIOException {