diff --git a/http/Provision/Service/http/cluster.php b/http/Provision/Service/http/cluster.php
index ea16f599..3a33895c 100644
--- a/http/Provision/Service/http/cluster.php
+++ b/http/Provision/Service/http/cluster.php
@@ -3,12 +3,14 @@
 class Provision_Service_http_cluster extends Provision_Service_http {
   static function option_documentation() {
     return array(
-      'cluster_web_servers' => 'server with cluster: comma-separated list of web servers.'
+      'cluster_web_servers' => 'server with cluster: comma-separated list of web servers.',
+      'cluster_file_authority' => 'set if the cluster members have arranged to share files/ and private/ folders, and the hostmaster is not a cluster member.',
     );
   }
 
   function init_server() {
     $this->server->setProperty('cluster_web_servers', array(), TRUE);
+    $this->server->setProperty('cluster_file_authority', FALSE);
   }
 
   function init_site() {
@@ -67,6 +69,16 @@ class Provision_Service_http_cluster extends Provision_Service_http {
   }
 
   function fetch($path = NULL) {
+    if ($this->context->type == 'site' && $this->server->cluster_file_authority) {
+      if ($path == $this->context->site_path . '/files/' || $path == $this->context->site_path . '/private/') {
+        drush_log("Delegating fetch to first server in cluster");
+        $servers = array_values($this->server->cluster_web_servers);
+        $target_server = reset($servers);
+        return d($target_server)
+          ->service('http', $this->context)
+          ->fetch($path);
+      }
+    }
     drush_log('Skipping fetch from remote server(s), since master is authoritative in cluster service.');
   }
 
diff --git a/platform/provision_drupal.drush.inc b/platform/provision_drupal.drush.inc
index 23fb9f93..ba9c48b4 100644
--- a/platform/provision_drupal.drush.inc
+++ b/platform/provision_drupal.drush.inc
@@ -114,6 +114,12 @@ function provision_drupal_push_site($override_slave_authority = FALSE) {
     // Check whether we're hosted on a cluster, in which case, the master is
     // authoritative.
     $cluster = d()->platform->web_server->http_service_type == 'cluster' ? TRUE : FALSE;
+    if ($cluster) {
+      // Unless the cluster is specifically configured otherwise.
+      if (d()->platform->web_server->cluster_file_authority) {
+        $cluster = FALSE;
+      }
+    }
     $options = array();
     if ($override_slave_authority || $cluster) {
       $exclude = NULL;