diff --git a/src/gmt_remote.c b/src/gmt_remote.c
index 3d26ec47357..af1d24ac28d 100644
--- a/src/gmt_remote.c
+++ b/src/gmt_remote.c
@@ -1110,6 +1110,7 @@ int gmtlib_file_is_jpeg2000_tile (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, char *file) {
 }
 
 int gmt_download_file (struct GMT_CTRL *GMT, const char *name, char *url, char *localfile, bool be_fussy) {
+	bool query = gmt_M_file_is_query (url);
 	int curl_err, error;
 	size_t fsize;
 	char *Lfile = NULL;
@@ -1135,12 +1136,14 @@ int gmt_download_file (struct GMT_CTRL *GMT, const char *name, char *url, char *
 
 	/* Here we will try to download a file */
 
-	Lfile = gmtremote_lockfile (API, (char *)name);
-	if ((fp = fopen (Lfile, "w")) == NULL) {
-		GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_ERROR, "Failed to create lock file %s\n", Lfile);
-		return 1;
+	if (!query) {	/* Only make a filename if not a query */
+		Lfile = gmtremote_lockfile (API, (char *)name);
+		if ((fp = fopen (Lfile, "w")) == NULL) {
+			GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_ERROR, "Failed to create lock file %s\n", Lfile);
+			return 1;
+		}
+		gmtlib_file_lock (GMT, fileno(fp));	/* Attempt exclusive lock */
 	}
-	gmtlib_file_lock (GMT, fileno(fp));	/* Attempt exclusive lock */
 
   	if ((Curl = curl_easy_init ()) == NULL) {
 		GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_ERROR, "Failed to initiate curl\n");
@@ -1196,9 +1199,11 @@ int gmt_download_file (struct GMT_CTRL *GMT, const char *name, char *url, char *
 	if (urlfile.fp) /* close the local file */
 		fclose (urlfile.fp);
 
-	gmtlib_file_unlock (GMT, fileno(fp));
-	gmt_remove_file (GMT, Lfile);
-	gmt_M_str_free (Lfile);
+	if (!query) {	/* Remove lock file after successful download */
+		gmtlib_file_unlock (GMT, fileno(fp));
+		gmt_remove_file (GMT, Lfile);
+		gmt_M_str_free (Lfile);
+	}
 
 	gmtremote_turn_off_ctrl_C_check ();