diff --git a/cmd/rqlited/main.go b/cmd/rqlited/main.go
index 2f0d03fe..f3afeb1b 100644
--- a/cmd/rqlited/main.go
+++ b/cmd/rqlited/main.go
@@ -107,24 +107,32 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatalf("failed to create store: %s", err.Error())
 	}
 
-	// Install the auto-restore file, if necessary.
+	// Install the auto-restore data, if necessary.
 	if cfg.AutoRestoreFile != "" {
-		log.Printf("auto-restore requested, initiating download")
-		start := time.Now()
-		path, errOK, err := restore.DownloadFile(mainCtx, cfg.AutoRestoreFile)
+		hd, err := store.HasData(str.Path())
 		if err != nil {
-			var b strings.Builder
-			b.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("failed to download auto-restore file: %s", err.Error()))
-			if errOK {
-				b.WriteString(", continuing with node startup anyway")
-				log.Print(b.String())
-			} else {
-				log.Fatal(b.String())
-			}
+			log.Fatalf("failed to check for existing data: %s", err.Error())
+		}
+		if hd {
+			log.Printf("auto-restore requested, but data already exists in %s, skipping", str.Path())
 		} else {
-			log.Printf("auto-restore file downloaded in %s", time.Since(start))
-			if err := str.SetRestorePath(path); err != nil {
-				log.Fatalf("failed to preload auto-restore data: %s", err.Error())
+			log.Printf("auto-restore requested, initiating download")
+			start := time.Now()
+			path, errOK, err := restore.DownloadFile(mainCtx, cfg.AutoRestoreFile)
+			if err != nil {
+				var b strings.Builder
+				b.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("failed to download auto-restore file: %s", err.Error()))
+				if errOK {
+					b.WriteString(", continuing with node startup anyway")
+					log.Print(b.String())
+				} else {
+					log.Fatal(b.String())
+				}
+			} else {
+				log.Printf("auto-restore file downloaded in %s", time.Since(start))
+				if err := str.SetRestorePath(path); err != nil {
+					log.Fatalf("failed to preload auto-restore data: %s", err.Error())
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/system_test/e2e/auto_state.py b/system_test/e2e/auto_state.py
index 45fe4bf4..5b5f2324 100644
--- a/system_test/e2e/auto_state.py
+++ b/system_test/e2e/auto_state.py
@@ -112,6 +112,61 @@ class TestAutoRestoreS3(unittest.TestCase):
     os.remove(compressed_tmp_file)
     delete_s3_object(access_key_id, secret_access_key_id, S3_BUCKET, path)
 
+  @unittest.skipUnless(env_present('RQLITE_S3_ACCESS_KEY'), "S3 credentials not available")
+  def test_skipped_if_daya(self):
+    '''Test that automatic restores are skipped if the node has data'''
+
+    node = None
+    cfg = None
+    path = None
+
+    access_key_id = os.environ['RQLITE_S3_ACCESS_KEY']
+    secret_access_key_id = os.environ['RQLITE_S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY']
+
+    # Upload a test SQLite file to S3.
+    tmp_file = self.create_sqlite_file()
+    compressed_tmp_file = temp_file()
+    gzip_compress(tmp_file, compressed_tmp_file)
+
+    path = "restore/"+random_string(32)
+    upload_s3_object(access_key_id, secret_access_key_id, S3_BUCKET, path, compressed_tmp_file)
+
+    # Create the auto-restore config file
+    auto_restore_cfg = {
+      "version": 1,
+      "type": "s3",
+      "sub" : {
+         "access_key_id": access_key_id,
+         "secret_access_key": secret_access_key_id,
+         "region": S3_BUCKET_REGION,
+         "bucket": S3_BUCKET,
+         "path": path
+      }
+    }
+    cfg = write_random_file(json.dumps(auto_restore_cfg))
+
+    # Create a new node, write some data to it.
+    n0 = Node(RQLITED_PATH, '0')
+    n0.start()
+    n0.wait_for_ready()
+    n0.execute('CREATE TABLE bar (id INTEGER NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT)')
+    n0.stop()
+
+    # Create a new node, using the directory from the previous node, but check
+    # that data is not restored from S3, wiping out the existing data.
+    n1 = Node(RQLITED_PATH, '0', dir=n0.dir, auto_restore=cfg)
+    n1.start()
+    n1.wait_for_ready()
+    j = n1.query('SELECT * FROM bar')
+    self.assertEqual(j, d_("{'results': [{'values': [[1, 'fiona']], 'types': ['integer', 'text'], 'columns': ['id', 'name']}]}"))
+
+    deprovision_node(n0)
+    deprovision_node(n1)
+    os.remove(cfg)
+    os.remove(tmp_file)
+    os.remove(compressed_tmp_file)
+    delete_s3_object(access_key_id, secret_access_key_id, S3_BUCKET, path)
+
 class TestAutoBackupS3(unittest.TestCase):
   @unittest.skipUnless(env_present('RQLITE_S3_ACCESS_KEY'), "S3 credentials not available")
   def test_no_compress(self):