diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index e578b50..0000000
--- a/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-records
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 1a7d925..9634176 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -16,13 +16,11 @@ const version = "0-pre"
 
 var addr *string
 var port *uint16
-var regenerate *bool
 var showVersion *bool
 
 func main() {
 	addr = getopt.String('a', "0.0.0.0")
 	port = getopt.Uint16('p', 8000)
-	regenerate = getopt.Bool('r')
 	showVersion = getopt.Bool('V')
 	if err := getopt.Getopt(nil); err != nil {
 		util.Die(err.Error())
@@ -35,7 +33,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	args := getopt.Args()
 	if len(args) != 1 {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "usage: %s [-rV] [-a address] [-p port] directory\n", os.Args[0])
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "usage: %s [-V] [-a address] [-p port] directory\n", os.Args[0])
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
@@ -44,7 +42,7 @@ func main() {
 	log.Printf("This is records %s\n", version)
 	log.Println("https://git.baxters.nz/jeremy/records")
 
-	musicindex.Init(mediaDir, *regenerate)
+	musicindex.Init(mediaDir)
 
 	var artistCount, albumCount, songCount int
 	artistCount = len(musicindex.Artists())
diff --git a/musicindex/index.go b/musicindex/index.go
index 3c034c1..76a983e 100644
--- a/musicindex/index.go
+++ b/musicindex/index.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package musicindex
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io/fs"
 	"log"
 	"os"
@@ -57,26 +58,13 @@ func indexArtists() {
 		util.Die("%s", err.Error())
 	}
 
-	if (regenerateTarballs) {
-		err = os.RemoveAll(TempDir)
-		if err != nil {
-			util.Die("cannot remove temporary directory %s: %s", TempDir, err.Error())
-		}
-	}
-
-	f, err := os.Stat(TempDir)
+	err = os.RemoveAll(TempDir)
 	if err != nil {
-		err = os.Mkdir(TempDir, 0711)
-		if err != nil {
-			util.Die("cannot make temporary directory %s: %s", TempDir,
-				err.Error())
-		}
-		log.Println("generating new tarball index")
-	} else {
-		if !f.IsDir() {
-			util.Die("cannot make temporary directory %s: %s", TempDir,
-				"not a directory")
-		}
+		util.Die("cannot remove temporary directory %s: %s", TempDir, err.Error())
+	}
+	err = os.Mkdir(TempDir, 0711)
+	if err != nil {
+		util.Die("cannot make temporary directory %s: %s", TempDir, err.Error())
 	}
 
 	artists = make(map[string]Artist)
@@ -160,32 +148,42 @@ func indexAlbum(artist *Artist, albumName, albumDir string) (a Album, err error)
 	slices.Sort(tracks)
 	a.TrackFiles = tracks
 
-	generate := false
 	hash := util.HashOf(a.Artist.Name + "::" + a.Name)
-	a.Tarball = TempDir + "/" + hash
+	path := TempDir + "/" + hash
 
-	if _, err = os.Stat(a.Tarball); errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		// if the file isn't there we definitely want to generate one
-		generate = true
-	} else { // if the file exists or if it's some other error
-		if regenerateTarballs {
-			// not sure why this is here since we deleted the whole
-			// directory beforehand but let's try overwrite it anyway
-			generate = true
+	if _, err = os.Stat(path); errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		a.Tarball = path
+	} else if err == nil {
+		a.Tarball = ""
+		for i := range 9 {
+			if _, err = os.Stat(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%d", path, i)); err == nil {
+				continue
+			} else if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+				a.Tarball = path
+			} else {
+				err = errors.New("cannot create tarball in filesystem: " +
+					err.Error())
+				return
+			}
 		}
-	}
-
-	if generate {
-		err = targz.Compress(a.Directory(), a.Tarball)
-		if err != nil {
-			a.Tarball = ""
+		if len(a.Tarball) == 0 {
+			err = errors.New("cannot create tarball in filesystem; " +
+				"please clean out " + TempDir)
 			return
 		}
+	} else {
+		err = errors.New("cannot create tarball in filesystem: " + err.Error())
+		return
+	}
+
+	a.Tarball = path
+	err = targz.Compress(a.Directory(), a.Tarball)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
 	}
 
 	tarball, err := os.Stat(a.Tarball)
 	if err != nil {
-		a.Tarball = ""
 		return
 	}
 	a.TarballSize = tarball.Size()
diff --git a/musicindex/musicindex.go b/musicindex/musicindex.go
index b70b0d3..c29406c 100644
--- a/musicindex/musicindex.go
+++ b/musicindex/musicindex.go
@@ -34,23 +34,20 @@ var artists map[string]Artist
 var coverFileExtension string
 var defaultCoverFile string
 var mediaDir string
-var regenerateTarballs bool
 var trackFileExtension string
 
-func Init(path string, regenerate bool) {
-	InitWith(path, regenerate, ".flac", "cover.jpg", ".jpg")
+func Init(path string) {
+	InitWith(path, ".flac", "cover.jpg", ".jpg")
 }
 
-func InitWith(path string, regenerate bool,
-	mediaExtension, coverFile, coverExtension string) {
+func InitWith(path, mediaExtension, coverFile, coverExtension string) {
 	if initialised {
 		return
 	}
 
 	mediaDir = path
-	defaultCoverFile = coverFile
-	regenerateTarballs = regenerate
 	trackFileExtension = mediaExtension
+	defaultCoverFile = coverFile
 	coverFileExtension = coverExtension
 
 	assertAccessTo(mediaDir)