diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2bf5070e4..55b6fab59 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ overview of all settings configurable through the CLI.
 | `Worker.UploadOverdriveTimeout`      | Timeout for overdriving slab uploads                 | `3s`                              | `--worker.uploadOverdriveTimeout` | -                                              | `worker.uploadOverdriveTimeout`     |
 | `Worker.Enabled`                     | Enables/disables worker                              | `true`                            | `--worker.enabled`               | `RENTERD_WORKER_ENABLED`                       | `worker.enabled`                    |
 | `Worker.AllowUnauthenticatedDownloads` | Allows unauthenticated downloads                    | -                                 | `--worker.unauthenticatedDownloads` | `RENTERD_WORKER_UNAUTHENTICATED_DOWNLOADS` | `worker.allowUnauthenticatedDownloads` |
+| `Worker.ExternalAddress`              | Address of the worker on the network, only necessary when the bus is remote | -                                 | -                                | `RENTERD_WORKER_EXTERNAL_ADDR`                     | `worker.externalAddress`                   |
 | `Autopilot.AccountsRefillInterval`   | Interval for refilling workers' account balances     | `24h`                             | `--autopilot.accountRefillInterval` | -                                              | `autopilot.accountsRefillInterval`  |
 | `Autopilot.Heartbeat`                | Interval for autopilot loop execution                | `30m`                             | `--autopilot.heartbeat`            | -                                              | `autopilot.heartbeat`               |
 | `Autopilot.MigrationHealthCutoff`    | Threshold for migrating slabs based on health        | `0.75`                            | `--autopilot.migrationHealthCutoff` | -                                              | `autopilot.migrationHealthCutoff`   |
diff --git a/cmd/renterd/main.go b/cmd/renterd/main.go
index f803859ce..17cbc8bc4 100644
--- a/cmd/renterd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/renterd/main.go
@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@ func main() {
 	flag.DurationVar(&cfg.Worker.UploadOverdriveTimeout, "worker.uploadOverdriveTimeout", cfg.Worker.UploadOverdriveTimeout, "Timeout for overdriving slab uploads")
 	flag.BoolVar(&cfg.Worker.Enabled, "worker.enabled", cfg.Worker.Enabled, "Enables/disables worker (overrides with RENTERD_WORKER_ENABLED)")
 	flag.BoolVar(&cfg.Worker.AllowUnauthenticatedDownloads, "worker.unauthenticatedDownloads", cfg.Worker.AllowUnauthenticatedDownloads, "Allows unauthenticated downloads (overrides with RENTERD_WORKER_UNAUTHENTICATED_DOWNLOADS)")
+	flag.StringVar(&cfg.Worker.ExternalAddress, "worker.externalAddress", cfg.Worker.ExternalAddress, "Address of the worker on the network, only necessary when the bus is remote (overrides with RENTERD_WORKER_EXTERNAL_ADDR)")
 
 	// autopilot
 	flag.DurationVar(&cfg.Autopilot.AccountsRefillInterval, "autopilot.accountRefillInterval", cfg.Autopilot.AccountsRefillInterval, "Interval for refilling workers' account balances")
@@ -365,6 +366,7 @@ func main() {
 	parseEnvVar("RENTERD_WORKER_UNAUTHENTICATED_DOWNLOADS", &cfg.Worker.AllowUnauthenticatedDownloads)
 	parseEnvVar("RENTERD_WORKER_DOWNLOAD_MAX_MEMORY", &cfg.Worker.DownloadMaxMemory)
 	parseEnvVar("RENTERD_WORKER_UPLOAD_MAX_MEMORY", &cfg.Worker.UploadMaxMemory)
+	parseEnvVar("RENTERD_WORKER_EXTERNAL_ADDR", &cfg.Worker.ExternalAddress)
 
 	parseEnvVar("RENTERD_AUTOPILOT_ENABLED", &cfg.Autopilot.Enabled)
 	parseEnvVar("RENTERD_AUTOPILOT_REVISION_BROADCAST_INTERVAL", &cfg.Autopilot.RevisionBroadcastInterval)
@@ -462,8 +464,12 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	var shutdownFns []shutdownFnEntry
 
-	if cfg.Bus.RemoteAddr != "" && len(cfg.Worker.Remotes) != 0 && !cfg.Autopilot.Enabled {
-		logger.Fatal("remote bus, remote worker, and no autopilot -- nothing to do!")
+	if cfg.Bus.RemoteAddr != "" {
+		if len(cfg.Worker.Remotes) != 0 && !cfg.Autopilot.Enabled {
+			logger.Fatal("remote bus, remote worker, and no autopilot -- nothing to do!")
+		} else if cfg.Worker.ExternalAddress == "" {
+			logger.Fatal("if the bus is remote, the worker needs to be able to tell it where to find its API, this can be configured using worker.externalAddress")
+		}
 	}
 	if len(cfg.Worker.Remotes) == 0 && !cfg.Worker.Enabled && cfg.Autopilot.Enabled {
 		logger.Fatal("can't enable autopilot without providing either workers to connect to or creating a worker")
@@ -534,8 +540,14 @@ func main() {
 			if err != nil {
 				logger.Fatal("failed to create worker: " + err.Error())
 			}
+			var workerExternAddr string
+			if cfg.Bus.RemoteAddr != "" {
+				workerExternAddr = cfg.Worker.ExternalAddress + "/api/worker"
+			} else {
+				workerExternAddr = workerAddr
+			}
 			setupWorkerFn = func(ctx context.Context) error {
-				return setupFn(ctx, workerAddr, cfg.HTTP.Password)
+				return setupFn(ctx, workerExternAddr, cfg.HTTP.Password)
 			}
 			shutdownFns = append(shutdownFns, shutdownFnEntry{
 				name: "Worker",
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 565eaa802..909856b8e 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ type (
 		UploadMaxMemory               uint64         `yaml:"uploadMaxMemory,omitempty"`
 		UploadMaxOverdrive            uint64         `yaml:"uploadMaxOverdrive,omitempty"`
 		AllowUnauthenticatedDownloads bool           `yaml:"allowUnauthenticatedDownloads,omitempty"`
+		ExternalAddress               string         `yaml:"externalAddress,omitempty"`
 	}
 
 	// Autopilot contains the configuration for an autopilot.
diff --git a/worker/host.go b/worker/host.go
index b0d36aad5..e6ffa9822 100644
--- a/worker/host.go
+++ b/worker/host.go
@@ -110,11 +110,14 @@ func (h *host) DownloadSector(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer, root types.Hash2
 				return err
 			}
 
-			var refund types.Currency
 			payment := rhpv3.PayByEphemeralAccount(h.acc.id, cost, pt.HostBlockHeight+defaultWithdrawalExpiryBlocks, h.accountKey)
-			cost, refund, err = RPCReadSector(ctx, t, w, hpt, &payment, offset, length, root)
+			cost, refund, err := RPCReadSector(ctx, t, w, hpt, &payment, offset, length, root)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
 			amount = cost.Sub(refund)
-			return err
+			return nil
 		})
 		return
 	})