=== modified file 'lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el'
--- lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el	2010-08-09 18:05:56 +0000
+++ lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el	2010-08-14 14:59:14 +0000
@@ -656,13 +656,15 @@
 
 (defun package-download-tar (name version)
   "Download and install a tar package."
-  (let ((tar-buffer (url-retrieve-synchronously
-		     (concat (package-archive-url name)
-			     (symbol-name name) "-" version ".tar"))))
+  (let* ((tar-url (concat (package-archive-url name)
+                          (symbol-name name) "-" version ".tar"))
+         (filep (equal "file" (url-type (url-generic-parse-url tar-url))))
+         (tar-buffer (url-retrieve-synchronously tar-url)))
     (with-current-buffer tar-buffer
-      (package-handle-response)
-      (re-search-forward "^$" nil 'move)
-      (forward-char)
+      (unless filep
+        (package-handle-response)
+        (re-search-forward "^$" nil 'move)
+        (forward-char))
       (package-unpack name version)
       (kill-buffer tar-buffer))))
 
@@ -995,11 +997,13 @@
          (archive-url  (cdr archive))
 	 (dir (expand-file-name "archives" package-user-dir))
 	 (dir (expand-file-name archive-name dir))
+         (filep (equal "file" (url-type (url-generic-parse-url archive-url))))
          (buffer (url-retrieve-synchronously (concat archive-url file))))
     (with-current-buffer buffer
-      (package-handle-response)
-      (re-search-forward "^$" nil 'move)
-      (forward-char)
+      (unless filep
+        (package-handle-response)
+        (re-search-forward "^$" nil 'move)
+        (forward-char))
       (delete-region (point-min) (point))
       (make-directory dir t)
       (setq buffer-file-name (expand-file-name file dir))