diff --git a/client/tailscale/apitype/apitype.go b/client/tailscale/apitype/apitype.go
index 6458f510b..3089486a0 100644
--- a/client/tailscale/apitype/apitype.go
+++ b/client/tailscale/apitype/apitype.go
@@ -30,9 +30,16 @@ type FileTarget struct {
 	PeerAPIURL string
 }
 
+// WaitingFiles represent taildrop files sent to the node, ready to be
+// copied to their permenant location by the client.  The client may
+// opt to handle these these using either the /files GET and DELETE
+// endpoints or by moving the file if the client has read/write
+// access to the AbsolutePath.  The client is responsible for removing
+// the file when they have finished processing it.
 type WaitingFile struct {
-	Name string
-	Size int64
+	Name         string
+	Size         int64
+	AbsolutePath string
 }
 
 // SetPushDeviceTokenRequest is the body POSTed to the LocalAPI endpoint /set-device-token.
diff --git a/taildrop/retrieve.go b/taildrop/retrieve.go
index 3e37b492a..96a7d2111 100644
--- a/taildrop/retrieve.go
+++ b/taildrop/retrieve.go
@@ -80,8 +80,9 @@ func (m *Manager) WaitingFiles() (ret []apitype.WaitingFile, err error) {
 				return true
 			}
 			ret = append(ret, apitype.WaitingFile{
-				Name: filepath.Base(name),
-				Size: fi.Size(),
+				AbsolutePath: filepath.Join(m.opts.Dir, name),
+				Name:         filepath.Base(name),
+				Size:         fi.Size(),
 			})
 		}
 		return true