diff --git a/dvc/remote/base.py b/dvc/remote/base.py
index 6dda03602..9952ce824 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/base.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/base.py
@@ -173,7 +173,21 @@ class RemoteBase(object):
         return False
 
     def save(self, path_info, checksum_info):
-        raise RemoteActionNotImplemented("save", self.scheme)
+        if path_info["scheme"] != self.scheme:
+            raise RemoteActionNotImplemented(
+                "save {} -> {}".format(path_info["scheme"], self.scheme),
+                self.scheme,
+            )
+
+        checksum = checksum_info[self.PARAM_CHECKSUM]
+        if not self.changed_cache(checksum):
+            return
+
+        to_info = self.checksum_to_path_info(checksum)
+
+        logger.info("Saving '{}' to '{}'.".format(path_info, to_info))
+
+        self.copy(path_info, to_info)
 
     def download(
         self,
@@ -265,6 +279,10 @@ class RemoteBase(object):
     def changed_cache(self, checksum):
         cache = self.checksum_to_path_info(checksum)
         expected = {self.PARAM_CHECKSUM: checksum}
+
+        if not self.exists(cache):
+            return True
+
         actual = self.save_info(cache)
 
         logger.debug(
diff --git a/dvc/remote/gs.py b/dvc/remote/gs.py
index df9e5af7c..aa7d8ffd6 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/gs.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/gs.py
@@ -87,18 +87,6 @@ class RemoteGS(RemoteBase):
             blob, self.gs.bucket(to_info["bucket"]), new_name=to_info["path"]
         )
 
-    def save(self, path_info):
-        if path_info["scheme"] != "gs":
-            raise NotImplementedError
-
-        md5 = self.get_md5(path_info["bucket"], path_info["path"])
-        path = self.checksum_to_path(md5)
-        to_info = {"scheme": "gs", "bucket": self.bucket, "path": path}
-
-        self.copy(path_info, to_info)
-
-        return {self.PARAM_CHECKSUM: md5}
-
     def remove(self, path_info):
         if path_info["scheme"] != "gs":
             raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/dvc/remote/hdfs.py b/dvc/remote/hdfs.py
index 287bb66ae..337b777b1 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/hdfs.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/hdfs.py
@@ -88,18 +88,6 @@ class RemoteHDFS(RemoteBase):
 
         return {self.PARAM_CHECKSUM: self.checksum(path_info)}
 
-    def save(self, path_info, checksum_info):
-        if path_info["scheme"] != "hdfs":
-            raise NotImplementedError
-
-        assert path_info.get("path")
-
-        checksum = checksum_info[self.PARAM_CHECKSUM]
-        dest = path_info.copy()
-        dest["path"] = self.checksum_to_path(checksum)
-
-        self.copy(path_info, dest)
-
     def remove(self, path_info):
         if path_info["scheme"] != "hdfs":
             raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/dvc/remote/s3.py b/dvc/remote/s3.py
index 44186b52c..e38369d52 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/s3.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/s3.py
@@ -109,16 +109,6 @@ class RemoteS3(RemoteBase):
         source = {"Bucket": from_info["bucket"], "Key": from_info["path"]}
         self.s3.copy(source, to_info["bucket"], to_info["path"])
 
-    def save(self, path_info, checksum_info):
-        if path_info["scheme"] != "s3":
-            raise NotImplementedError
-
-        etag = checksum_info[self.PARAM_CHECKSUM]
-        path = self.checksum_to_path(etag)
-        to_info = {"scheme": "s3", "bucket": self.bucket, "path": path}
-
-        self.copy(path_info, to_info)
-
     def remove(self, path_info):
         if path_info["scheme"] != "s3":
             raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/dvc/remote/ssh/__init__.py b/dvc/remote/ssh/__init__.py
index 5340d7e6b..862247a56 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/ssh/__init__.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/ssh/__init__.py
@@ -115,16 +115,6 @@ class RemoteSSH(RemoteBase):
 
         return {self.PARAM_CHECKSUM: self.md5(path_info)}
 
-    def save(self, path_info, checksum_info):
-        if path_info["scheme"] != self.scheme:
-            raise NotImplementedError
-
-        md5 = checksum_info[self.PARAM_CHECKSUM]
-        dest = path_info.copy()
-        dest["path"] = self.checksum_to_path(md5)
-
-        self.copy(path_info, dest)
-
     def remove(self, path_info):
         if path_info["scheme"] != self.scheme:
             raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/tests/unit/remote/base.py b/tests/unit/remote/base.py
index c21b8105d..95216cfad 100644
--- a/tests/unit/remote/base.py
+++ b/tests/unit/remote/base.py
@@ -33,3 +33,29 @@ class TestCmdError(TestCase):
             ):
                 with self.assertRaises(RemoteCmdError):
                     remote_class(repo, config).remove("file")
+
+
+class TestCacheExists(TestCase):
+    def test(self):
+        for remote_class in REMOTES:
+            config = {
+                "url": remote_class.scheme + "://example/prefix",
+                "connection_string": "1234567",
+            }
+            remote = remote_class(None, config)
+
+            with mock.patch.object(remote, "changed_cache", return_value=True):
+                with mock.patch.object(remote, "copy") as cp:
+                    remote.save(
+                        remote.path_info, {remote.PARAM_CHECKSUM: "1234567890"}
+                    )
+                    cp.assert_called_once()
+
+            with mock.patch.object(
+                remote, "changed_cache", return_value=False
+            ):
+                with mock.patch.object(remote, "copy") as cp:
+                    remote.save(
+                        remote.path_info, {remote.PARAM_CHECKSUM: "1234567890"}
+                    )
+                    cp.assert_not_called()