diff --git a/bazel/labgrid/runner/runner.py b/bazel/labgrid/runner/runner.py
index d42c658b1dd2ddb91519c435f99125f8b60d0c95..0a15d9fd2f33646cd62f52f7b236f317c866e673 100644
--- a/bazel/labgrid/runner/runner.py
+++ b/bazel/labgrid/runner/runner.py
@@ -30,9 +30,11 @@ class FileTransfer:
     # FIXME: Decide whether or not to transfer runfiles implicitly instead of using a flag
     include_runfiles: bool
 
-    def __init__(self, remote: str, local: str, optional=False, include_runfiles=False):
+    def __init__(
+        self, remote: str, local: str = "", optional=False, include_runfiles=False
+    ):
         object.__setattr__(self, "remote", PurePath(remote))
-        object.__setattr__(self, "local", Path(local))
+        object.__setattr__(self, "local", Path(local if local else remote))
         object.__setattr__(self, "optional", optional)
         object.__setattr__(self, "include_runfiles", include_runfiles)
 
diff --git a/examples/custom-runners/archive-transfer/run.py b/examples/custom-runners/archive-transfer/run.py
index 57db6575437716f3058bfc9618bd232207971d01..552256db60e85120cf092cc978abda57353c5b7a 100644
--- a/examples/custom-runners/archive-transfer/run.py
+++ b/examples/custom-runners/archive-transfer/run.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def main():
 
     runfiles = Runfiles.Create()
     unzip = FileTransfer("unzip", runfiles.Rlocation("ape/ape/assimilate/unzip/unzip"))
-    archive = FileTransfer("archive.zip", "archive.zip")
+    archive = FileTransfer("archive.zip")
 
     with ZipFile(archive.local, "w") as zipfile:
         zipfile.write(args.program, arcname=args.program.name)