diff --git a/classes/base.bbclass b/classes/base.bbclass
index c8ee722..769cf2d 100644
--- a/classes/base.bbclass
+++ b/classes/base.bbclass
@@ -61,11 +61,15 @@ def base_chk_file_vars(parser, localpath, params, data):
         name = params["name"]
     except KeyError:
         return False
-    flagName = "%s.md5sum" % name
-    want_md5sum = bb.data.getVarFlag("SRC_URI", flagName, data)
-    flagName = "%s.sha256sum" % name
-    want_sha256sum = bb.data.getVarFlag("SRC_URI", flagName, data)
-
+    if name:
+        md5flag = "%s.md5sum" % name
+        sha256flag = "%s.sha256sum" % name
+    else:
+        md5flag = "md5sum"
+        sha256flag = "sha256sum"
+    want_md5sum = bb.data.getVarFlag("SRC_URI", md5flag, data)
+    want_sha256sum = bb.data.getVarFlag("SRC_URI", sha256flag, data)
+    bb.note("sha=%s, md5=%s" % (want_md5sum, want_sha256sum))
     if (want_sha256sum == None and want_md5sum == None):
         # no checksums to check, nothing to do
         return False
@@ -702,12 +706,21 @@ python base_do_fetch() {
 	pn = bb.data.getVar('PN', d, True)
 
 	# Check each URI
+	uri_num = 0
 	for url in src_uri.split():
 		localpath = bb.data.expand(bb.fetch.localpath(url, localdata), localdata)
 		(type,host,path,_,_,params) = bb.decodeurl(url)
 		uri = "%s://%s%s" % (type,host,path)
 		try:
 			if type in [ "http", "https", "ftp", "ftps" ]:
+				# We provide a default shortcut of plain [] for the first fetch uri
+				# and default to uri%d for subsequent fetch uris.
+				# Explicit names in any uri overrides this default.
+				if not "name" in params:
+					if uri_num:
+						params["name"] = "uri%d" % uri_num
+					else:
+						params["name"] = ""
 				if not (base_chk_file_vars(parser, localpath, params, d) or base_chk_file(parser, pn, pv,uri, localpath, d)):
 					if not bb.data.getVar("OE_ALLOW_INSECURE_DOWNLOADS", d, True):
 						bb.fatal("%s-%s: %s has no checksum defined, cannot check archive integrity" % (pn,pv,uri))
@@ -715,6 +728,7 @@ python base_do_fetch() {
 						bb.note("%s-%s: %s has no checksum defined, archive integrity not checked" % (pn,pv,uri))
 		except Exception:
 			raise bb.build.FuncFailed("Checksum of '%s' failed" % uri)
+		uri_num += 1
 }
 
 addtask fetchall after do_fetch
diff --git a/docs/usermanual/reference/var_src_uri.xml b/docs/usermanual/reference/var_src_uri.xml
index a35e1ee..132bce8 100644
--- a/docs/usermanual/reference/var_src_uri.xml
+++ b/docs/usermanual/reference/var_src_uri.xml
@@ -29,7 +29,16 @@
   be used in preference to retrieving a new version . Any source that is
   retrieved from a remote URI will be stored in the download source directory
   and an appropriate md5 sum generated and stored alongside it.</para>
-
+  <para>Checksums for http/https/ftp/ftps uris are stored in each recipe in
+  the form of<screen>SRC_URI[md5sum] = &quot;9a7a11ffd52d9c4553ea8c0134a6fa86&quot;
+SRC_URI[sha256sum] = &quot;36bdb85c97b39ac604bc58cb7857ee08295242c78a12848ef8a31701921b9434&quot;</screen>
+  for the first remote SRC_URI that has <emphasis>no</emphasis> explicit <command>name=foo</command>
+  associated with it. Following <emphasis>unnamed</emphasis> SRC_URIs default to<screen>
+SRC_URI[uri1.md5sum] =
+SRC_URI[uri1.sha256sum] =
+SRC_URI[uri2.md5sum] =
+SRC_URI[uri2.sha256sum] =</screen>
+  etc.</para>
   <para>Each URI supports a set of additional options. These options are
   tag/value pairs of the form <command>"a=b"</command> and are semi-colon
   separated from each other and from the URI. The follow examples shows two
@@ -38,7 +47,7 @@
 
   <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
-      <term>http, https, ftps</term>
+      <term>http, https, ftp, ftps</term>
 
       <listitem>
         <para>Used to download files and source code via the specified URL.
@@ -164,6 +173,7 @@
         <term>md5sum</term>
 
         <listitem>
+          <para><note>DEPRECATED<!-- isn't it? --></note></para>
           <para>If an md5sum is provided then the downloaded files will only
           be considered valid if the md5sum of the downloaded file matches the
           md5sum option provided.</para>