diff --git a/swh/storage/buffer.py b/swh/storage/buffer.py
--- a/swh/storage/buffer.py
+++ b/swh/storage/buffer.py
@@ -101,9 +101,9 @@
         )
 
     def flush(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> Dict:
+        summary: Dict[str, int] = self.storage.flush(object_types)
         if object_types is None:
             object_types = self.object_types
-        summary = {}  # type: Dict[str, Dict]
         for object_type in object_types:
             buffer_ = self._objects[object_type]
             batches = grouper(buffer_.values(), n=self.min_batch_size[object_type])
diff --git a/swh/storage/cassandra/storage.py b/swh/storage/cassandra/storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/cassandra/storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/cassandra/storage.py
@@ -1008,3 +1008,6 @@
 
         """
         return None
+
+    def flush(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> Dict:
+        return {}
diff --git a/swh/storage/filter.py b/swh/storage/filter.py
--- a/swh/storage/filter.py
+++ b/swh/storage/filter.py
@@ -148,3 +148,6 @@
             self.objects_seen[object_type] = set()
 
         return self.storage.clear_buffers(object_types)
+
+    def flush(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> Dict:
+        return self.storage.flush(object_types)
diff --git a/swh/storage/in_memory.py b/swh/storage/in_memory.py
--- a/swh/storage/in_memory.py
+++ b/swh/storage/in_memory.py
@@ -1022,3 +1022,6 @@
 
         """
         return None
+
+    def flush(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> Dict:
+        return {}
diff --git a/swh/storage/interface.py b/swh/storage/interface.py
--- a/swh/storage/interface.py
+++ b/swh/storage/interface.py
@@ -1311,4 +1311,10 @@
         state.
 
         """
+
+    def flush(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> Dict:
+        """For backend storages (pg, storage, in-memory), this is expected to be a noop
+        operation. For proxy storages (especially buffer), this is expected to trigger
+        actual writes to the backend.
+        """
         ...
diff --git a/swh/storage/retry.py b/swh/storage/retry.py
--- a/swh/storage/retry.py
+++ b/swh/storage/retry.py
@@ -168,14 +168,11 @@
     def snapshot_add(self, snapshots: Iterable[Snapshot]) -> Dict:
         return self.storage.snapshot_add(snapshots)
 
-    @swh_retry
+    def clear_buffers(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> None:
+        return self.storage.clear_buffers(object_types)
+
     def flush(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> Dict:
         """Specific case for buffer proxy storage failing to flush data
 
         """
-        if hasattr(self.storage, "flush"):
-            return self.storage.flush(object_types)
-        return {}
-
-    def clear_buffers(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> None:
-        return self.storage.clear_buffers(object_types)
+        return self.storage.flush(object_types)
diff --git a/swh/storage/storage.py b/swh/storage/storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/storage.py
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@
     @process_metrics
     def content_add(self, content: Iterable[Content]) -> Dict:
         ctime = now()
+
         contents = [attr.evolve(c, ctime=ctime) for c in content]
 
         objstorage_summary = self.objstorage.content_add(contents)
@@ -1221,3 +1222,6 @@
 
         """
         return None
+
+    def flush(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> Dict:
+        return {}
diff --git a/swh/storage/tests/test_server.py b/swh/storage/tests/test_server.py
--- a/swh/storage/tests/test_server.py
+++ b/swh/storage/tests/test_server.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2019  The Software Heritage developers
+# Copyright (C) 2019-2020  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import yaml
 
 from swh.storage.api.server import load_and_check_config
+from swh.storage import get_storage
 
 
 def prepare_config_file(tmpdir, content, name="config.yml"):
@@ -71,3 +72,10 @@
     cfg = load_and_check_config(config_path, type="any")
 
     assert cfg == config
+
+
+def test_no_remote_flush_operation():
+    config = {"cls": "remote", "url": "http://localhost"}
+    storage = get_storage(**config)
+    with pytest.raises(AttributeError, match="object has no attribute 'flush'"):
+        storage.flush()
diff --git a/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py b/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
@@ -3996,3 +3996,9 @@
 
         """
         assert swh_storage.clear_buffers() is None
+
+    def test_flush(self, swh_storage):
+        """Calling clear buffers on real storage does nothing
+
+        """
+        assert swh_storage.flush() == {}
diff --git a/swh/storage/validate.py b/swh/storage/validate.py
--- a/swh/storage/validate.py
+++ b/swh/storage/validate.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import datetime
 import contextlib
-from typing import Dict, Iterable, List, Optional
+from typing import Dict, Iterable, Optional, List
 
 from swh.model.model import (
     BaseModel,
@@ -110,3 +110,6 @@
 
     def clear_buffers(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> None:
         return self.storage.clear_buffers(object_types)
+
+    def flush(self, object_types: Optional[Iterable[str]] = None) -> Dict:
+        return self.storage.flush(object_types)