diff --git a/urlgrabber/grabber.py b/urlgrabber/grabber.py
index b004f4d..d19ca01 100644
--- a/urlgrabber/grabber.py
+++ b/urlgrabber/grabber.py
@@ -1893,6 +1893,8 @@ class PyCurlFileObject(object):
             urllib.addinfourl, via. urllib.URLopener.* """
         return self.url
         
+# tell curl to return immediately on ctrl-c
+pycurl.global_init(pycurl.GLOBAL_DEFAULT | pycurl.GLOBAL_ACK_EINTR)
 _curl_cache = pycurl.Curl() # make one and reuse it over and over and over
 
 def reset_curl_obj():
@@ -2170,6 +2172,7 @@ def parallel_wait(meter=None):
     dl = _ExternalDownloaderPool()
     host_con = {} # current host connection counts
     single = set() # hosts in single connection mode
+    retry_queue = []
 
     def start(opts, tries):
         opts.tries = tries
@@ -2221,6 +2224,9 @@ def parallel_wait(meter=None):
                 # Turn on the max_connections=1 override. BZ 853432
                 if DEBUG: DEBUG.info('max_connections(%s) %s => 1', key, limit)
                 single.add(key)
+                # When using multi-downloader the parent's _curl_cache
+                # object is idle. Kill it, as it might use keepalive=1.
+                reset_curl_obj()
 
             retry = opts.retry or 0
             if opts.failure_callback:
@@ -2247,7 +2253,7 @@ def parallel_wait(meter=None):
                     # mask this mirror and retry
                     if action.get('remove', 1):
                         removed.add(key)
-                    _async_queue.append(opts)
+                    retry_queue.append(opts)
                     continue
                 # fail=1 from callback
                 ug_err.errors = errors
@@ -2257,19 +2263,22 @@ def parallel_wait(meter=None):
             _run_callback(opts.failfunc, opts)
 
     try:
-        idx = 0
+        retry_idx = idx = 0
         while True:
-            if idx >= len(_async_queue):
-                # the queue is empty
+            if retry_idx < len(retry_queue):
+                # retries first
+                opts = retry_queue[retry_idx]
+                retry_idx += 1
+            elif idx < len(_async_queue):
+                # handle next request
+                opts = _async_queue[idx]
+                idx += 1
+            else:
+                # both queues are empty
                 if not dl.running: break
-                # pending dl may extend it
                 perform()
                 continue
 
-            # handle next request
-            opts = _async_queue[idx]
-            idx += 1
-
             # check global limit
             while len(dl.running) >= default_grabber.opts.max_connections:
                 perform()