diff --git a/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp b/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp
index 3372a8d7d..1ec508320 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp
@@ -218,8 +218,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		torrent_status::state_t state() const { return m_state; }
 		void set_state(torrent_status::state_t s);
 
-		void clear_error();
-
 		session_settings const& settings() const;
 		
 		aux::session_impl& session() { return m_ses; }
@@ -247,7 +245,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		void ip_filter_updated() { m_policy.ip_filter_updated(); }
 
-		void set_error(std::string const& msg) { m_error = msg; }
+		void clear_error();
+		void set_error(std::string const& msg);
 		bool has_error() const { return !m_error.empty(); }
 		void pause();
 		void resume();
diff --git a/src/session_impl.cpp b/src/session_impl.cpp
index 89b11ceb9..e13e630e0 100644
--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -1501,12 +1501,8 @@ namespace aux {
 			{
 				--hard_limit;
 				++total_running;
-				if (t->state() != torrent_status::queued_for_checking
-					&& t->state() != torrent_status::checking_files)
-				{
-					--num_downloaders;
-					if (t->is_paused()) t->resume();
-				}
+				--num_downloaders;
+				if (t->is_paused()) t->resume();
 			}
 			else
 			{
diff --git a/src/torrent.cpp b/src/torrent.cpp
index b92cd0ab9..bade1c155 100644
--- a/src/torrent.cpp
+++ b/src/torrent.cpp
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		if (m_torrent_file->num_pieces()
 			> piece_picker::max_pieces)
 		{
-			m_error = "too many pieces in torrent";
+			set_error("too many pieces in torrent");
 			pause();
 		}
 
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 					" ]\n";
 #endif
 			}
-			m_error = j.str;
+			set_error(j.str);
 			pause();
 			set_state(torrent_status::queued_for_checking);
 
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 					" ]\n";
 #endif
 			}
-			m_error = j.str;
+			set_error(j.str);
 			pause();
 			return;
 		}
@@ -923,7 +923,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 #endif
 			}
 			pause();
-			m_error = j.str;
+			set_error(j.str);
 			if (!m_abort) m_ses.done_checking(shared_from_this());
 			set_state(torrent_status::queued_for_checking);
 			return;
@@ -4338,6 +4338,19 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			m_ses.check_torrent(shared_from_this());
 	}
 
+	void torrent::set_error(std::string const& msg)
+	{
+		bool checking_files = should_check_files();
+		m_error = msg;
+		if (checking_files && !should_check_files())
+		{
+			// stop checking
+			m_storage->abort_disk_io();
+			m_ses.done_checking(shared_from_this());
+			set_state(torrent_status::queued_for_checking);
+		}
+	}
+
 	void torrent::auto_managed(bool a)
 	{
 		INVARIANT_CHECK;
@@ -4846,7 +4859,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		{
 			if (alerts().should_post<file_error_alert>())
 				alerts().post_alert(file_error_alert(j.error_file, get_handle(), j.str));
-			m_error = j.str;
+			set_error(j.str);
 			pause();
 		}
 		f(ret);