diff --git a/libtransmission/web.c b/libtransmission/web.c
index 8eb5963e3..98609a06a 100644
--- a/libtransmission/web.c
+++ b/libtransmission/web.c
@@ -22,20 +22,16 @@
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "web.h"
 
-#define MAX_CONCURRENT_TASKS 16
+#define MAX_CONCURRENT_TASKS 24
 
-#if LIBCURL_VERSION_NUM < 0x071003
-#define curl_multi_socket_action(m,fd,mask,i) curl_multi_socket((m),(fd),(i))
-#endif
-
-#define DEFAULT_TIMER_MSEC 2000
+#define DEFAULT_TIMER_MSEC 2500
 
 #define dbgmsg( ... )  tr_deepLog( __FILE__, __LINE__, "web", __VA_ARGS__ )
 /* #define dbgmsg(...)  do { fprintf( stderr, __VA_ARGS__ ); fprintf( stderr, "\n" ); } while( 0 ) */
 
 struct tr_web
 {
-    unsigned int dying : 1;
+    unsigned int closing : 1;
     int prev_running;
     int still_running;
     long timer_ms;
@@ -58,7 +54,6 @@ struct tr_web_task
     tr_session * session;
     tr_web_done_func * done_func;
     void * done_func_user_data;
-    long timer_ms;
 };
 
 static size_t
@@ -118,7 +113,6 @@ addTask( void * vtask )
                                              TR_NAME "/" LONG_VERSION_STRING );
         curl_easy_setopt( easy, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYHOST, 0 );
         curl_easy_setopt( easy, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, 0 );
-        //curl_easy_setopt( easy, CURLOPT_FORBID_REUSE, 1 );
         curl_easy_setopt( easy, CURLOPT_NOSIGNAL, 1 );
         curl_easy_setopt( easy, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, 1 );
         curl_easy_setopt( easy, CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS, 5 );
@@ -171,32 +165,19 @@ finish_task( struct tr_web_task * task, long response_code )
 }
 
 static void
-webDestroy( tr_web * web )
+remove_finished_tasks( tr_web * g )
 {
-    timeout_del( &web->timer_event );
-    curl_multi_cleanup( web->multi );
-    tr_free( web );
-}
 
-/* note: this function can free the tr_web if it's been flagged for deletion
-   and there are no more tasks remaining.  so, callers need to make sure to
-   not reference their g pointer after calling this function */
-static void
-check_run_count( tr_web * g )
-{
-    int added_from_queue = FALSE;
-
-    dbgmsg( "check_run_count: prev_running %d, still_running %d",
-            g->prev_running, g->still_running );
-
-    if( 1 )
+    if( g->prev_running != g->still_running )
     {
-        CURLMsg * msg;
-        int msgs_left;
         CURL * easy;
-        CURLcode res;
 
-        do{
+        do
+        {
+            CURLMsg * msg;
+            int msgs_left;
+            CURLcode res;
+
             easy = NULL;
             while(( msg = curl_multi_info_read( g->multi, &msgs_left ))) {
                 if( msg->msg == CURLMSG_DONE ) {
@@ -205,6 +186,7 @@ check_run_count( tr_web * g )
                     break;
                 }
             }
+
             if( easy ) {
                 long code;
                 struct tr_web_task * task;
@@ -214,13 +196,36 @@ check_run_count( tr_web * g )
                 curl_easy_cleanup( easy );
                 finish_task( task, code );
             }
-        } while ( easy );
+        }
+        while ( easy );
+
+        g->prev_running = g->still_running;
     }
+}
 
-    g->prev_running = g->still_running;
+static void
+stop_timer( tr_web* g )
+{
+    if( evtimer_pending( &g->timer_event, NULL ) )
+    {
+        dbgmsg( "deleting the pending global timer" );
+        evtimer_del( &g->timer_event );
+    }
+}
 
-dbgmsg( "--> still running: %d ... max: %d ... queue size: %d", g->still_running, MAX_CONCURRENT_TASKS, tr_list_size( g->easy_queue ) );
+static void
+restart_timer( tr_web * g )
+{
+    struct timeval timeout;
+    stop_timer( g );
+    dbgmsg( "adding a timeout for %ld seconds from now", g->timer_ms/1000l );
+    tr_timevalMsec( g->timer_ms, &timeout );
+    timeout_add( &g->timer_event, &timeout );
+}
 
+static void
+add_tasks_from_queue( tr_web * g )
+{
     while( ( g->still_running < MAX_CONCURRENT_TASKS ) 
         && ( tr_list_size( g->easy_queue ) > 0 ) )
     {
@@ -228,56 +233,71 @@ dbgmsg( "--> still running: %d ... max: %d ... queue size: %d", g->still_running
         if( easy )
         {
             const CURLMcode rc = curl_multi_add_handle( g->multi, easy );
-            if( rc != CURLM_OK ) {
+            if( rc != CURLM_OK )
                 tr_err( "%s", curl_multi_strerror( rc ) );
-            } else {
+            else {
                 dbgmsg( "pumped a task out of the curl queue... %d remain", tr_list_size( g->easy_queue ) );
-                added_from_queue = TRUE;
                 ++g->still_running;
             }
         }
     }
-
-    if( !added_from_queue )
-    {
-        if( g->still_running <= 0 ) {
-            if( evtimer_pending( &g->timer_event, NULL ) ) {
-                dbgmsg( "deleting the pending global timer" );
-                evtimer_del( &g->timer_event );
-            }
-        }
-
-        if( g->dying && ( g->still_running < 1 ) ) {
-            dbgmsg( "destroying the web global now that all the tasks are done" );
-            webDestroy( g );
-        }
-    }
 }
 
-
 static void
-reset_timer( tr_web * g )
+webDestroy( tr_web * web )
 {
-    struct timeval timeout;
+    stop_timer( web );
+    curl_multi_cleanup( web->multi );
+    tr_free( web );
+}
 
-    if( evtimer_pending( &g->timer_event, NULL ) )
-        evtimer_del( &g->timer_event );
+/* note: this function can free the tr_web if it's been flagged for deletion
+   and there are no more tasks remaining.  so, callers need to make sure to
+   not reference their g pointer after calling this function */
+static void
+tr_multi_socket_action( tr_web * g, int fd, int mask )
+{
+    int closed = FALSE;
+    CURLMcode rc;
 
-    dbgmsg( "adding a timeout for %ld seconds from now", g->timer_ms/1000l );
-    tr_timevalMsec( g->timer_ms, &timeout );
-    timeout_add( &g->timer_event, &timeout );
+    dbgmsg( "check_run_count: prev_running %d, still_running %d",
+            g->prev_running, g->still_running );
+
+    /* invoke libcurl's processing */
+    do {
+        dbgmsg( "event_cb calling socket_action fd %d, mask %d", fd, mask );
+        rc = curl_multi_socket_action( g->multi, fd, mask, &g->still_running );
+        dbgmsg( "event_cb(): still_running is %d", g->still_running );
+    } while( rc == CURLM_CALL_MULTI_PERFORM );
+    if( rc != CURLM_OK )
+        tr_err( "%s", curl_multi_strerror( rc ) );
+
+    remove_finished_tasks( g );
+
+    add_tasks_from_queue( g );
+
+    if( !g->still_running ) {
+        stop_timer( g );
+        if( g->closing ) {
+            webDestroy( g );
+            closed = TRUE;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if( !closed )
+        restart_timer( g );
 }
 
 /* libevent says that sock is ready to be processed, so wake up libcurl */
 static void
-event_cb( int fd, short kind, void * vg )
+event_cb( int fd, short kind, void * g )
 {
-    tr_web * g = vg;
-    CURLMcode rc;
-    int error = 0;
+    int error;
     int mask;
-    socklen_t errsz = sizeof( error );
+    socklen_t errsz;
 
+    error = 0;
+    errsz = sizeof( error );
     getsockopt( fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_ERROR, &error, &errsz );
     if( error )
         mask = CURL_CSELECT_ERR;
@@ -287,38 +307,15 @@ event_cb( int fd, short kind, void * vg )
         if( kind & EV_WRITE ) mask |= CURL_CSELECT_OUT;
     }
 
-    do {
-        dbgmsg( "event_cb calling socket_action fd %d, mask %d", fd, mask );
-        rc = curl_multi_socket_action( g->multi, fd, mask, &g->still_running );
-        dbgmsg( "event_cb(): still_running is %d", g->still_running );
-    } while( rc == CURLM_CALL_MULTI_PERFORM );
-    if( rc != CURLM_OK )
-        tr_err( "%s", curl_multi_strerror( rc ) );
-
-    reset_timer( g );
-    check_run_count( g );
+    tr_multi_socket_action( g, fd, mask );
 }
 
 /* libevent says that timer_ms have passed, so wake up libcurl */
 static void
-timer_cb( int socket UNUSED, short action UNUSED, void * vg )
+timer_cb( int socket UNUSED, short action UNUSED, void * g )
 {
-    tr_web * g = vg;
-    CURLMcode rc;
     dbgmsg( "libevent timer is done" );
-
-    do {
-        dbgmsg( "timer_cb calling CURL_SOCKET_TIMEOUT" );
-        rc = curl_multi_socket_action( g->multi, CURL_SOCKET_TIMEOUT, 0,
-                                       &g->still_running );
-        dbgmsg( "timer_cb(): still_running is %d", g->still_running );
-    } while( rc == CURLM_CALL_MULTI_PERFORM );
-
-    if( rc != CURLM_OK )
-        tr_err( "%s", curl_multi_strerror( rc ) );
-
-    reset_timer( g );
-    check_run_count( g );
+    tr_multi_socket_action( g, CURL_SOCKET_TIMEOUT, 0 );
 }
 
 static void
@@ -339,8 +336,8 @@ setsock( curl_socket_t            sockfd,
          struct tr_web_sockinfo * f )
 {
     const int kind = EV_PERSIST
-                   | (action & CURL_POLL_IN ? EV_READ : 0)
-                   | (action & CURL_POLL_OUT ? EV_WRITE : 0);
+                   | (( action & CURL_POLL_IN ) ? EV_READ : 0 )
+                   | (( action & CURL_POLL_OUT ) ? EV_WRITE : 0 );
     dbgmsg( "setsock: fd is %d, curl action is %d, libevent action is %d", sockfd, action, kind );
     if( f->evset )
         event_del( &f->ev );
@@ -383,13 +380,10 @@ sock_cb( CURL            * e UNUSED,
 }
 
 
-/* from libcurl documentation: "The timeout value returned in the long timeout
-   points to, is in number of milliseconds at this very moment. If 0, it means
-   you should proceed immediately without waiting for anything. If it
-   returns -1, there's no timeout at all set.  Note: if libcurl returns a -1
-   timeout here, it just means that libcurl currently has no stored timeout
-   value. You must not wait too long (more than a few seconds perhaps) before
-   you call curl_multi_perform() again."  */
+/* from libcurl documentation: "If 0, it means you should proceed immediately
+ * without waiting for anything. If it returns -1, there's no timeout at all
+ * set ... (but) you must not wait too long (more than a few seconds perhaps)
+ * before you call curl_multi_perform() again."  */
 static void
 multi_timer_cb( CURLM *multi UNUSED, long timer_ms, void * g )
 {
@@ -398,7 +392,7 @@ multi_timer_cb( CURLM *multi UNUSED, long timer_ms, void * g )
             timer_cb( 0, 0, g );
         timer_ms = DEFAULT_TIMER_MSEC;
     }
-    reset_timer( g );
+    restart_timer( g );
 }
 
 /****
@@ -448,7 +442,7 @@ tr_webInit( tr_session * session )
     web = tr_new0( struct tr_web, 1 );
     web->multi = curl_multi_init( );
     web->session = session;
-    web->timer_ms = DEFAULT_TIMER_MSEC; /* default value to overwrite in multi_timer_cb() */
+    web->timer_ms = DEFAULT_TIMER_MSEC; /* overwritten by multi_timer_cb() */
 
     timeout_set( &web->timer_event, timer_cb, web );
     curl_multi_setopt( web->multi, CURLMOPT_SOCKETDATA, web );
@@ -467,7 +461,7 @@ tr_webClose( tr_web ** web_in )
     if( web->still_running < 1 )
         webDestroy( web );
     else
-        web->dying = 1;
+        web->closing = 1;
 }
 
 /*****