diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 803eee377..b344ca4a1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9 tar-ustar])
 AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
 
 OPENSSL_MINIMUM=0.9.4
-CURL_MINIMUM=7.16.3
+CURL_MINIMUM=7.15.0
 GIO_MINIMUM=2.15.5
 GLIB_MINIMUM=2.6.0
 GTK_MINIMUM=2.6.0
diff --git a/libtransmission/web.c b/libtransmission/web.c
index 002438273..2c2a145e3 100644
--- a/libtransmission/web.c
+++ b/libtransmission/web.c
@@ -17,19 +17,27 @@
 #include <curl/curl.h>
 
 #include "transmission.h"
-#include "list.h"
 #include "trevent.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "web.h"
 
+#define CURL_CHECK_VERSION(major,minor,micro)    \
+    (LIBCURL_VERSION_MAJOR > (major) || \
+     (LIBCURL_VERSION_MAJOR == (major) && LIBCURL_VERSION_MINOR > (minor)) || \
+     (LIBCURL_VERSION_MAJOR == (major) && LIBCURL_VERSION_MINOR == (minor) && \
+      LIBCURL_VERSION_PATCH >= (micro)))
+
+#define PULSE_MSEC 500
+
 #define dbgmsg(fmt...) tr_deepLog( __FILE__, __LINE__, "web", ##fmt )
 
 struct tr_web
 {
+    unsigned int dying     : 1;
+    unsigned int running   : 1;
     int remain;
     CURLM * cm;
     tr_session * session;
-    tr_list * socket_events;
     struct event timer;
 };
 
@@ -84,6 +92,20 @@ processCompletedTasks( tr_web * web )
     } while( easy );
 }
 
+static void
+pump( tr_web * web )
+{
+    int unused;
+    CURLMcode rc;
+    do {
+        rc = curl_multi_perform( web->cm, &unused );
+    } while( rc == CURLM_CALL_MULTI_PERFORM );
+    if ( rc == CURLM_OK  )
+        processCompletedTasks( web );
+    else
+        tr_err( "%s", curl_multi_strerror(rc) );
+}
+
 static size_t
 writeFunc( void * ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb, void * task )
 {
@@ -92,6 +114,18 @@ writeFunc( void * ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb, void * task )
     return byteCount;
 }
 
+static void
+ensureTimerIsRunning( tr_web * web )
+{
+    if( !web->running )
+    {
+        struct timeval tv = tr_timevalMsec( PULSE_MSEC );
+        dbgmsg( "starting web timer" );
+        web->running = 1;
+        evtimer_add( &web->timer, &tv );
+    }
+}
+
 static int
 getCurlProxyType( tr_proxy_type t )
 {
@@ -116,14 +150,13 @@ addTask( void * vtask )
         struct tr_web * web = session->web;
         CURL * ch;
 
+        ensureTimerIsRunning( web );
+
         ++web->remain;
         dbgmsg( "adding task #%lu [%s] (%d remain)", task->tag, task->url, web->remain );
 
         ch = curl_easy_init( );
 
-        if( getenv( "TRANSMISSION_LIBCURL_VERBOSE" ) != 0 )
-            curl_easy_setopt( ch, CURLOPT_VERBOSE, 1 );
-
         if( !task->range && session->isProxyEnabled ) {
             curl_easy_setopt( ch, CURLOPT_PROXY, session->proxy );
             curl_easy_setopt( ch, CURLOPT_PROXYPORT, session->proxyPort );
@@ -181,106 +214,36 @@ tr_webRun( tr_session         * session,
     }
 }
 
-/* libevent says that sock is ready to be processed, so wake up libcurl */
 static void
-event_callback( int sock, short action, void * vweb )
+webDestroy( tr_web * web )
 {
-    tr_web * web = vweb;
-    CURLMcode rc;
-    int mask;
-
-#if 0
-    static const char *strings[] = {
-        "NONE","TIMEOUT","READ","TIMEOUT|READ","WRITE","TIMEOUT|WRITE",
-        "READ|WRITE","TIMEOUT|READ|WRITE","SIGNAL" };
-     fprintf( stderr, "%s:%d (%s) event on socket %d (%s)\n",
-              __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__,
-              sock, strings[action] );
-#endif
-
-    mask = 0;
-    if( action & EV_READ  ) mask |= CURL_CSELECT_IN;
-    if( action & EV_WRITE ) mask |= CURL_CSELECT_OUT;
-
-    do
-        rc = curl_multi_socket_action( web->cm, sock, mask, &web->remain );
-    while( rc == CURLM_CALL_MULTI_PERFORM );
-
-    if ( rc != CURLM_OK  )
-        tr_err( "%s (%d)", curl_multi_strerror(rc), (int)sock );
-
-    processCompletedTasks( web );
+    dbgmsg( "deleting web timer" );
+    assert( !web->running );
+    evtimer_del( &web->timer );
+    curl_multi_cleanup( web->cm );
+    tr_free( web );
 }
 
-/* libcurl wants us to tell it when sock is ready to be processed */
-static int
-socket_callback( CURL            * easy UNUSED,
-                 curl_socket_t     sock,
-                 int               action,
-                 void            * vweb,
-                 void            * assigndata )
-{
-    tr_web * web = vweb;
-    int events = EV_PERSIST;
-    struct event * ev = assigndata;
-
-    if( ev )
-        event_del( ev );
-    else {
-        ev = tr_new0( struct event, 1 );
-        tr_list_prepend( &web->socket_events, ev );
-        curl_multi_assign( web->cm, sock, ev );
-    }
-
-#if 0
-    {
-        static const char *actions[] = {"NONE", "IN", "OUT", "INOUT", "REMOVE"};
-        fprintf( stderr, "%s:%d (%s) callback on socket %d (%s)\n",
-                 __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__,
-                 (int)sock, actions[action]);
-    }
-#endif
-
-    switch (action) {
-        case CURL_POLL_IN: events |= EV_READ; break;
-        case CURL_POLL_OUT: events |= EV_WRITE; break;
-        case CURL_POLL_INOUT: events |= EV_READ|EV_WRITE; break;
-        case CURL_POLL_REMOVE: tr_list_remove_data( &web->socket_events, ev );
-                               tr_free( ev );
-                               /* fallthrough */
-        case CURL_POLL_NONE: return 0;
-        default: tr_err( "Unknown socket action %d", action ); return -1;
-    }
-
-    event_set( ev, sock, events, event_callback, web );
-    event_add( ev, NULL );
-    return 0;
-}
-
-/* libevent says that timeout_ms have passed, so wake up libcurl */
 static void
-timeout_callback( int socket UNUSED, short action UNUSED, void * vweb )
-{
-    CURLMcode rc;
-    tr_web * web = vweb;
-
-    do
-        rc = curl_multi_socket( web->cm, CURL_SOCKET_TIMEOUT, &web->remain );
-    while( rc == CURLM_CALL_MULTI_PERFORM );
-
-    if( rc != CURLM_OK )
-        tr_err( "%s", curl_multi_strerror( rc ) );
-
-    processCompletedTasks( web );
-}
-
-/* libcurl wants us to tell it when timeout_ms have passed */
-static void
-timer_callback( CURLM *multi UNUSED, long timeout_ms, void * vweb )
+pulse( int socket UNUSED, short action UNUSED, void * vweb )
 {
     tr_web * web = vweb;
-    struct timeval timeout = tr_timevalMsec( timeout_ms );
-    timeout_add( &web->timer, &timeout );
+    assert( web->running );
+
+    pump( web );
+
+    evtimer_del( &web->timer );
+
+    web->running = web->remain > 0;
+
+    if( web->running ) {
+        struct timeval tv = tr_timevalMsec( PULSE_MSEC );
+        evtimer_add( &web->timer, &tv );
+    } else if( web->dying ) {
+        webDestroy( web );
+    } else {
+        dbgmsg( "stopping web timer" );
+    }
 }
 
 tr_web*
@@ -302,32 +265,25 @@ tr_webInit( tr_session * session )
     web->cm = curl_multi_init( );
     web->session = session;
 
-    timeout_set( &web->timer, timeout_callback, web );
-    curl_multi_setopt( web->cm, CURLMOPT_SOCKETDATA, web );
-    curl_multi_setopt( web->cm, CURLMOPT_SOCKETFUNCTION, socket_callback );
-    curl_multi_setopt( web->cm, CURLMOPT_TIMERDATA, web );
-    curl_multi_setopt( web->cm, CURLMOPT_TIMERFUNCTION, timer_callback );
+    evtimer_set( &web->timer, pulse, web );
+#if CURL_CHECK_VERSION(7,16,3)
+    curl_multi_setopt( web->cm, CURLMOPT_MAXCONNECTS, 10 );
+#endif
+    pump( web );
 
     return web;
 }
 
-static void
-event_del_and_free( void * e )
-{
-    event_del( e );
-    tr_free( e );
-}
-
 void
 tr_webClose( tr_web ** web_in )
 {
     tr_web * web = *web_in;
     *web_in = NULL;
 
-    timeout_del( &web->timer );
-    tr_list_free( &web->socket_events, event_del_and_free );
-    curl_multi_cleanup( web->cm );
-    tr_free( web );
+    if( !web->running )
+        webDestroy( web );
+    else
+        web->dying = 1;
 }
 
 /***