diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index a224b336..b68ca1cf 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ void ThreadImport(void *data) {
     if (fReindex) {
         CImportingNow imp;
         int nFile = 0;
-        while (!fShutdown) {
+        while (!fRequestShutdown) {
             CDiskBlockPos pos(nFile, 0);
             FILE *file = OpenBlockFile(pos, true);
             if (!file)
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ void ThreadImport(void *data) {
             LoadExternalBlockFile(file, &pos);
             nFile++;
         }
-        if (!fShutdown) {
+        if (!fRequestShutdown) {
             pblocktree->WriteReindexing(false);
             fReindex = false;
             printf("Reindexing finished\n");
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ void ThreadImport(void *data) {
 
     // hardcoded $DATADIR/bootstrap.dat
     filesystem::path pathBootstrap = GetDataDir() / "bootstrap.dat";
-    if (filesystem::exists(pathBootstrap) && !fShutdown) {
+    if (filesystem::exists(pathBootstrap) && !fRequestShutdown) {
         FILE *file = fopen(pathBootstrap.string().c_str(), "rb");
         if (file) {
             CImportingNow imp;
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ void ThreadImport(void *data) {
 
     // -loadblock=
     BOOST_FOREACH(boost::filesystem::path &path, import->vFiles) {
-        if (fShutdown)
+        if (fRequestShutdown)
             break;
         FILE *file = fopen(path.string().c_str(), "rb");
         if (file) {
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 0e0be2f0..158c9478 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -1240,9 +1240,12 @@ bool ConnectBestBlock() {
 
             if (pindexTest->pprev == NULL || pindexTest->pnext != NULL) {
                 reverse(vAttach.begin(), vAttach.end());
-                BOOST_FOREACH(CBlockIndex *pindexSwitch, vAttach)
+                BOOST_FOREACH(CBlockIndex *pindexSwitch, vAttach) {
+                    if (fRequestShutdown)
+                        break;
                     if (!SetBestChain(pindexSwitch))
                         return false;
+                }
                 return true;
             }
             pindexTest = pindexTest->pprev;
@@ -2553,7 +2556,7 @@ bool LoadExternalBlockFile(FILE* fileIn, CDiskBlockPos *dbp)
             }
         }
         uint64 nRewind = blkdat.GetPos();
-        while (blkdat.good() && !blkdat.eof() && !fShutdown) {
+        while (blkdat.good() && !blkdat.eof() && !fRequestShutdown) {
             blkdat.SetPos(nRewind);
             nRewind++; // start one byte further next time, in case of failure
             blkdat.SetLimit(); // remove former limit
diff --git a/src/util.cpp b/src/util.cpp
index bd8ad8ac..3cbc6b19 100644
--- a/src/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ bool fDebug = false;
 bool fDebugNet = false;
 bool fPrintToConsole = false;
 bool fPrintToDebugger = false;
-bool fRequestShutdown = false;
+volatile bool fRequestShutdown = false;
 bool fShutdown = false;
 bool fDaemon = false;
 bool fServer = false;
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index ada0dd37..d8203b58 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ extern bool fDebug;
 extern bool fDebugNet;
 extern bool fPrintToConsole;
 extern bool fPrintToDebugger;
-extern bool fRequestShutdown;
+extern volatile bool fRequestShutdown;
 extern bool fShutdown;
 extern bool fDaemon;
 extern bool fServer;