2 files changed, 16 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/gui.py b/gui.py
index 671bb580a..4def03f59 100755
--- a/gui.py
+++ b/gui.py
@@ -521,7 +521,10 @@ class ProgressWindow:
             return
         self.progress.set_pulse_step(self.updpct)
         self.lastUpdate = now
-        # if we've had a largish gap, some smoothing does actually help.
+        # if we've had a largish gap, some smoothing does actually help,
+        # but don't go crazy
+        if delta > 2:
+            delta=2
         while delta > 0:
             self.progress.pulse()
             processEvents()
diff --git a/iutil.py b/iutil.py
index 49509e993..ec25adba4 100644
--- a/iutil.py
+++ b/iutil.py
@@ -236,11 +236,22 @@ def execWithPulseProgress(command, argv, stdin = None, stdout = None,
         runningLog.write(s)
         if progress: progress.pulse()
 
+        # break out early if the sub-process changes status.
+        # no need to flush the stream if the process has exited
+        try:
+            (pid, status) = os.waitpid(childpid,os.WNOHANG)
+            if pid != 0:
+                break
+        except OSError as e:
+            log.critical("exception from waitpid: %s %s" %(e.errno, e.strerror))
+
         if len(s) < 1:
             break
 
     try:
-        (pid, status) = os.waitpid(childpid, 0)
+        #if we didn't already get our child's exit status above, do so now.
+        if not pid:
+            (pid, status) = os.waitpid(childpid, 0)
     except OSError as e:
         log.critical("exception from waitpid: %s %s" %(e.errno, e.strerror))