diff --git a/lix/libstore/filetransfer.cc b/lix/libstore/filetransfer.cc
index d960f6878..511244479 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/filetransfer.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/filetransfer.cc
@@ -509,6 +509,14 @@ struct curlFileTransfer : public FileTransfer
 
         std::map<CURL *, std::shared_ptr<TransferItem>> items;
 
+        // clear all current transfers in case of an early exit, as can happen
+        // via Interrupted if the interruption occured right before a log call
+        KJ_DEFER({
+            for (auto & [_, item] : items) {
+                item->finish(CURLE_ABORTED_BY_CALLBACK);
+            }
+        });
+
         bool quit = false;
 
         // NOTE: we will need to use CURLMOPT_TIMERFUNCTION to integrate this
@@ -593,10 +601,15 @@ struct curlFileTransfer : public FileTransfer
         } catch (nix::Interrupted & e) {
         } catch (std::exception & e) {
             printError("unexpected error in download thread: %s", e.what());
+        } catch (...) {
+            printError("unexpected error in download thread");
         }
 
         {
             auto state(state_.lock());
+            for (auto & item : state->incoming) {
+                item->finish(CURLE_ABORTED_BY_CALLBACK);
+            }
             state->incoming.clear();
             state->quit = true;
         }
diff --git a/tests/unit/libstore/filetransfer.cc b/tests/unit/libstore/filetransfer.cc
index e998aaaf7..52369ee11 100644
--- a/tests/unit/libstore/filetransfer.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/libstore/filetransfer.cc
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 #include "lix/libstore/filetransfer.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/compression.hh"
+#include "lix/libutil/signals.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/thread-name.hh"
 
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <exception>
 #include <future>
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include <kj/common.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <string>
 #include <string_view>
@@ -395,4 +397,33 @@ TEST(FileTransfer, doesntRetryUploads)
     }
 }
 
+// this test does not work unless run alone. we can't fork because that breaks
+// the file transfer thread, restoring state is insufficient and very fragile.
+TEST(FileTransfer, DISABLED_interrupt)
+{
+    struct InterruptingLogger : Logger
+    {
+        void log(Verbosity lvl, std::string_view s) override
+        {
+            if (s.starts_with("finished") && s.ends_with("body = 10 bytes")) {
+                triggerInterrupt();
+                checkInterrupt();
+            }
+        }
+        void logEI(const ErrorInfo & ei) override
+        {
+        }
+    };
+
+    verbosity = lvlDebug;
+    logger = new InterruptingLogger;
+
+    auto ft = makeFileTransfer(0);
+    auto [port, srv] = serveHTTP({
+        {"200 ok", "content-length: 10\r\n", [] { return "0123456789"; }},
+    });
+
+    ASSERT_THROW(ft->download(fmt("http://[::1]:%d/index", port)).second->drain(), FileTransferError);
+}
+
 }