diff --git a/src/libstore/filetransfer.cc b/src/libstore/filetransfer.cc
index 7f376429e8a..cd11f19f8ef 100644
--- a/src/libstore/filetransfer.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/filetransfer.cc
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@
 #include <thread>
 #include <regex>
 
-using namespace std::string_literals;
-
 namespace nix {
 
 const unsigned int RETRY_TIME_MS_DEFAULT = 250;
@@ -77,8 +75,9 @@ struct curlFileTransfer : public FileTransfer
         CURL * req = 0;
         // buffer to accompany the `req` above
         char errbuf[CURL_ERROR_SIZE];
-        bool active = false; // whether the handle has been added to the multi object
-        bool paused = false; // whether the request has been paused previously
+        bool active = false;   // whether the handle has been added to the multi object
+        bool paused = false;   // whether the request has been paused previously
+        bool enqueued = false; // whether the request has been added the incoming queue
         std::string statusMsg;
 
         unsigned int attempt = 0;
@@ -176,7 +175,7 @@ struct curlFileTransfer : public FileTransfer
                 curl_easy_cleanup(req);
             }
             try {
-                if (!done)
+                if (!done && enqueued)
                     fail(FileTransferError(
                         Interrupted, {}, "%s of '%s' was interrupted", Uncolored(request.noun()), request.uri));
             } catch (...) {
@@ -887,6 +886,7 @@ struct curlFileTransfer : public FileTransfer
             if (state->isQuitting())
                 throw nix::Error("cannot enqueue download request because the download thread is shutting down");
             state->incoming.push(item);
+            item->enqueued = true; /* Now any exceptions should be reported via the callback. */
         }
 
         wakeupMulti();