peer.go       |  8 ++++++--
 requesting.go | 11 +++++++++--

diff --git a/peer.go b/peer.go
index 733aa018ef29727d10df21a44e5f3aa54e033cfb..41749710772c6f751868c242e730c8a85be50b10 100644
--- a/peer.go
+++ b/peer.go
@@ -468,6 +468,8 @@ 	}
 	return cn.peerImpl._request(ppReq), nil
 }
 
+var peerUpdateRequestsPeerCancelReason = "Peer.cancel"
+
 func (me *Peer) cancel(r RequestIndex) {
 	if !me.deleteRequest(r) {
 		panic("request not existing should have been guarded")
@@ -480,7 +482,7 @@ 		}
 	}
 	me.decPeakRequests()
 	if me.isLowOnRequests() {
-		me.updateRequests("Peer.cancel")
+		me.updateRequests(peerUpdateRequestsPeerCancelReason)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -566,6 +568,8 @@ 		f()
 	}
 }
 
+var peerUpdateRequestsRemoteRejectReason = "Peer.remoteRejectedRequest"
+
 // Returns true if it was valid to reject the request.
 func (c *Peer) remoteRejectedRequest(r RequestIndex) bool {
 	if c.deleteRequest(r) {
@@ -574,7 +578,7 @@ 	} else if !c.requestState.Cancelled.CheckedRemove(r) {
 		return false
 	}
 	if c.isLowOnRequests() {
-		c.updateRequests("Peer.remoteRejectedRequest")
+		c.updateRequests(peerUpdateRequestsRemoteRejectReason)
 	}
 	c.decExpectedChunkReceive(r)
 	return true
diff --git a/requesting.go b/requesting.go
index 7ecb4e222169bc0c8129e731ca8d3df393db3433..c5c797e7ebf52529d05e4d426f4226273fa52ee7 100644
--- a/requesting.go
+++ b/requesting.go
@@ -312,13 +312,20 @@ 		if cap(next.Requests.requestIndexes) != cap(orig) {
 			panic("changed")
 		}
 
-		if p.needRequestUpdate == "Peer.remoteRejectedRequest" {
+		// don't add requests on reciept of a reject - because this causes request back
+		// to potentially permanently unresponive peers - which just adds network noise.  If
+		// the peer can handle more requests it will send an "unchoked" message - which
+		// will cause it to get added back to the request queue
+		if p.needRequestUpdate == peerUpdateRequestsRemoteRejectReason {
 			continue
 		}
 
 		existing := t.requestingPeer(req)
 		if existing != nil && existing != p {
-			if p.needRequestUpdate == "Peer.cancel" {
+			// don't steal on cancel - because this is triggered by t.cancelRequest below
+			// which means that the cancelled can immediately try to steal back a request
+			// it has lost which can lead to circular cancel/add processing
+			if p.needRequestUpdate == peerUpdateRequestsPeerCancelReason {
 				continue
 			}