diff --git a/libtorrent/src/peer_connection.cpp b/libtorrent/src/peer_connection.cpp
index dc4b294a5..77ff59d93 100755
--- a/libtorrent/src/peer_connection.cpp
+++ b/libtorrent/src/peer_connection.cpp
@@ -1707,6 +1707,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(block.block_index < t->torrent_file().piece_size(block.piece_index));
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(!t->picker().is_requested(block) || (t->picker().num_peers(block) > 0));
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(!t->have_piece(block.piece_index));
+		TORRENT_ASSERT(std::find(m_download_queue.begin(), m_download_queue.end(), block) == m_download_queue.end());
+		TORRENT_ASSERT(std::find(m_request_queue.begin(), m_request_queue.end(), block) == m_request_queue.end());
 
 		piece_picker::piece_state_t state;
 		peer_speed_t speed = peer_speed();
diff --git a/libtorrent/src/session_impl.cpp b/libtorrent/src/session_impl.cpp
index 209e833c3..a93ad7cb0 100755
--- a/libtorrent/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/libtorrent/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -1263,10 +1263,21 @@ namespace detail
 				torrent& t = *i->second;
 				if (t.want_more_peers())
 				{
-					if (t.try_connect_peer())
+					try
 					{
-						--max_connections;
-						steps_since_last_connect = 0;
+						if (t.try_connect_peer())
+						{
+							--max_connections;
+							steps_since_last_connect = 0;
+						}
+					}
+					catch (std::bad_alloc&)
+					{
+						// we ran out of memory trying to connect to a peer
+						// lower the global limit to the number of peers
+						// we already have
+						m_max_connections = num_connections();
+						if (m_max_connections < 2) m_max_connections = 2;
 					}
 				}
 				++m_next_connect_torrent;
@@ -2406,8 +2417,10 @@ namespace detail
 		m_buffer_usage_logger << log_time() << " protocol_buffer: "
 			<< (m_buffer_allocations * send_buffer_size) << std::endl;
 #endif
-		return std::make_pair((char*)m_send_buffers.ordered_malloc(num_buffers)
+		std::pair<char*, int> ret((char*)m_send_buffers.ordered_malloc(num_buffers)
 			, num_buffers * send_buffer_size);
+		if (ret.first == 0) throw std::bad_alloc();
+		return ret;
 	}
 
 	void session_impl::free_buffer(char* buf, int size)