diff --git a/lib/server/CServer.cpp b/lib/server/CServer.cpp
index a4d124f0..aede8ca9 100644
--- a/lib/server/CServer.cpp
+++ b/lib/server/CServer.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ const SInt32			CServer::s_httpMaxSimultaneousRequests = 3;
 
 CServer::CServer(const CString& serverName) :
 	m_name(serverName),
+	m_error(false),
 	m_bindTimeout(5.0 * 60.0),
 	m_screenFactory(NULL),
 	m_socketFactory(NULL),
@@ -161,6 +162,12 @@ CServer::mainLoop()
 		throw;
 	}
 #undef FINALLY
+
+	// throw if there was an error
+	if (m_error) {
+		LOG((CLOG_DEBUG "forwarding child thread exception"));
+		throw XServerRethrow();
+	}
 }
 
 void
@@ -169,6 +176,16 @@ CServer::exitMainLoop()
 	m_primaryClient->exitMainLoop();
 }
 
+void
+CServer::exitMainLoopWithError()
+{
+	{
+		CLock lock(&m_mutex);
+		m_error = true;
+	}
+	exitMainLoop();
+}
+
 void
 CServer::close()
 {
@@ -1186,7 +1203,7 @@ CServer::acceptClients(void*)
 				listen->bind(m_config.getSynergyAddress());
 				break;
 			}
-			catch (XSocketBind& e) {
+			catch (XSocketAddressInUse& e) {
 				LOG((CLOG_WARN "bind failed: %s", e.getErrstr()));
 
 				// give up if we've waited too long
@@ -1220,7 +1237,7 @@ CServer::acceptClients(void*)
 	catch (XBase& e) {
 		LOG((CLOG_ERR "cannot listen for clients: %s", e.what()));
 		delete listen;
-		exitMainLoop();
+		exitMainLoopWithError();
 	}
 	catch (...) {
 		delete listen;
@@ -1505,7 +1522,7 @@ CServer::acceptHTTPClients(void*)
 	catch (XBase& e) {
 		LOG((CLOG_ERR "cannot listen for HTTP clients: %s", e.what()));
 		delete listen;
-		exitMainLoop();
+		exitMainLoopWithError();
 	}
 	catch (...) {
 		delete listen;
@@ -1691,6 +1708,17 @@ CServer::removeConnection(const CString& name)
 }
 
 
+//
+// CServer::CClipboardInfo
+//
+
+CString
+CServer::XServerRethrow::getWhat() const throw()
+{
+	return format("XServerRethrow", "child thread failed");
+}
+
+
 //
 // CServer::CClipboardInfo
 //
diff --git a/lib/server/CServer.h b/lib/server/CServer.h
index e9a1224f..49583c6e 100644
--- a/lib/server/CServer.h
+++ b/lib/server/CServer.h
@@ -157,6 +157,14 @@ protected:
 	*/
 	bool				onCommandKey(KeyID, KeyModifierMask, bool down);
 
+	//! Exit event loop and note an error condition
+	/*!
+	Force mainLoop() to return by throwing an exception.  This call
+	can return before mainLoop() does (i.e. asynchronously).  This
+	may only be called between a successful open() and close().
+	*/
+	void				exitMainLoopWithError();
+
 private:
 	typedef std::list<CThread> CThreadList;
 
@@ -230,6 +238,12 @@ private:
 	void				removeConnection(const CString& name);
 
 private:
+	class XServerRethrow : public XBase {
+	protected:
+		// XBase overrides
+		virtual CString	getWhat() const throw();
+	};
+
 	class CClipboardInfo {
 	public:
 		CClipboardInfo();
@@ -246,6 +260,14 @@ private:
 	// the name of the primary screen
 	CString				m_name;
 
+	// true if we should exit the main loop by throwing an exception.
+	// this is used to propagate an exception from one of our threads
+	// to the mainLoop() thread.  but, since we can't make a copy of
+	// the original exception, we return an arbitrary, unique
+	// exception type.  the caller of mainLoop() cannot catch this
+	// exception except through XBase or ....
+	bool				m_error;
+
 	// how long to wait to bind our socket until we give up
 	double				m_bindTimeout;