diff --git a/oml/downloads.py b/oml/downloads.py
index 388cdbd..f15cf19 100644
--- a/oml/downloads.py
+++ b/oml/downloads.py
@@ -45,22 +45,24 @@ class Downloads(Thread):
             if itemid not in self.transfers:
                 continue
             if t.get('added') and t.get('progress', -1) < 1:
-                i = item.models.Item.get(itemid)
-                for u in i.users:
+                if not 'users' in t:
+                    i = item.models.Item.get(itemid)
+                    t['users'] = [u.id for u in i.users]
+                for uid in t['users']:
                     if state.shutdown:
                         return False
-                    if state.nodes.is_online(u.id):
-                        logger.debug('DOWNLOAD %s %s', i, u)
-                        r = state.nodes.download(u.id, i)
+                    if state.nodes.is_online(uid):
+                        logger.debug('DOWNLOAD %s %s', i, uid)
+                        if state.nodes.download(uid, i):
+                            break
         return False
 
     def run(self):
         self.wait(10)
         while not state.shutdown:
-            if self.wait_online():
-                with db.session():
-                    self.download_next()
-                self.wait(10)
+            with db.session():
+                self.download_next()
+            self.wait(10)
 
     def join(self):
         self.transfers.commit()
diff --git a/oml/item/models.py b/oml/item/models.py
index 82aa153..4d52ac4 100644
--- a/oml/item/models.py
+++ b/oml/item/models.py
@@ -565,6 +565,7 @@ class Item(db.Model):
             if state.downloads and self.id in state.downloads.transfers:
                 del state.downloads.transfers[self.id]
             self.update()
+            return True
         return False
 
     def remove_file(self):
diff --git a/oml/nodes.py b/oml/nodes.py
index 3508ac6..88d1aaf 100644
--- a/oml/nodes.py
+++ b/oml/nodes.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import json
 from io import BytesIO
 import gzip
 import urllib.request, urllib.error, urllib.parse
-from datetime import datetime
 import os
 import time
 import socket
@@ -306,31 +305,30 @@ class Node(Thread):
             return False
         if r.getcode() == 200:
             try:
-                fileobj = r
                 if r.headers.get('content-encoding', None) == 'gzip':
                     fileobj = gzip.GzipFile(fileobj=r)
-                content = b''
-                ct = datetime.utcnow()
-                size = 0
+                else:
+                    fileobj = r
+                content = []
+                ct = time.time()
+                size = item.info['size']
+                received = 0
                 chunk_size = 16*1024
                 for chunk in iter(lambda: fileobj.read(chunk_size), b''):
-                    content += chunk
-                    size += len(chunk)
-                    since_ct = (datetime.utcnow() - ct).total_seconds()
-                    if since_ct > 1:
-                        ct = datetime.utcnow()
+                    content.append(chunk)
+                    received += len(chunk)
+                    if time.time() - ct > 1:
+                        ct = time.time()
                         if state.shutdown:
                             return False
                         t = state.downloads.transfers.get(item.id)
-                        if not t:
-                            # transfer was canceled
+                        if not t: # transfer was canceled
                             trigger_event('transfer', {
                                 'id': item.id, 'progress': -1
                             })
                             return False
                         else:
-                            t['progress'] = size / item.info['size']
-                            state.downloads.transfers[item.id] = t
+                            t['progress'] = received / size
                             trigger_event('transfer', {
                                 'id': item.id, 'progress': t['progress']
                             })
@@ -338,7 +336,7 @@ class Node(Thread):
                     if state.bandwidth:
                         while not state.bandwidth.download(chunk_size) and not state.shutdown:
                             time.sleep(0.1)
-                return item.save_file(content)
+                return item.save_file(b''.join(content))
             except:
                 logger.debug('download failed %s', url, exc_info=True)
                 return False
@@ -368,9 +366,10 @@ class Node(Thread):
         code = r.getcode()
         if code == 200:
             try:
-                fileobj = r
                 if r.headers.get('content-encoding', None) == 'gzip':
                     fileobj = gzip.GzipFile(fileobj=r)
+                else:
+                    fileobj = r
                 content = fileobj.read()
                 key = 'preview:' + item_id
                 icons[key] = content
@@ -431,12 +430,28 @@ class Nodes(Thread):
         self.daemon = True
         self.start()
 
+    def run(self):
+        library.sync_db()
+        self.queue('pull')
+        while not state.shutdown:
+            args = self._q.get()
+            if args:
+                if args[0] == 'cleanup':
+                    self.cleanup()
+                elif args[0] == 'add':
+                    self._add(*args[1:])
+                elif args[0] == 'pull':
+                    self._pull()
+                else:
+                    self._call(*args)
+
+
     def cleanup(self):
         if not state.shutdown and self._local:
             self._local.cleanup()
 
     def pull(self):
-        if state.online and not self._pulling:
+        if not self._pulling:
             self.queue('pull')
 
     def queue(self, *args):
@@ -482,7 +497,6 @@ class Nodes(Thread):
         if state.activity and state.activity.get('activity') == 'import':
             return
         self._pulling = True
-        library.sync_db()
         if state.shutdown:
             return
         users = []
@@ -499,20 +513,6 @@ class Nodes(Thread):
                 node.pullChanges()
         self._pulling = False
 
-    def run(self):
-        self.queue('pull')
-        while not state.shutdown:
-            args = self._q.get()
-            if args:
-                if args[0] == 'cleanup':
-                    self.cleanup()
-                elif args[0] == 'add':
-                    self._add(*args[1:])
-                elif args[0] == 'pull':
-                    self._pull()
-                else:
-                    self._call(*args)
-
     def join(self):
         self._q.put(None)
         for node in list(self._nodes.values()):
diff --git a/oml/user/models.py b/oml/user/models.py
index 703d2cc..d0b4b24 100644
--- a/oml/user/models.py
+++ b/oml/user/models.py
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ class List(db.Model):
         for item_id in items:
             i = Item.get(item_id)
             if i:
-                if i.info['mediastate'] != 'available' and self.user_id == settings.USER_ID:
+                if self.user_id == settings.USER_ID and i.info.get('mediastate') != 'available':
                     i.queue_download()
                 if i not in self.items:
                     self.items.append(i)