diff --git a/drupal/modules/update/update.fetch.inc b/drupal/modules/update/update.fetch.inc
index 22db6e8..208d351 100644
--- a/drupal/modules/update/update.fetch.inc
+++ b/drupal/modules/update/update.fetch.inc
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ function update_manual_status() {
  * Fetch project info via XML from a central server.
  */
 function _update_refresh() {
+  static $fail = 0;
   global $base_url;
   module_load_include('inc', 'update', 'update.compare');
 
@@ -47,9 +48,17 @@ function _update_refresh() {
   
   foreach ($projects as $key => $project) {
     $url = _update_build_fetch_url($project, $site_key);
-    $xml = drupal_http_request($url);
-    if (isset($xml->data)) {
-      $data[] = $xml->data;
+    if ($fail < UPDATE_TRIES) {
+      $xml = drupal_http_request($url);
+      if (isset($xml->data)) {
+        $data[] = $xml->data;
+        // connection is good
+        $fail = 0;
+      }
+      else {
+        // connection likely broken; prepare to give up
+        $fail++;
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/drupal/modules/update/update.module b/drupal/modules/update/update.module
index f173d65..a58e958 100644
--- a/drupal/modules/update/update.module
+++ b/drupal/modules/update/update.module
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ define('UPDATE_NOT_CHECKED', -1);
  */
 define('UPDATE_UNKNOWN', -2);
 
+/**
+ * Number of tries to conclude connection between site and drupal.org broken.
+ */
+define('UPDATE_TRIES', 2);
 
 /**
  * Implementation of hook_help().