diff --git a/src/d_clisrv.c b/src/d_clisrv.c
index f35428c95..e432580c5 100644
--- a/src/d_clisrv.c
+++ b/src/d_clisrv.c
@@ -531,6 +531,7 @@ typedef enum
 	CL_SEARCHING,
 	CL_CHECKFILES,
 	CL_DOWNLOADFILES,
+	CL_DOWNLOADFAILED,
 	CL_ASKJOIN,
 	CL_LOADFILES,
 	CL_SETUPFILES,
@@ -616,6 +617,7 @@ static inline void CL_DrawConnectionStatus(void)
 				break;
 			case CL_ASKFULLFILELIST:
 			case CL_CONFIRMCONNECT:
+			case CL_DOWNLOADFAILED:
 				cltext = "";
 				break;
 			case CL_SETUPFILES:
@@ -723,8 +725,10 @@ static inline void CL_DrawConnectionStatus(void)
 				strncpy(tempname, filename, sizeof(tempname)-1);
 			}
 
+			V_DrawCenteredString(BASEVIDWIDTH/2, BASEVIDHEIGHT-58-30, 0,
+				va(M_GetText("%s downloading"), ((cl_mode == CL_DOWNLOADHTTPFILES) ? "\x82""HTTP" : "\x85""Direct")));
 			V_DrawCenteredString(BASEVIDWIDTH/2, BASEVIDHEIGHT-58-22, V_YELLOWMAP,
-				va(M_GetText("Downloading \"%s\""), tempname));
+				va(M_GetText("\"%s\""), tempname));
 			V_DrawString(BASEVIDWIDTH/2-128, BASEVIDHEIGHT-58, V_20TRANS|V_MONOSPACE,
 				va(" %4uK/%4uK",fileneeded[lastfilenum].currentsize>>10,file->totalsize>>10));
 			V_DrawRightAlignedString(BASEVIDWIDTH/2+128, BASEVIDHEIGHT-58, V_20TRANS|V_MONOSPACE,
@@ -1501,6 +1505,10 @@ static void M_ConfirmConnect(void)
 				{
 					cl_mode = CL_DOWNLOADFILES;
 				}
+				else
+				{
+					cl_mode = CL_DOWNLOADFAILED;
+				}
 			}
 #ifdef HAVE_CURL
 			else
@@ -1649,6 +1657,10 @@ static boolean CL_FinishedFileList(void)
 			{
 				cl_mode = CL_DOWNLOADFILES;
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				cl_mode = CL_DOWNLOADFAILED;
+			}
 		}
 #endif
 	}
@@ -1854,6 +1866,21 @@ static boolean CL_ServerConnectionTicker(const char *tmpsave, tic_t *oldtic, tic
 
 			cl_mode = CL_LOADFILES;
 			break;
+		case CL_DOWNLOADFAILED:
+			{
+				CONS_Printf(M_GetText("Legacy downloader request packet failed.\n"));
+				CONS_Printf(M_GetText("Network game synchronization aborted.\n"));
+				D_QuitNetGame();
+				CL_Reset();
+				D_StartTitle();
+				M_StartMessage(M_GetText(
+					"The direct download encountered an error.\n"
+					"See the logfile for more info.\n"
+					"\n"
+					"Press (B)\n"
+				), NULL, MM_NOTHING);
+				return false;
+			}
 		case CL_LOADFILES:
 			if (CL_LoadServerFiles()) 
 				cl_mode = CL_SETUPFILES;
diff --git a/src/d_netfil.c b/src/d_netfil.c
index f50e37bdb..246567c72 100644
--- a/src/d_netfil.c
+++ b/src/d_netfil.c
@@ -354,6 +354,9 @@ void CL_AbortDownloadResume(void)
 	pauseddownload = NULL;
 }
 
+// The following was written and, against all odds, works.
+#define MORELEGACYDOWNLOADER
+
 /** Sends requests for files in the ::fileneeded table with a status of
   * ::FS_NOTFOUND.
   *
@@ -366,42 +369,135 @@ boolean CL_SendFileRequest(void)
 	char *p;
 	INT32 i;
 	INT64 totalfreespaceneeded = 0, availablefreespace;
+	INT32 skippedafile = -1;
+#ifdef MORELEGACYDOWNLOADER
+	boolean firstloop = true;
+#endif
 
 #ifdef PARANOIA
 	if (M_CheckParm("-nodownload"))
-		I_Error("Attempted to download files in -nodownload mode");
+	{
+		CONS_Printf("Direct download - Attempted to download files in -nodownload mode");
+		return false;
+	}
+#endif
 
 	for (i = 0; i < fileneedednum; i++)
+	{
+#ifdef PARANOIA
 		if (fileneeded[i].status != FS_FOUND && fileneeded[i].status != FS_OPEN
 			&& (fileneeded[i].willsend == 0 || fileneeded[i].willsend == 2))
 		{
-			I_Error("Attempted to download files that were not sendable");
+			CONS_Printf("Direct download - attempted to download files that were not sendable\n");
+			return false;
 		}
 #endif
+		if ((fileneeded[i].status == FS_NOTFOUND || fileneeded[i].status == FS_MD5SUMBAD || fileneeded[i].status == FS_FALLBACK))
+		{
+			// Error check for the first time around.
+			totalfreespaceneeded += fileneeded[i].totalsize;
+		}
+	}
+
+	I_GetDiskFreeSpace(&availablefreespace);
+	if (totalfreespaceneeded > availablefreespace)
+	{
+		CONS_Printf("Direct download -\n"
+			" To play on this server you must download %s KB,\n"
+			" but you have only %s KB free space on this drive\n",
+			sizeu1((size_t)(totalfreespaceneeded>>10)), sizeu2((size_t)(availablefreespace>>10)));
+		return false;
+	}
+
+#ifdef MORELEGACYDOWNLOADER
+tryagain:
+	skippedafile = -1;
+#endif
+
+#ifdef VERBOSEREQUESTFILE
+	CONS_Printf("Preparing packet\n");
+#endif
 
 	netbuffer->packettype = PT_REQUESTFILE;
 	p = (char *)netbuffer->u.textcmd;
+
 	for (i = 0; i < fileneedednum; i++)
+	{
 		if ((fileneeded[i].status == FS_NOTFOUND || fileneeded[i].status == FS_MD5SUMBAD || fileneeded[i].status == FS_FALLBACK))
 		{
-			totalfreespaceneeded += fileneeded[i].totalsize;
+			// Pre-prepare.
+			size_t checklen;
 			nameonly(fileneeded[i].filename);
+
+			// Figure out if we'd overrun our buffer.
+			checklen = strlen(fileneeded[i].filename)+2; // plus the fileid (and terminator, in case this is last)
+			if ((UINT8 *)(p + checklen) >= netbuffer->u.textcmd + MAXTEXTCMD)
+			{
+				skippedafile = i;
+				// we might have a shorter file that can fit in the remaining space, and file ID permits out-of-order data
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			// Now write.
 			WRITEUINT8(p, i); // fileid
 			WRITESTRINGN(p, fileneeded[i].filename, MAX_WADPATH);
+
+#ifdef VERBOSEREQUESTFILE
+			CONS_Printf(" file \"%s\" (id %d)\n", i, fileneeded[i].filename);
+#endif
+
 			// put it in download dir
 			strcatbf(fileneeded[i].filename, downloaddir, "/");
 			fileneeded[i].status = FS_REQUESTED;
 		}
-	WRITEUINT8(p, 0xFF);
-	I_GetDiskFreeSpace(&availablefreespace);
-	if (totalfreespaceneeded > availablefreespace)
-		I_Error("To play on this server you must download %s KB,\n"
-			"but you have only %s KB free space on this drive\n",
-			sizeu1((size_t)(totalfreespaceneeded>>10)), sizeu2((size_t)(availablefreespace>>10)));
+	}
 
-	// prepare to download
-	I_mkdir(downloaddir, 0755);
-	return HSendPacket(servernode, true, 0, p - (char *)netbuffer->u.textcmd);
+#ifdef MORELEGACYDOWNLOADER
+	if (firstloop)
+#else
+	// If we're not trying extralong legacy download requests, gotta bail.
+	if (skippedafile != -1)
+	{
+		CONS_Printf("Direct download - missing files are as follows:\n");
+		for (i = 0; i < fileneedednum; i++)
+		{
+			if ((fileneeded[i].status == FS_NOTFOUND || fileneeded[i].status == FS_MD5SUMBAD || fileneeded[i].status == FS_FALLBACK || fileneeded[i].status == FS_REQUESTED)) // FS_REQUESTED added
+				CONS_Printf(" %s\n", fileneeded[i].filename);
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+#endif
+		I_mkdir(downloaddir, 0755);
+
+#ifdef PARANOIA
+	// Couldn't fit a single one in?
+	if (p == (char *)netbuffer->u.textcmd)
+	{
+		CONS_Printf("Direct download - fileneeded name for %s (fileneeded[%d]) too long??\n", (skippedafile != -1 ? fileneeded[skippedafile].filename : NULL), skippedafile);
+		return false;
+	}
+#endif
+
+	WRITEUINT8(p, 0xFF); // terminator
+	if (!HSendPacket(servernode, true, 0, p - (char *)netbuffer->u.textcmd))
+	{
+		CONS_Printf("Direct download - unable to send packet.\n");
+		return false;
+	}
+
+#ifdef MORELEGACYDOWNLOADER
+	if (skippedafile != -1)
+	{
+		firstloop = false;
+		goto tryagain;
+	}
+#endif
+
+#ifdef VERBOSEREQUESTFILE
+	CONS_Printf("Returning true\n");
+#endif
+
+	return true;
 }
 
 // get request filepak and put it on the send queue
@@ -411,16 +507,18 @@ boolean PT_RequestFile(INT32 node)
 	char wad[MAX_WADPATH+1];
 	UINT8 *p = netbuffer->u.textcmd;
 	UINT8 id;
-	while (p < netbuffer->u.textcmd + MAXTEXTCMD-1) // Don't allow hacked client to overflow
+	while (p < netbuffer->u.textcmd + MAXTEXTCMD) // Don't allow hacked client to overflow
 	{
 		id = READUINT8(p);
 		if (id == 0xFF)
 			break;
 		READSTRINGN(p, wad, MAX_WADPATH);
-		if (!AddFileToSendQueue(node, wad, id))
+		if (p >= netbuffer->u.textcmd + MAXTEXTCMD || !AddFileToSendQueue(node, wad, id))
 		{
+			if (cv_noticedownload.value)
+				CONS_Printf("Bad PT_REQUESTFILE from node %d!\n", node);
 			SV_AbortSendFiles(node);
-			return false; // don't read the rest of the files
+			return false; // don't read any more
 		}
 	}
 	return true; // no problems with any files
@@ -798,7 +896,7 @@ static boolean AddFileToSendQueue(INT32 node, const char *filename, UINT8 fileid
 	char wadfilename[MAX_WADPATH];
 
 	if (cv_noticedownload.value)
-		CONS_Printf("Sending file \"%s\" to node %d (%s)\n", filename, node, I_GetNodeAddress(node));
+		CONS_Printf("Sending file \"%s\" (id %d) to node %d (%s)\n", filename, fileid, node, I_GetNodeAddress(node));
 
 	// Find the last file in the list and set a pointer to its "next" field
 	q = &transfer[node].txlist;
@@ -972,7 +1070,7 @@ static void SV_EndFileSend(INT32 node)
 	{
 		case SF_FILE: // It's a file, close it and free its filename
 			if (cv_noticedownload.value)
-				CONS_Printf("Ending file transfer for node %d\n", node);
+				CONS_Printf("Ending file transfer (id %d) for node %d\n", p->fileid, node);
 			if (transfer[node].currentfile)
 				fclose(transfer[node].currentfile);
 			free(p->id.filename);