diff --git a/Assistant/NetMessager.hs b/Assistant/NetMessager.hs
index 97d17af6e5..fd320b00bd 100644
--- a/Assistant/NetMessager.hs
+++ b/Assistant/NetMessager.hs
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ queueNetPushMessage m@(Pushing clientid stage) = do
 		case v of
 			Nothing -> return False
 			(Just runningclientid)
-				| runningclientid == clientid -> queue nm
 				| isPushInitiation stage -> defer nm
+				| runningclientid == clientid -> queue nm
 				| otherwise -> discard
   where
 	side = pushDestinationSide stage
diff --git a/Assistant/Threads/XMPPClient.hs b/Assistant/Threads/XMPPClient.hs
index 086494a749..dd1b2ac1fe 100644
--- a/Assistant/Threads/XMPPClient.hs
+++ b/Assistant/Threads/XMPPClient.hs
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ xmppClient urlrenderer d creds =
 	handle selfjid (GotNetMessage (PairingNotification stage c u)) =
 		maybe noop (inAssistant . pairMsgReceived urlrenderer stage u selfjid) (parseJID c)
 	handle _ (GotNetMessage m@(Pushing _ pushstage))
+		| isPushNotice pushstage = inAssistant $ handlePushNotice m
 		| isPushInitiation pushstage = inAssistant $
 			unlessM (queueNetPushMessage m) $ do
 				let checker = checkCloudRepos urlrenderer
diff --git a/Assistant/Types/NetMessager.hs b/Assistant/Types/NetMessager.hs
index 09a5580337..bc0bf3c223 100644
--- a/Assistant/Types/NetMessager.hs
+++ b/Assistant/Types/NetMessager.hs
@@ -85,13 +85,16 @@ logClientID c = T.concat [T.take 1 c, T.pack $ show $ T.length c]
 
 {- Things that initiate either side of a push, but do not actually send data. -}
 isPushInitiation :: PushStage -> Bool
-isPushInitiation (CanPush _) = True
 isPushInitiation (PushRequest _) = True
 isPushInitiation (StartingPush _) = True
 isPushInitiation _ = False
 
+isPushNotice :: PushStage -> Bool
+isPushNotice (CanPush _) = True
+isPushNotice _ = False
+
 data PushSide = SendPack | ReceivePack
-	deriving (Eq, Ord)
+	deriving (Eq, Ord, Show)
 
 pushDestinationSide :: PushStage -> PushSide
 pushDestinationSide (CanPush _) = ReceivePack
diff --git a/Assistant/XMPP/Git.hs b/Assistant/XMPP/Git.hs
index 93479014d4..7970f05060 100644
--- a/Assistant/XMPP/Git.hs
+++ b/Assistant/XMPP/Git.hs
@@ -287,10 +287,6 @@ xmppRemotes cid theiruuid = case baseJID <$> parseJID cid of
 	knownuuid um r = Remote.uuid r == theiruuid || M.member theiruuid um
 
 handlePushInitiation :: (Remote -> Assistant ()) -> NetMessage -> Assistant ()
-handlePushInitiation _ (Pushing cid (CanPush theiruuid)) =
-	unlessM (null <$> xmppRemotes cid theiruuid) $ do
-		u <- liftAnnex getUUID
-		sendNetMessage $ Pushing cid (PushRequest u)
 handlePushInitiation checkcloudrepos (Pushing cid (PushRequest theiruuid)) =
 	go =<< liftAnnex (inRepo Git.Branch.current)
   where
@@ -317,8 +313,15 @@ handlePushInitiation checkcloudrepos (Pushing cid (StartingPush theiruuid)) = do
 		mapM_ checkcloudrepos rs
 handlePushInitiation _ _ = noop
 
+handlePushNotice :: NetMessage -> Assistant ()
+handlePushNotice (Pushing cid (CanPush theiruuid)) =
+	unlessM (null <$> xmppRemotes cid theiruuid) $ do
+		u <- liftAnnex getUUID
+		sendNetMessage $ Pushing cid (PushRequest u)
+handlePushNotice _ = noop
+
 handleDeferred :: (Remote -> Assistant ()) -> NetMessage -> Assistant ()
-handleDeferred = handlePushInitiation
+handleDeferred checkcloudrepos m = handlePushInitiation checkcloudrepos m
 
 writeChunk :: Handle -> B.ByteString -> IO ()
 writeChunk h b = do
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 97e8a5a87b..7b84767277 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ git-annex (4.20130517) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * Linux standalone: Back to being built with glibc 2.13 for maximum
     portability.
   * XMPP: Ignore duplicate messages received when pushing.
+  * XMPP: Be better at responding to CanPush messages when busy with
+    something else.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Fri, 17 May 2013 11:17:03 -0400