diff --git a/libtorrent/include/libtorrent/alert_types.hpp b/libtorrent/include/libtorrent/alert_types.hpp
index e6ade9a26..672096466 100755
--- a/libtorrent/include/libtorrent/alert_types.hpp
+++ b/libtorrent/include/libtorrent/alert_types.hpp
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	{
 		block_downloading_alert(
 			const torrent_handle& h
-			, std::string& speedmsg
+			, char const* speedmsg
 			, int block_num
 			, int piece_num
 			, const std::string& msg)
@@ -384,3 +384,4 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 
 #endif
+
diff --git a/libtorrent/include/libtorrent/piece_picker.hpp b/libtorrent/include/libtorrent/piece_picker.hpp
index 3912136b8..66c91e2ab 100755
--- a/libtorrent/include/libtorrent/piece_picker.hpp
+++ b/libtorrent/include/libtorrent/piece_picker.hpp
@@ -207,7 +207,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		int add_blocks(std::vector<int> const& piece_list
 			, const std::vector<bool>& pieces
 			, std::vector<piece_block>& interesting_blocks
-			, std::vector<piece_block>& backup_blocks
 			, int num_blocks, int prefer_whole_pieces
 			, void* peer, std::vector<int> const& ignore) const;
 
@@ -457,3 +456,4 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 #endif // TORRENT_PIECE_PICKER_HPP_INCLUDED
 
+
diff --git a/libtorrent/src/peer_connection.cpp b/libtorrent/src/peer_connection.cpp
index 3f1fe700d..410197372 100755
--- a/libtorrent/src/peer_connection.cpp
+++ b/libtorrent/src/peer_connection.cpp
@@ -1630,7 +1630,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		piece_picker::piece_state_t state;
 		peer_speed_t speed = peer_speed();
-		std::string speedmsg;
+		char const* speedmsg = 0;
 		if (speed == fast)
 		{
 			speedmsg = "fast";
@@ -1648,7 +1648,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		}
 
 		t->picker().mark_as_downloading(block, peer_info_struct(), state);
-                if (t->alerts().should_post(alert::info))
+		if (t->alerts().should_post(alert::info))
 		{
 			t->alerts().post_alert(block_downloading_alert(t->get_handle(), 
 				speedmsg, block.block_index, block.piece_index, "block downloading"));
@@ -3003,3 +3003,4 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	}
 }
 
+
diff --git a/libtorrent/src/piece_picker.cpp b/libtorrent/src/piece_picker.cpp
index ef55d5a12..d2eb652fd 100755
--- a/libtorrent/src/piece_picker.cpp
+++ b/libtorrent/src/piece_picker.cpp
@@ -1149,13 +1149,13 @@ namespace libtorrent
 					if (!suggested_bucket.empty())
 					{
 						num_blocks = add_blocks(suggested_bucket, pieces
-							, interesting_blocks, backup_blocks, num_blocks
+							, interesting_blocks, num_blocks
 							, prefer_whole_pieces, peer, empty_vector);
 						if (num_blocks == 0) break;
 					}
 				}
 				num_blocks = add_blocks(*bucket, pieces
-					, interesting_blocks, backup_blocks, num_blocks
+					, interesting_blocks, num_blocks
 					, prefer_whole_pieces, peer, suggested_bucket);
 				assert(num_blocks >= 0);
 			}
@@ -1193,12 +1193,12 @@ namespace libtorrent
 					if (piece == start_piece) return;
 				}
 
-				assert(m_piece_map[piece].downloading == false);
-
 				int start, end;
 				boost::tie(start, end) = expand_piece(piece, prefer_whole_pieces, pieces);
 				for (int k = start; k < end; ++k)
 				{
+					assert(m_piece_map[piece].downloading == false);
+					assert(m_piece_map[k].priority(m_sequenced_download_threshold) > 0);
 					int num_blocks_in_piece = blocks_in_piece(k);
 					if (prefer_whole_pieces == 0 && num_blocks_in_piece > num_blocks)
 						num_blocks_in_piece = num_blocks;
@@ -1263,7 +1263,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	int piece_picker::add_blocks(std::vector<int> const& piece_list
 		, std::vector<bool> const& pieces
 		, std::vector<piece_block>& interesting_blocks
-		, std::vector<piece_block>& backup_blocks
 		, int num_blocks, int prefer_whole_pieces
 		, void* peer, std::vector<int> const& ignore) const
 	{
@@ -1286,6 +1285,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			int num_blocks_in_piece = blocks_in_piece(*i);
 
 			assert(m_piece_map[*i].downloading == 0);
+			assert(m_piece_map[*i].priority(m_sequenced_download_threshold) > 0);
 
 			// pick a new piece
 			if (prefer_whole_pieces == 0)
@@ -1302,6 +1302,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 				boost::tie(start, end) = expand_piece(*i, prefer_whole_pieces, pieces);
 				for (int k = start; k < end; ++k)
 				{
+					assert(m_piece_map[k].priority(m_sequenced_download_threshold) > 0);
 					num_blocks_in_piece = blocks_in_piece(k);
 					for (int j = 0; j < num_blocks_in_piece; ++j)
 					{
@@ -1310,7 +1311,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 					}
 				}
 			}
-			if (num_blocks <= 0) return num_blocks < 0 ? 0 : num_blocks;
+			if (num_blocks <= 0) return 0;
 		}
 		return num_blocks;
 	}
@@ -1338,6 +1339,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			// pieces that only they have downloaded/requested from
 			if (on_parole && !exclusive) continue;
 
+			if (prefer_whole_pieces > 0 && !exclusive_active) continue;
+
 			for (int j = 0; j < num_blocks_in_piece; ++j)
 			{
 				// ignore completed blocks and already requested blocks
@@ -1377,6 +1380,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	
 		assert(num_blocks >= 0 || prefer_whole_pieces > 0);
 		if (num_blocks <= 0) return 0;
+		if (on_parole) return num_blocks;
 
 		interesting_blocks.insert(interesting_blocks.end()
 			, backup_blocks.begin(), backup_blocks.end());
@@ -1785,3 +1789,4 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 }
 
+