diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/scheduler/CopyJob.scala b/src/main/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/scheduler/CopyJob.scala
index 6092eaa7..d8787731 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/scheduler/CopyJob.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/scheduler/CopyJob.scala
@@ -70,33 +70,49 @@ abstract case class CopyJob[S <: Shard](sourceId: ShardId,
 
   def apply() {
     try {
-      log.info("Copying shard block (type %s) from %s to %s: state=%s",
-               getClass.getName.split("\\.").last, sourceId, destinationId, toMap)
-      val sourceShard = nameServer.findShardById(sourceId)
-      val destinationShard = nameServer.findShardById(destinationId)
-      // do this on each iteration, so it happens in the queue and can be retried if the db is busy:
-      nameServer.markShardBusy(destinationId, shards.Busy.Busy)
-
-      val nextJob = copyPage(sourceShard, destinationShard, count)
-      nextJob match {
-        case Some(job) =>
-          incrGauge
-          scheduler.put(job)
-        case None =>
-          finish()
+      if (nameServer.getShard(destinationId).busy == shards.Busy.Cancelled) {
+        log.info("Copying cancelled for (type %s) from %s to %s",
+                 getClass.getName.split("\\.").last, sourceId, destinationId)
+        Stats.clearGauge(gaugeName)
+
+      } else {
+
+        val sourceShard = nameServer.findShardById(sourceId)
+        val destinationShard = nameServer.findShardById(destinationId)
+
+        log.info("Copying shard block (type %s) from %s to %s: state=%s",
+                 getClass.getName.split("\\.").last, sourceId, destinationId, toMap)
+        // do this on each iteration, so it happens in the queue and can be retried if the db is busy:
+        nameServer.markShardBusy(destinationId, shards.Busy.Busy)
+
+        val nextJob = copyPage(sourceShard, destinationShard, count)
+        nextJob match {
+          case Some(job) =>
+            incrGauge
+            scheduler.put(job)
+          case None =>
+            finish()
+        }
       }
     } catch {
       case e: NonExistentShard =>
         log.error("Shard block copy failed because one of the shards doesn't exist. Terminating the copy.")
-      case e: ShardTimeoutException if (count > CopyJob.MIN_COPY) =>
-        log.warning("Shard block copy timed out; trying a smaller block size.")
-        count = (count * 0.9).toInt
-        scheduler.put(this)
+      case e: ShardTimeoutException =>
+        if (count > CopyJob.MIN_COPY) {
+          log.warning("Shard block copy timed out; trying a smaller block size.")
+          count = (count * 0.9).toInt
+          scheduler.put(this)
+        } else {
+          nameServer.markShardBusy(destinationId, shards.Busy.Error)
+          log.error("Shard block copy timed out on minimum block size.")
+          throw e
+        }
       case e: ShardDatabaseTimeoutException =>
         log.warning("Shard block copy failed to get a database connection; retrying.")
         scheduler.put(this)
       case e: Throwable =>
-        log.warning("Shard block copy stopped due to exception: %s", e)
+        nameServer.markShardBusy(destinationId, shards.Busy.Error)
+        log.error("Shard block copy stopped due to exception: %s", e)
         throw e
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/shards/Busy.scala b/src/main/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/shards/Busy.scala
index 5f569d65..e04ca248 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/shards/Busy.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/shards/Busy.scala
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package com.twitter.gizzard.shards
 
 
 object Busy extends Enumeration {
-  val Normal = Value("Normal")
-  val Busy = Value("Busy")
+  val Normal     = Value("Normal")
+  val Busy       = Value("Busy")
+  val Error      = Value("Error")
+  val Cancelled  = Value("Cancelled")
 }
diff --git a/src/test/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/scheduler_new/CopyJobSpec.scala b/src/test/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/scheduler_new/CopyJobSpec.scala
index 86c56e96..d350b5cb 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/scheduler_new/CopyJobSpec.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/com/twitter/gizzard/scheduler_new/CopyJobSpec.scala
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ object CopyJobSpec extends ConfiguredSpecification with JMocker with ClassMocker
   "CopyJob" should {
     val sourceShardId = shards.ShardId("testhost", "1")
     val destinationShardId = shards.ShardId("testhost", "2")
+    val destinationShardInfo = shards.ShardInfo(destinationShardId, "FakeShard", "", "", shards.Busy.Normal)
     val count = CopyJob.MIN_COPY + 1
     val nextCopy = mock[FakeCopy]
     val nameServer = mock[nameserver.NameServer[shards.Shard]]
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ object CopyJobSpec extends ConfiguredSpecification with JMocker with ClassMocker
       "normally" in {
         val copy = makeCopy(Some(nextCopy))
         expect {
+          one(nameServer).getShard(destinationShardId) willReturn destinationShardInfo
           one(nameServer).findShardById(sourceShardId) willReturn shard1
           one(nameServer).findShardById(destinationShardId) willReturn shard2
           one(nameServer).markShardBusy(destinationShardId, shards.Busy.Busy)
@@ -68,9 +70,10 @@ object CopyJobSpec extends ConfiguredSpecification with JMocker with ClassMocker
         copy.apply()
       }
 
-      "no shard" in {
+      "no source shard" in {
         val copy = makeCopy(Some(nextCopy))
         expect {
+          one(nameServer).getShard(destinationShardId) willReturn destinationShardInfo
           one(nameServer).findShardById(sourceShardId) willThrow new nameserver.NonExistentShard("foo")
           never(jobScheduler).put(nextCopy)
         }
@@ -78,9 +81,20 @@ object CopyJobSpec extends ConfiguredSpecification with JMocker with ClassMocker
         copy.apply()
       }
 
+      "no destination shard" in {
+        val copy = makeCopy(Some(nextCopy))
+        expect {
+          one(nameServer).getShard(destinationShardId) willThrow new nameserver.NonExistentShard("foo")
+          never(jobScheduler).put(nextCopy)
+        }
+
+        copy.apply()
+      }
+
       "with a database connection timeout" in {
         val copy = makeCopy(throw new shards.ShardDatabaseTimeoutException(100.milliseconds, sourceShardId))
         expect {
+          one(nameServer).getShard(destinationShardId) willReturn destinationShardInfo
           one(nameServer).findShardById(sourceShardId) willReturn shard1
           one(nameServer).findShardById(destinationShardId) willReturn shard2
           one(nameServer).markShardBusy(destinationShardId, shards.Busy.Busy)
@@ -94,9 +108,11 @@ object CopyJobSpec extends ConfiguredSpecification with JMocker with ClassMocker
       "with a random exception" in {
         val copy = makeCopy(throw new Exception("boo"))
         expect {
+          one(nameServer).getShard(destinationShardId) willReturn destinationShardInfo
           one(nameServer).findShardById(sourceShardId) willReturn shard1
           one(nameServer).findShardById(destinationShardId) willReturn shard2
           one(nameServer).markShardBusy(destinationShardId, shards.Busy.Busy)
+          one(nameServer).markShardBusy(destinationShardId, shards.Busy.Error)
           never(jobScheduler).put(nextCopy)
         }
 
@@ -107,6 +123,7 @@ object CopyJobSpec extends ConfiguredSpecification with JMocker with ClassMocker
         "early on" in {
           val copy = makeCopy(throw new shards.ShardTimeoutException(100.milliseconds, sourceShardId))
           expect {
+            one(nameServer).getShard(destinationShardId) willReturn destinationShardInfo
             one(nameServer).findShardById(sourceShardId) willReturn shard1
             one(nameServer).findShardById(destinationShardId) willReturn shard2
             one(nameServer).markShardBusy(destinationShardId, shards.Busy.Busy)
@@ -121,9 +138,11 @@ object CopyJobSpec extends ConfiguredSpecification with JMocker with ClassMocker
           val copy = new FakeCopy(sourceShardId, destinationShardId, count, nameServer, jobScheduler)(throw new shards.ShardTimeoutException(100.milliseconds, sourceShardId))
 
           expect {
+            one(nameServer).getShard(destinationShardId) willReturn destinationShardInfo
             one(nameServer).findShardById(sourceShardId) willReturn shard1
             one(nameServer).findShardById(destinationShardId) willReturn shard2
             one(nameServer).markShardBusy(destinationShardId, shards.Busy.Busy)
+            one(nameServer).markShardBusy(destinationShardId, shards.Busy.Error)
             never(jobScheduler).put(nextCopy)
           }
 
@@ -131,10 +150,26 @@ object CopyJobSpec extends ConfiguredSpecification with JMocker with ClassMocker
         }
       }
 
+      "when cancelled" in {
+        val copy = makeCopy(Some(nextCopy))
+        val cancelledInfo = shards.ShardInfo(destinationShardId, "FakeShard", "", "", shards.Busy.Cancelled)
+
+        expect {
+          one(nameServer).getShard(destinationShardId) willReturn cancelledInfo
+          never(nameServer).findShardById(sourceShardId)
+          never(nameServer).findShardById(destinationShardId)
+          never(nameServer).markShardBusy(destinationShardId, shards.Busy.Busy)
+          never(jobScheduler).put(nextCopy)
+        }
+
+        copy.apply()
+      }
+
       "when finished" in {
         val copy = makeCopy(None)
 
         expect {
+          one(nameServer).getShard(destinationShardId) willReturn destinationShardInfo
           one(nameServer).findShardById(sourceShardId) willReturn shard1
           one(nameServer).findShardById(destinationShardId) willReturn shard2
           one(nameServer).markShardBusy(destinationShardId, shards.Busy.Busy)