--- a/server/__init__.py	Wed Jun 29 15:50:26 2011 +0200
+++ b/server/__init__.py	Wed Jun 29 16:02:24 2011 +0200
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@
 
 from cubicweb import CW_SOFTWARE_ROOT
 
+class ShuttingDown(BaseException):
+    """raised when trying to access some resources while the repository is
+    shutting down. Inherit from BaseException so that `except Exception` won't
+    catch it.
+    """
+
 # server-side debugging #########################################################
 
 # server debugging flags. They may be combined using binary operators.

--- a/server/repository.py	Wed Jun 29 15:50:26 2011 +0200
+++ b/server/repository.py	Wed Jun 29 16:02:24 2011 +0200
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
                       BadConnectionId, Unauthorized, ValidationError,
                       RepositoryError, UniqueTogetherError, typed_eid, onevent)
 from cubicweb import cwvreg, schema, server
-from cubicweb.server import utils, hook, pool, querier, sources
+from cubicweb.server import ShuttingDown, utils, hook, pool, querier, sources
 from cubicweb.server.session import Session, InternalSession, InternalManager, \
      security_enabled
 from cubicweb.server.ssplanner import EditedEntity
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@
                      checkshuttingdown=True):
         """return the user associated to the given session identifier"""
         if checkshuttingdown and self.shutting_down:
-            raise Exception('Repository is shutting down')
+            raise ShuttingDown('Repository is shutting down')
         try:
             session = self._sessions[sessionid]
         except KeyError:

--- a/server/session.py	Wed Jun 29 15:50:26 2011 +0200
+++ b/server/session.py	Wed Jun 29 16:02:24 2011 +0200
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 from cubicweb.dbapi import ConnectionProperties
 from cubicweb.utils import make_uid, RepeatList
 from cubicweb.rqlrewrite import RQLRewriter
+from cubicweb.server import ShuttingDown
 from cubicweb.server.edition import EditedEntity
 
 
@@ -1144,7 +1145,7 @@
         """connections pool, set according to transaction mode for each query"""
         if self.repo.shutting_down:
             self.reset_pool(True)
-            raise Exception('repository is shutting down')
+            raise ShuttingDown('repository is shutting down')
         return getattr(self._threaddata, 'pool', None)
 
 

--- a/server/utils.py	Wed Jun 29 15:50:26 2011 +0200
+++ b/server/utils.py	Wed Jun 29 16:02:24 2011 +0200
@@ -128,14 +128,18 @@
                              (interval, func_name(func)))
         self.interval = interval
         def auto_restart_func(self=self, func=func, args=args):
+            restart = True
             try:
                 func(*args)
-            except:
+            except Exception:
                 logger = logging.getLogger('cubicweb.repository')
                 logger.exception('Unhandled exception in LoopTask %s', self.name)
                 raise
+            except BaseException:
+                restart = False
             finally:
-                self.start()
+                if restart:
+                    self.start()
         self.func = auto_restart_func
         self.name = func_name(func)