diff --git a/fanficfare/adapters/adapter_fimfictionnet.py b/fanficfare/adapters/adapter_fimfictionnet.py
index 614c3e8a..634efe59 100644
--- a/fanficfare/adapters/adapter_fimfictionnet.py
+++ b/fanficfare/adapters/adapter_fimfictionnet.py
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ class FimFictionNetSiteAdapter(BaseSiteAdapter):
             if storyImage:
                 coverurl = storyImage['data-fullsize']
                 # try setting from data-fullsize, if fails, try using data-src
-                if self.setCoverImage(self.url,coverurl)[0] == "failedtoload":
+                if self.setCoverImage(self.url,coverurl)[0].startswith("failedtoload"):
                     coverurl = storyImage['src']
                     self.setCoverImage(self.url,coverurl)
 
diff --git a/fanficfare/adapters/adapter_royalroadcom.py b/fanficfare/adapters/adapter_royalroadcom.py
index ce492467..246e5f4e 100644
--- a/fanficfare/adapters/adapter_royalroadcom.py
+++ b/fanficfare/adapters/adapter_royalroadcom.py
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ class RoyalRoadAdapter(BaseSiteAdapter):
         if img:
             cover_url = img['src']
             # usually URL is for thumbnail. Try expected URL for larger image, if fails fall back to the original URL
-            if self.setCoverImage(url,cover_url.replace('/covers-full/', '/covers-large/'))[0] == "failedtoload":
+            if self.setCoverImage(url,cover_url.replace('/covers-full/', '/covers-large/'))[0].startswith("failedtoload"):
                 self.setCoverImage(url,cover_url)
                     # some content is show as tables, this will preserve them
 
diff --git a/fanficfare/adapters/base_adapter.py b/fanficfare/adapters/base_adapter.py
index 563ed148..d788c2a5 100644
--- a/fanficfare/adapters/base_adapter.py
+++ b/fanficfare/adapters/base_adapter.py
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ try to download.</p>
                                                                                     self.getConfig('allow_unsafe_filename')),
                                                           self.get_request_raw,
                                                           cover=cover_image_type)
-                    if src and src != 'failedtoload':
+                    if src and not src.startswith('failedtoload'):
                         self.story.setMetadata('cover_image',cover_image_type)
 
             # cheesy way to carry calibre bookmark file forward across update.
diff --git a/fanficfare/adapters/base_xenforo2forum_adapter.py b/fanficfare/adapters/base_xenforo2forum_adapter.py
index c4ac2cca..eb2cb7f3 100644
--- a/fanficfare/adapters/base_xenforo2forum_adapter.py
+++ b/fanficfare/adapters/base_xenforo2forum_adapter.py
@@ -1077,7 +1077,7 @@ class BaseXenForo2ForumAdapter(BaseSiteAdapter):
                     span['class']=[]
                 span['class'].append("invisible_text")
         if self.getConfig('replace_failed_smilies_with_alt_text'):
-            for img in soup.find_all('img',src=re.compile(r'(^data:image|(failedtoload|clear.png)$)')):
+            for img in soup.find_all('img',src=re.compile(r'(^(data:image|failedtoload)|(clear.png$))')):
                 # logger.debug("replace_failed_smilies_with_alt_text img: %s"%img)
                 if img.has_attr('class'):
                     clses = unicode(img['class']) # stringify list.
diff --git a/fanficfare/epubutils.py b/fanficfare/epubutils.py
index 09a2413b..4f930456 100644
--- a/fanficfare/epubutils.py
+++ b/fanficfare/epubutils.py
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ def get_update_data(inputio,
                             ## skip <img src="data:image..."
                             ## NOTE - also only applying this processing if img has a longdesc (aka origurl)
                             ## in past, would error out entirely.
-                            if img.has_attr('src') and img.has_attr('longdesc') and not img['src'].startswith('data:image'):
+                            if img.has_attr('src') and img.has_attr('longdesc') and not img['src'].startswith('data:image') and not img['src'].startswith('failedtoload'):
                                 try:
                                     newsrc=get_path_part(href)+img['src']
                                     # remove all .. and the path part above it, if present.
@@ -177,12 +177,8 @@ def get_update_data(inputio,
                                         images[longdesc] = (newsrc, data)
                                         # logger.debug("-->html Add oldimages:%s"%newsrc)
                                 except Exception as e:
-                                    # don't report u'OEBPS/failedtoload',
-                                    # it indicates a failed download
-                                    # originally.
-                                    if newsrc != u'OEBPS/failedtoload':
-                                        logger.warning("Image %s not found!\n(originally:%s)"%(newsrc,longdesc))
-                                        logger.warning("Exception: %s"%(unicode(e)),exc_info=True)
+                                    logger.warning("Image %s not found!\n(originally:%s)"%(newsrc,longdesc))
+                                    logger.warning("Exception: %s"%(unicode(e)),exc_info=True)
                         ## Inline and embedded CSS url() images
                         for inline in soup.select('*[style]') + soup.select('style'):
                             style = ''
@@ -193,6 +189,8 @@ def get_update_data(inputio,
                             if 'url(' in style:
                                 ## the pattern will also accept mismatched '/", which is broken CSS.
                                 for style_url in re.findall(r'url\([\'"]?(.*?)[\'"]?\)', style):
+                                    if style_url.startswith('failedtoload'):
+                                        continue
                                     logger.debug("Updating inline/embedded style url(%s)"%style_url)
                                     newsrc=''
                                     longdesc=''
diff --git a/fanficfare/story.py b/fanficfare/story.py
index 325f1223..b85890cc 100644
--- a/fanficfare/story.py
+++ b/fanficfare/story.py
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ class ImageStore:
         self.cover = None
 
     # returns newsrc
-    def add_img(self,url,ext,mime,data,cover=False,actuallyused=True):
+    def add_img(self,url,ext=None,mime=None,data=None,cover=False,actuallyused=True,failure=False):
         # logger.debug("add_img0(%s,%s,%s)"%(url,ext,mime))
         # existing ffdl image, likely from CSS
         m = re.match(r'^images/'+self.prefix+r'-(?P<uuid>[0-9a-fA-F-]+)\.(?P<ext>.+)$',url)
@@ -643,10 +643,18 @@ class ImageStore:
             if uuid not in self.uuid_index:
                 self.uuid_index[uuid]=info
                 self.infos.append(info)
-                self.size_index[len(data)].append(uuid)
+                if data:
+                    self.size_index[len(data)].append(uuid)
+        if failure:
+            info['newsrc'] = 'failedtoload'
+            info['actuallyused'] = False
         logger.debug("add_img(%s,%s,%s,%s,%s)"%(url,ext,mime,uuid,info['newsrc']))
         return info['newsrc']
 
+    def cache_failed_url(self,url):
+        # logger.debug("cache_failed_url(%s)"%url)
+        self.add_img(url,failure=True)
+
     def get_img_by_url(self,url):
         # logger.debug("get_img_by_url(%s)"%url)
         uuid = self.url_index.get(url,None)
@@ -664,7 +672,7 @@ class ImageStore:
     def get_img_by_uuid(self,uuid):
         # logger.debug("get_img_by_uuid(%s)"%uuid)
         info = self.uuid_index.get(uuid,None)
-        if info:
+        if info and info['newsrc'] != 'failedtoload':
             info['actuallyused']=True
         return info
 
@@ -675,6 +683,7 @@ class ImageStore:
         return [ x for x in self.infos if x['actuallyused'] ]
 
     def debug_out(self):
+        # logger.debug(self.fails_index)
         # import pprint
         # logger.debug(pprint.pformat([ (x['url'], x['uuid'], x['newsrc']) for x in self.infos]))
         pass
@@ -1696,8 +1705,8 @@ class Story(Requestable):
         imginfo = self.img_store.get_img_by_url(imgurl)
         if not imginfo:
             try:
-                if imgurl.endswith('failedtoload'):
-                    return ("failedtoload","failedtoload")
+                if imgurl.startswith('failedtoload'):
+                    return (imgurl,imgurl)
 
                 if not imgdata:
                     # might already have from data:image in-line allow
@@ -1751,7 +1760,9 @@ class Story(Requestable):
                     logger.info("Failed to load or convert image, \nparent:%s\nskipping:%s\nException: %s"%(parenturl,imgurl,e))
                 except:
                     logger.info("Failed to load or convert image, \nparent:%s\nskipping:%s\n(Exception output also caused exception)"%(parenturl,imgurl))
-                return ("failedtoload","failedtoload")
+                self.img_store.cache_failed_url(imgurl)
+                fs = "failedtoload %s"%imgurl
+                return (fs,fs)
 
             ## (cover images never included in get_imgs_by_size)
             if self.getConfig('dedup_img_files',False):
@@ -1768,6 +1779,9 @@ class Story(Requestable):
                                                 mime,
                                                 data)
         else:
+            if imginfo['newsrc'].startswith('failedtoload'):
+                fs = "failedtoload %s"%imgurl
+                return (fs,fs)
             ## image was found in existing store.
             self.img_store.debug_out()
             logger.debug("existing image url found:%s->%s"%(imgurl,imginfo['newsrc']))