diff --git a/lib/model/folder_sendrecv.go b/lib/model/folder_sendrecv.go
index 29e2a0754..6b3b05184 100644
--- a/lib/model/folder_sendrecv.go
+++ b/lib/model/folder_sendrecv.go
@@ -202,9 +202,8 @@ func (f *sendReceiveFolder) pull(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 		f.sl.DebugContext(ctx, "Pull iteration completed", "changed", changed, "try", tries+1)
 
 		if changed == 0 {
-			// No files were changed by the puller, so we are in
-			// sync (except for unrecoverable stuff like invalid
-			// filenames on windows).
+			// No files were changed by the puller, so we are in sync, or we
+			// are unable to make further progress for the moment.
 			break
 		}
 	}
@@ -231,7 +230,9 @@ func (f *sendReceiveFolder) pull(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 		})
 	}
 
-	return changed == 0, nil
+	// We're done if we didn't change anything and didn't fail to change
+	// anything
+	return changed == 0 && pullErrNum == 0, nil
 }
 
 // pullerIteration runs a single puller iteration for the given folder and
@@ -256,9 +257,10 @@ func (f *sendReceiveFolder) pullerIteration(ctx context.Context, scanChan chan<-
 	f.sl.DebugContext(ctx, "Starting puller iteration", "copiers", f.Copiers, "pullerPendingKiB", f.PullerMaxPendingKiB)
 
 	updateWg.Add(1)
+	var changed int // only read after updateWg closes
 	go func() {
 		// dbUpdaterRoutine finishes when dbUpdateChan is closed
-		f.dbUpdaterRoutine(dbUpdateChan)
+		changed = f.dbUpdaterRoutine(dbUpdateChan)
 		updateWg.Done()
 	}()
 
@@ -285,7 +287,7 @@ func (f *sendReceiveFolder) pullerIteration(ctx context.Context, scanChan chan<-
 		doneWg.Done()
 	}()
 
-	changed, fileDeletions, dirDeletions, err := f.processNeeded(ctx, dbUpdateChan, copyChan, scanChan)
+	fileDeletions, dirDeletions, err := f.processNeeded(ctx, dbUpdateChan, copyChan, scanChan)
 
 	// Signal copy and puller routines that we are done with the in data for
 	// this iteration. Wait for them to finish.
@@ -312,8 +314,7 @@ func (f *sendReceiveFolder) pullerIteration(ctx context.Context, scanChan chan<-
 	return changed, err
 }
 
-func (f *sendReceiveFolder) processNeeded(ctx context.Context, dbUpdateChan chan<- dbUpdateJob, copyChan chan<- copyBlocksState, scanChan chan<- string) (int, map[string]protocol.FileInfo, []protocol.FileInfo, error) {
-	changed := 0
+func (f *sendReceiveFolder) processNeeded(ctx context.Context, dbUpdateChan chan<- dbUpdateJob, copyChan chan<- copyBlocksState, scanChan chan<- string) (map[string]protocol.FileInfo, []protocol.FileInfo, error) {
 	var dirDeletions []protocol.FileInfo
 	fileDeletions := map[string]protocol.FileInfo{}
 	buckets := map[string][]protocol.FileInfo{}
@@ -325,7 +326,7 @@ func (f *sendReceiveFolder) processNeeded(ctx context.Context, dbUpdateChan chan
 loop:
 	for file, err := range itererr.Zip(f.model.sdb.AllNeededGlobalFiles(f.folderID, protocol.LocalDeviceID, f.Order, 0, 0)) {
 		if err != nil {
-			return changed, nil, nil, err
+			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
@@ -338,8 +339,6 @@ loop:
 			continue
 		}
 
-		changed++
-
 		switch {
 		case f.ignores.Match(file.Name).IsIgnored():
 			file.SetIgnored()
@@ -357,8 +356,6 @@ loop:
 				// We can't pull an invalid file. Grab the error again since
 				// we couldn't assign it directly in the case clause.
 				f.newPullError(file.Name, fs.WindowsInvalidFilename(file.Name))
-				// No reason to retry for this
-				changed--
 			}
 
 		case file.IsDeleted():
@@ -372,7 +369,7 @@ loop:
 			default:
 				df, ok, err := f.model.sdb.GetDeviceFile(f.folderID, protocol.LocalDeviceID, file.Name)
 				if err != nil {
-					return changed, nil, nil, err
+					return nil, nil, err
 				}
 				// Local file can be already deleted, but with a lower version
 				// number, hence the deletion coming in again as part of
@@ -391,7 +388,7 @@ loop:
 		case file.Type == protocol.FileInfoTypeFile:
 			curFile, hasCurFile, err := f.model.sdb.GetDeviceFile(f.folderID, protocol.LocalDeviceID, file.Name)
 			if err != nil {
-				return changed, nil, nil, err
+				return nil, nil, err
 			}
 			if hasCurFile && file.BlocksEqual(curFile) {
 				// We are supposed to copy the entire file, and then fetch nothing. We
@@ -431,7 +428,7 @@ loop:
 
 	select {
 	case <-ctx.Done():
-		return changed, nil, nil, ctx.Err()
+		return nil, nil, ctx.Err()
 	default:
 	}
 
@@ -441,7 +438,7 @@ nextFile:
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
-			return changed, fileDeletions, dirDeletions, ctx.Err()
+			return fileDeletions, dirDeletions, ctx.Err()
 		default:
 		}
 
@@ -452,7 +449,7 @@ nextFile:
 
 		fi, ok, err := f.model.sdb.GetGlobalFile(f.folderID, fileName)
 		if err != nil {
-			return changed, nil, nil, err
+			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 		if !ok {
 			// File is no longer in the index. Mark it as done and drop it.
@@ -515,7 +512,7 @@ nextFile:
 		}
 	}
 
-	return changed, fileDeletions, dirDeletions, nil
+	return fileDeletions, dirDeletions, nil
 }
 
 func popCandidate(buckets map[string][]protocol.FileInfo, key string) (protocol.FileInfo, bool) {
@@ -1741,9 +1738,10 @@ func (f *sendReceiveFolder) Jobs(page, perpage int) ([]string, []string, int) {
 
 // dbUpdaterRoutine aggregates db updates and commits them in batches no
 // larger than 1000 items, and no more delayed than 2 seconds.
-func (f *sendReceiveFolder) dbUpdaterRoutine(dbUpdateChan <-chan dbUpdateJob) {
+func (f *sendReceiveFolder) dbUpdaterRoutine(dbUpdateChan <-chan dbUpdateJob) int {
 	const maxBatchTime = 2 * time.Second
 
+	changed := 0
 	changedDirs := make(map[string]struct{})
 	found := false
 	var lastFile protocol.FileInfo
@@ -1819,8 +1817,8 @@ loop:
 			job.file.Sequence = 0
 
 			batch.Append(job.file)
-
 			batch.FlushIfFull()
+			changed++
 
 		case <-tick.C:
 			batch.Flush()
@@ -1828,6 +1826,7 @@ loop:
 	}
 
 	batch.Flush()
+	return changed
 }
 
 // pullScannerRoutine aggregates paths to be scanned after pulling. The scan is