diff --git a/brozzler/__init__.py b/brozzler/__init__.py
index c97835f..3be20f2 100644
--- a/brozzler/__init__.py
+++ b/brozzler/__init__.py
@@ -286,6 +286,9 @@ import datetime
 EPOCH_UTC = datetime.datetime.utcfromtimestamp(0.0).replace(
         tzinfo=doublethink.UTC)
 
+# we could make this configurable if there's a good reason
+MAX_PAGE_FAILURES = 3
+
 from brozzler.worker import BrozzlerWorker
 from brozzler.robots import is_permitted_by_robots
 from brozzler.frontier import RethinkDbFrontier
diff --git a/brozzler/worker.py b/brozzler/worker.py
index 4ef3121..e10205b 100644
--- a/brozzler/worker.py
+++ b/brozzler/worker.py
@@ -405,7 +405,18 @@ class BrozzlerWorker:
                 logging.error(
                         'proxy error (self._proxy=%r)', self._proxy, exc_info=1)
         except:
-            self.logger.critical("unexpected exception", exc_info=True)
+            self.logger.error(
+                    'unexpected exception site=%r page=%r', site, page,
+                    exc_info=True)
+            if page:
+                page.failed_attempts = (page.failed_attempts or 0) + 1
+                if page.failed_attempts >= brozzler.MAX_PAGE_FAILURES:
+                    self.logger.info(
+                            'marking page "completed" after %s unexpected '
+                            'exceptions attempting to brozzle %s',
+                            page.failed_attempts, page)
+                    self._frontier.completed_page(site, page)
+                    page = None
         finally:
             if start:
                 site.active_brozzling_time = (site.active_brozzling_time or 0) + time.time() - start
diff --git a/tests/test_units.py b/tests/test_units.py
index 88e4450..5b0295c 100644
--- a/tests/test_units.py
+++ b/tests/test_units.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import socket
 import time
 import sys
 import threading
+from unittest import mock
 
 logging.basicConfig(
         stream=sys.stderr, level=logging.INFO, format=(
@@ -439,3 +440,55 @@ def test_seed_redirect():
         {'ssurt': 'com,foo,//http:/',},
         {'ssurt': 'com,bar,//https:/a/b/c',}]}
 
+def test_limit_failures():
+    page = mock.Mock()
+    page.failed_attempts = None
+    page.brozzle_count = 0
+
+    site = mock.Mock()
+    site.status = 'ACTIVE'
+    site.active_brozzling_time = 0
+    site.starts_and_stops = [{'start':datetime.datetime.utcnow()}]
+
+    rr = mock.Mock()
+    rr.servers = [mock.Mock()]
+    rethink_query = mock.Mock(run=mock.Mock(return_value=[]))
+    rr.db_list = mock.Mock(return_value=rethink_query)
+    rr.table_list = mock.Mock(return_value=rethink_query)
+    rr.table = mock.Mock(
+            return_value=mock.Mock(
+                between=mock.Mock(
+                    return_value=mock.Mock(
+                        limit=mock.Mock(
+                            return_value=rethink_query)))))
+    assert rr.table().between().limit().run() == []
+    frontier = brozzler.RethinkDbFrontier(rr)
+    frontier.enforce_time_limit = mock.Mock()
+    frontier.honor_stop_request = mock.Mock()
+    frontier.claim_page = mock.Mock(return_value=page)
+    frontier._maybe_finish_job = mock.Mock()
+
+    browser = mock.Mock()
+
+    worker = brozzler.BrozzlerWorker(frontier)
+    worker.brozzle_page = mock.Mock(side_effect=Exception)
+
+    assert page.failed_attempts is None
+    assert page.brozzle_count == 0
+    assert site.status == 'ACTIVE'
+
+    worker.brozzle_site(browser, site)
+    assert page.failed_attempts == 1
+    assert page.brozzle_count == 0
+    assert site.status == 'ACTIVE'
+
+    worker.brozzle_site(browser, site)
+    assert page.failed_attempts == 2
+    assert page.brozzle_count == 0
+    assert site.status == 'ACTIVE'
+
+    worker.brozzle_site(browser, site)
+    assert page.failed_attempts == 3
+    assert page.brozzle_count == 1
+    assert site.status == 'FINISHED'
+