diff --git a/brozzler/__init__.py b/brozzler/__init__.py
index bce1dee..181b797 100644
--- a/brozzler/__init__.py
+++ b/brozzler/__init__.py
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ class NothingToClaim(Exception):
 class CrawlStopped(Exception):
     pass
 
+class PageInterstitialShown(Exception):
+    pass
+
 class ProxyError(Exception):
     pass
 
diff --git a/brozzler/browser.py b/brozzler/browser.py
index a7d39d1..1ef9332 100644
--- a/brozzler/browser.py
+++ b/brozzler/browser.py
@@ -241,10 +241,12 @@ class WebsockReceiverThread(threading.Thread):
                 if self.on_request:
                     self.on_request(message)
             elif message['method'] == 'Page.interstitialShown':
-                # for AITFIVE-1529: handle http auth
-                # for now, we should consider killing the browser when we receive Page.interstitialShown and
-                # consider the page finished—-first we should figure out when else that event might happen
-                self.logger.info('Page.interstitialShown received')
+                # AITFIVE-1529: handle http auth
+                # we should kill the browser when we receive Page.interstitialShown and
+                # consider the page finished, until this is fixed:
+                # https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=764505
+                self.logger.info('Page.interstialShown (likely unsupported http auth request)')
+                brozzler.thread_raise(self.calling_thread, brozzler.PageInterstitialShown)
             elif message['method'] == 'Inspector.targetCrashed':
                 self.logger.error(
                         '''chrome tab went "aw snap" or "he's dead jim"!''')
diff --git a/brozzler/cli.py b/brozzler/cli.py
index 85f0fc4..188d591 100644
--- a/brozzler/cli.py
+++ b/brozzler/cli.py
@@ -198,6 +198,8 @@ def brozzle_page(argv=None):
         logging.info('outlinks: \n\t%s', '\n\t'.join(sorted(outlinks)))
     except brozzler.ReachedLimit as e:
         logging.error('reached limit %s', e)
+    except brozzler.PageInterstitialShown as e:
+        logging.error('page interstitial shown %s', e)
     finally:
         browser.stop()
 
diff --git a/brozzler/worker.py b/brozzler/worker.py
index 4aad2a3..b5f38ce 100644
--- a/brozzler/worker.py
+++ b/brozzler/worker.py
@@ -210,9 +210,12 @@ class BrozzlerWorker:
 
         if self._needs_browsing(page, ydl_fetches):
             self.logger.info('needs browsing: %s', page)
-            browser_outlinks = self._browse_page(
+            try:
+                browser_outlinks = self._browse_page(
                     browser, site, page, on_screenshot, on_request)
-            outlinks.update(browser_outlinks)
+                outlinks.update(browser_outlinks)
+            except brozzler.PageInterstitialShown:
+                self.logger.info('page interstitial shown (http auth): %s', page)
         else:
             if not self._already_fetched(page, ydl_fetches):
                 self.logger.info('needs fetch: %s', page)
diff --git a/tests/test_brozzling.py b/tests/test_brozzling.py
index 686c8f4..0efe5a3 100644
--- a/tests/test_brozzling.py
+++ b/tests/test_brozzling.py
@@ -62,6 +62,13 @@ def httpd(request):
                 self.send_header('Content-Length', len(payload))
                 self.end_headers()
                 self.wfile.write(payload)
+            elif self.path == '/401':
+                self.send_response(401)
+                self.send_header('WWW-Authenticate', 'Basic realm=\"Test\"')
+                self.send_header('Content-type', 'text/html')
+                self.end_headers()
+                self.wfile.write(self.headers.getheader('Authorization'))
+                self.wfile.write('not authenticated')
             else:
                 super().do_GET()
 
@@ -111,6 +118,13 @@ def test_aw_snap_hes_dead_jim():
         with pytest.raises(brozzler.BrowsingException):
             browser.browse_page('chrome://crash')
 
+def test_page_interstitial_exception(httpd):
+    chrome_exe = brozzler.suggest_default_chrome_exe()
+    url = 'http://localhost:%s/401' % httpd.server_port
+    with brozzler.Browser(chrome_exe=chrome_exe) as browser:
+        with pytest.raises(brozzler.PageInterstitialShown):
+            browser.browse_page(url)
+
 def test_on_response(httpd):
     response_urls = []
     def on_response(msg):