diff --git a/collects/drscheme/private/link.ss b/collects/drscheme/private/link.ss
index cc34e54e08..18c9b2f0c3 100644
--- a/collects/drscheme/private/link.ss
+++ b/collects/drscheme/private/link.ss
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   (require "modes.ss"
            "font.ss"
            "eval.ss"
-           "module-overview.ss"
+           "module-browser.ss"
            "multi-file-search.ss"
            "debug.ss"
            "module-language.ss"
diff --git a/collects/drscheme/private/module-overview.ss b/collects/drscheme/private/module-browser.ss
similarity index 98%
rename from collects/drscheme/private/module-overview.ss
rename to collects/drscheme/private/module-browser.ss
index b5c578cc86..58f73b2498 100644
--- a/collects/drscheme/private/module-overview.ss
+++ b/collects/drscheme/private/module-browser.ss
@@ -740,7 +740,15 @@
         [(eof-object? sexp) 
          (custodian-shutdown-all user-custodian)]
         [else
-         (add-connections sexp)
+         ;; instead of escaping when there's an error on the user thread,
+         ;; we just shut it all down. This kills the event handling loop
+         ;; for the eventspace and wakes up the thread below
+         ;; NOTE: we cannot set this in `init' since the call to `init'
+         ;; is wrapped in a parameterize of the error-escape-handler
+         (parameterize ([error-escape-handler
+                         (λ ()
+                           (custodian-shutdown-all user-custodian))])
+           (add-connections sexp))
          (continue)]))
     (define init-complete (make-semaphore 0))
     
@@ -774,15 +782,11 @@
                p))))
       (current-load-relative-directory init-dir)
       (current-directory init-dir)
-      #;
-      (error-display-handler 
-       (λ (str exn)
-         (set! error-str str)
-         (custodian-shutdown-all user-custodian)))
+      (error-display-handler (λ (str exn) (set! error-str str)))
       (semaphore-post init-complete))
     (define (kill-termination) (void))
     (define complete-program? #t)
-    
+
     (define stupid-internal-define-syntax1
       ((drscheme:eval:traverse-program/multiple
         (preferences:get (drscheme:language-configuration:get-settings-preferences-symbol))