diff --git a/crates/lanspread-peer-cli/src/main.rs b/crates/lanspread-peer-cli/src/main.rs
index edb00da..01673b1 100644
--- a/crates/lanspread-peer-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/lanspread-peer-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ struct CliState {
     remote_games: Vec<Game>,
     active_operations: Vec<ActiveOperation>,
     game_files: HashMap<String, Vec<GameFileDescription>>,
+    unavailable_games: HashSet<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, serde::Serialize)]
@@ -304,23 +305,32 @@ async fn game_files_for_download(
     shared: &SharedState,
     game_id: &str,
 ) -> eyre::Result<Vec<GameFileDescription>> {
-    if let Some(files) = shared.state.read().await.game_files.get(game_id).cloned() {
-        return Ok(files);
+    {
+        let mut state = shared.state.write().await;
+        if let Some(files) = state.game_files.get(game_id).cloned() {
+            return Ok(files);
+        }
+        state.unavailable_games.remove(game_id);
     }
 
     sender.send(PeerCommand::GetGame(game_id.to_string()))?;
     let wait = async {
         loop {
-            if let Some(files) = shared.state.read().await.game_files.get(game_id).cloned() {
-                return files;
+            let state = shared.state.read().await;
+            if let Some(files) = state.game_files.get(game_id).cloned() {
+                return Ok(files);
             }
+            if state.unavailable_games.contains(game_id) {
+                eyre::bail!("no peers have game {game_id}");
+            }
+            drop(state);
             shared.notify.notified().await;
         }
     };
 
     tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(10), wait)
         .await
-        .wrap_err("timed out waiting for game file details")
+        .wrap_err("timed out waiting for game file details")?
 }
 
 async fn event_loop(
@@ -396,7 +406,15 @@ async fn update_state_from_event(shared: &SharedState, event: PeerEvent) -> (&'s
         PeerEvent::UninstallGameBegin { id } => ("uninstall-begin", json!({"game_id": id})),
         PeerEvent::UninstallGameFinished { id } => ("uninstall-finished", json!({"game_id": id})),
         PeerEvent::UninstallGameFailed { id } => ("uninstall-failed", json!({"game_id": id})),
-        PeerEvent::NoPeersHaveGame { id } => ("no-peers-have-game", json!({"game_id": id})),
+        PeerEvent::NoPeersHaveGame { id } => {
+            shared
+                .state
+                .write()
+                .await
+                .unavailable_games
+                .insert(id.clone());
+            ("no-peers-have-game", json!({"game_id": id}))
+        }
         PeerEvent::PeerConnected(addr) => ("peer-connected", peer_addr_json(addr)),
         PeerEvent::PeerDisconnected(addr) => ("peer-disconnected", peer_addr_json(addr)),
         PeerEvent::PeerDiscovered(addr) => ("peer-discovered", peer_addr_json(addr)),