diff --git a/blocks/rss_client/block_rss_client.php b/blocks/rss_client/block_rss_client.php
index 4b861a84924186c3561f0dd8da7599f87d9bccd6..a30a73c7520bd419197f7b1236812c36220e9023 100644
--- a/blocks/rss_client/block_rss_client.php
+++ b/blocks/rss_client/block_rss_client.php
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
  * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL
  */
 
+define('BLOCK_RSS_CLIENT_MAX_SKIPTIME', 60*60*12); // SYNERGY LEARNING - Maximum time between trying failing RSS feeds.
+define('BLOCK_RSS_CLIENT_CRON_TIME', 300); // SYNERGY LEARNING - as this does not appear to get passed in to the cron function.
+
  class block_rss_client extends block_base {
 
     function init() {
@@ -292,6 +295,7 @@
 
         // We are going to measure execution times
         $starttime =  microtime();
+        $starttimesec = time(); // SYNERGY LEARNING - added.
 
         // And we have one initial $status
         $status = true;
@@ -302,6 +306,14 @@
         mtrace('');
         foreach ($rs as $rec) {
             mtrace('    ' . $rec->url . ' ', '');
+
+            // SYNERGY LEARNING - skip feed if it failed recently.
+            if ($starttimesec < $rec->skipuntil) {
+                mtrace('skipping until '.userdate($rec->skipuntil));
+                continue;
+            }
+            // SYNERGY LEARNING - skip feed if it failed recently.
+
             // Fetch the rss feed, using standard simplepie caching
             // so feeds will be renewed only if cache has expired
             @set_time_limit(60);
@@ -315,11 +327,28 @@
             $feed->init();
 
             if ($feed->error()) {
-                mtrace ('error');
-                mtrace ('SimplePie failed with error:'.$feed->error());
-                $status = false;
+                //$status = false; // SYNERGY LEARNING - do not return an error if feed fails (as that causes this script to run EVERY cron update).
+                // SYNERGY LEARNING - skip this feed (for an ever-increasing time if it keeps failing).
+                if ($rec->skiptime == 0) { // Not failed recently
+                    $rec->skiptime = BLOCK_RSS_CLIENT_CRON_TIME * 1.1; // Make sure we skip the next cron update.
+                } else {
+                    $rec->skiptime *= 2; // Double the last time.
+                    if ($rec->skiptime > BLOCK_RSS_CLIENT_MAX_SKIPTIME) {
+                        $rec->skiptime = BLOCK_RSS_CLIENT_MAX_SKIPTIME;
+                    }
+                }
+                $rec->skipuntil = time() + $rec->skiptime;
+                $DB->update_record('block_rss_client', $rec);
+                mtrace("SimplePie error - skipping for {$rec->skiptime} seconds:".$feed->error());
+                // SYNERGY LEARNING - skip this feed (for an ever-increasing time if it keeps failing).
             } else {
                 mtrace ('ok');
+                // SYNERGY LEARNING - it worked this time, so reset the skiptime.
+                if ($rec->skiptime > 0) {
+                    $rec->skiptime = 0;
+                    $DB->update_record('block_rss_client', $rec);
+                }
+                // SYNERGY LEARNING - it worked this time, so reset the skiptime.
             }
             $counter ++;
         }
diff --git a/blocks/rss_client/db/install.xml b/blocks/rss_client/db/install.xml
index f81d650cf62307b0c9491c5ec292acdfcefe5fb4..d4e5c513f4c1d403b84c33e1884f73b206f16ad9 100644
--- a/blocks/rss_client/db/install.xml
+++ b/blocks/rss_client/db/install.xml
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
         <FIELD NAME="description" TYPE="text" NOTNULL="true" SEQUENCE="false"/>
         <FIELD NAME="shared" TYPE="int" LENGTH="2" NOTNULL="true" DEFAULT="0" SEQUENCE="false"/>
         <FIELD NAME="url" TYPE="char" LENGTH="255" NOTNULL="true" SEQUENCE="false"/>
+        <FIELD NAME="skiptime" TYPE="int" LENGTH="10" NOTNULL="true" DEFAULT="0" SEQUENCE="false" COMMENT="How many seconds skip this feed for (increases every time it fails, resets to 0 when it succeeds)"/>
+        <FIELD NAME="skipuntil" TYPE="int" LENGTH="10" NOTNULL="true" DEFAULT="0" SEQUENCE="false" COMMENT="Do not query this RSS feed again until this time"/>
       </FIELDS>
       <KEYS>
         <KEY NAME="primary" TYPE="primary" FIELDS="id" />
diff --git a/blocks/rss_client/db/upgrade.php b/blocks/rss_client/db/upgrade.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..1067c5764ff63845521f54fafcd9cedfbc1141e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blocks/rss_client/db/upgrade.php
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+<?php
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+function xmldb_block_rss_client_upgrade($oldversion) {
+    global $DB;
+
+    $dbman = $DB->get_manager();
+
+    // SYNERGY LEARNING - support for skipping RSS feeds for a while when they fail.
+    if ($oldversion < 2012010302) {
+        $table = new xmldb_table('block_rss_client');
+
+        // How many seconds we are currently ignoring this RSS feed for (due to an error)
+        $field = new xmldb_field('skiptime', XMLDB_TYPE_INTEGER, '10', null, XMLDB_NOTNULL, null, '0', 'url');
+        if (!$dbman->field_exists($table, $field)) {
+            $dbman->add_field($table, $field);
+        }
+
+        // When to next update this RSS feed
+        $field = new xmldb_field('skipuntil', XMLDB_TYPE_INTEGER, '10', null, XMLDB_NOTNULL, null, '0', 'skiptime');
+        if (!$dbman->field_exists($table, $field)) {
+            $dbman->add_field($table, $field);
+        }
+
+        upgrade_block_savepoint(true, 2012010302, 'rss_client');
+    }
+    // SYNERGY LEARNING - support for skipping RSS feeds for a while when they fail.
+
+    return true;
+}
\ No newline at end of file