diff --git a/ports/esp32/modsocket.c b/ports/esp32/modsocket.c
index e11af60e2e1cb85c21b2e09dd0c972d3488e083c..60a028c13046d2e15a7891c00558d7094ea2ae7c 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/modsocket.c
+++ b/ports/esp32/modsocket.c
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ NORETURN static void exception_from_errno(int _errno) {
 }
 
 static inline void check_for_exceptions(void) {
-    mp_handle_pending();
+    mp_handle_pending(true);
 }
 
 // This function mimics lwip_getaddrinfo, with added support for mDNS queries
diff --git a/ports/esp32/mpconfigport.h b/ports/esp32/mpconfigport.h
index 983c882ae8aca37ddea298e242102a7f50d634ec..96e47fbba7361a3cc9e0cf35de664fb958e90600 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/esp32/mpconfigport.h
@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ void *esp_native_code_commit(void*, size_t, void*);
 #if MICROPY_PY_THREAD
 #define MICROPY_EVENT_POLL_HOOK \
     do { \
-        extern void mp_handle_pending(void); \
-        mp_handle_pending(); \
+        extern void mp_handle_pending(bool); \
+        mp_handle_pending(true); \
         MICROPY_PY_USOCKET_EVENTS_HANDLER \
         MP_THREAD_GIL_EXIT(); \
         MP_THREAD_GIL_ENTER(); \
@@ -253,8 +253,8 @@ void *esp_native_code_commit(void*, size_t, void*);
 #else
 #define MICROPY_EVENT_POLL_HOOK \
     do { \
-        extern void mp_handle_pending(void); \
-        mp_handle_pending(); \
+        extern void mp_handle_pending(bool); \
+        mp_handle_pending(true); \
         MICROPY_PY_USOCKET_EVENTS_HANDLER \
         asm("waiti 0"); \
     } while (0);
diff --git a/ports/esp32/mphalport.c b/ports/esp32/mphalport.c
index 305e87593eeb680deb654952749723c5c604d26e..c701cb4bcbae28a324fbec1ad396d26bd7929b6d 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/mphalport.c
+++ b/ports/esp32/mphalport.c
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ void mp_hal_delay_us(uint32_t us) {
         if (dt + pend_overhead < us) {
             // we have enough time to service pending events
             // (don't use MICROPY_EVENT_POLL_HOOK because it also yields)
-            mp_handle_pending();
+            mp_handle_pending(true);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/ports/esp8266/esp_mphal.c b/ports/esp8266/esp_mphal.c
index 25201425b3201d35e026810b472ba2678679bcbf..d840cf0408b5e4d44a4492f743ab04f1d0e0c94e 100644
--- a/ports/esp8266/esp_mphal.c
+++ b/ports/esp8266/esp_mphal.c
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ void mp_hal_delay_ms(uint32_t delay) {
 
 void ets_event_poll(void) {
     ets_loop_iter();
-    mp_handle_pending();
+    mp_handle_pending(true);
 }
 
 void __assert_func(const char *file, int line, const char *func, const char *expr) {
diff --git a/ports/javascript/mpconfigport.h b/ports/javascript/mpconfigport.h
index 8ea43d84ce38a2da2ef30988f9043780bf377147..bc4e053430ff77729e478765ed175b4afbc8492c 100644
--- a/ports/javascript/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/javascript/mpconfigport.h
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ extern const struct _mp_obj_module_t mp_module_utime;
 #if MICROPY_PY_THREAD
 #define MICROPY_EVENT_POLL_HOOK \
     do { \
-        extern void mp_handle_pending(void); \
-        mp_handle_pending(); \
+        extern void mp_handle_pending(bool); \
+        mp_handle_pending(true); \
         if (pyb_thread_enabled) { \
             MP_THREAD_GIL_EXIT(); \
             pyb_thread_yield(); \
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ extern const struct _mp_obj_module_t mp_module_utime;
 #else
 #define MICROPY_EVENT_POLL_HOOK \
     do { \
-        extern void mp_handle_pending(void); \
-        mp_handle_pending(); \
+        extern void mp_handle_pending(bool); \
+        mp_handle_pending(true); \
     } while (0);
 
 #define MICROPY_THREAD_YIELD()
diff --git a/ports/samd/mpconfigport.h b/ports/samd/mpconfigport.h
index 5b81d96b3ac820ae552bdcaf5a96bec000182bf0..d77b9d56bde81b0a247c53d6c60e98f91887e10d 100644
--- a/ports/samd/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/samd/mpconfigport.h
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ extern const struct _mp_obj_module_t mp_module_utime;
 
 #define MICROPY_EVENT_POLL_HOOK \
     do { \
-        extern void mp_handle_pending(void); \
-        mp_handle_pending(); \
+        extern void mp_handle_pending(bool); \
+        mp_handle_pending(true); \
         __WFI(); \
     } while (0);
 
diff --git a/ports/stm32/mpconfigport.h b/ports/stm32/mpconfigport.h
index 2e4fc04061359481658e762e22ec125f9ccd06bf..90e3875547f9126f28857721e9d5050466f1365e 100644
--- a/ports/stm32/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/stm32/mpconfigport.h
@@ -343,8 +343,8 @@ static inline mp_uint_t disable_irq(void) {
 #if MICROPY_PY_THREAD
 #define MICROPY_EVENT_POLL_HOOK \
     do { \
-        extern void mp_handle_pending(void); \
-        mp_handle_pending(); \
+        extern void mp_handle_pending(bool); \
+        mp_handle_pending(true); \
         if (pyb_thread_enabled) { \
             MP_THREAD_GIL_EXIT(); \
             pyb_thread_yield(); \
@@ -358,8 +358,8 @@ static inline mp_uint_t disable_irq(void) {
 #else
 #define MICROPY_EVENT_POLL_HOOK \
     do { \
-        extern void mp_handle_pending(void); \
-        mp_handle_pending(); \
+        extern void mp_handle_pending(bool); \
+        mp_handle_pending(true); \
         __WFI(); \
     } while (0);
 
diff --git a/ports/unix/coverage.c b/ports/unix/coverage.c
index 1b6132cddddc587391ccefe0afdb3eadfa043743..0703d0a3332ee784e825108f29fa74ddbfc137cc 100644
--- a/ports/unix/coverage.c
+++ b/ports/unix/coverage.c
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t extra_coverage(void) {
         mp_sched_unlock();
 
         // shouldn't do anything while scheduler is locked
-        mp_handle_pending();
+        mp_handle_pending(true);
 
         // unlock scheduler
         mp_sched_unlock();
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t extra_coverage(void) {
 
         // drain pending callbacks
         while (mp_sched_num_pending()) {
-            mp_handle_pending();
+            mp_handle_pending(true);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/ports/unix/modtime.c b/ports/unix/modtime.c
index 479d2a79dd904c3551dc2f3ae936a978065b140b..4ea8cb62c75ec714d56ce153a4ac04e6cf828795 100644
--- a/ports/unix/modtime.c
+++ b/ports/unix/modtime.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t mod_time_sleep(mp_obj_t arg) {
         if (res != -1 || errno != EINTR) {
             break;
         }
-        mp_handle_pending();
+        mp_handle_pending(true);
         //printf("select: EINTR: %ld:%ld\n", tv.tv_sec, tv.tv_usec);
         #else
         break;
diff --git a/py/runtime.h b/py/runtime.h
index b54b17b683951c0fbe1df62765041a1a8b0e412d..1c078ae81a09160d364ffcec215881ebd226f5bb 100644
--- a/py/runtime.h
+++ b/py/runtime.h
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ extern const byte mp_binary_op_method_name[];
 void mp_init(void);
 void mp_deinit(void);
 
-void mp_handle_pending(void);
+void mp_handle_pending(bool raise_exc);
 void mp_handle_pending_tail(mp_uint_t atomic_state);
 
 #if MICROPY_ENABLE_SCHEDULER
diff --git a/py/scheduler.c b/py/scheduler.c
index e7cbb524de7d339b049cb885d516b98eb3fe4754..ff88be9583a674ef2b90e9229eb87d8519110c65 100644
--- a/py/scheduler.c
+++ b/py/scheduler.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static inline bool mp_sched_empty(void) {
 }
 
 // A variant of this is inlined in the VM at the pending exception check
-void mp_handle_pending(void) {
+void mp_handle_pending(bool raise_exc) {
     if (MP_STATE_VM(sched_state) == MP_SCHED_PENDING) {
         mp_uint_t atomic_state = MICROPY_BEGIN_ATOMIC_SECTION();
         mp_obj_t obj = MP_STATE_VM(mp_pending_exception);
@@ -53,8 +53,10 @@ void mp_handle_pending(void) {
             if (!mp_sched_num_pending()) {
                 MP_STATE_VM(sched_state) = MP_SCHED_IDLE;
             }
-            MICROPY_END_ATOMIC_SECTION(atomic_state);
-            nlr_raise(obj);
+            if (raise_exc) {
+                MICROPY_END_ATOMIC_SECTION(atomic_state);
+                nlr_raise(obj);
+            }
         }
         mp_handle_pending_tail(atomic_state);
     }
@@ -121,11 +123,13 @@ bool mp_sched_schedule(mp_obj_t function, mp_obj_t arg) {
 #else // MICROPY_ENABLE_SCHEDULER
 
 // A variant of this is inlined in the VM at the pending exception check
-void mp_handle_pending(void) {
+void mp_handle_pending(bool raise_exc) {
     if (MP_STATE_VM(mp_pending_exception) != MP_OBJ_NULL) {
         mp_obj_t obj = MP_STATE_VM(mp_pending_exception);
         MP_STATE_VM(mp_pending_exception) = MP_OBJ_NULL;
-        nlr_raise(obj);
+        if (raise_exc) {
+            nlr_raise(obj);
+        }
     }
 }