diff --git a/jobmanager/jobmanager.py b/jobmanager/jobmanager.py
index d18f820..b60745e 100644
--- a/jobmanager/jobmanager.py
+++ b/jobmanager/jobmanager.py
@@ -456,26 +456,27 @@ class JobManager_Client(object):
             while njobs != 0:
                 njobs -= 1
 
-                # try to get an item from the job_q                
-                try:
-                    tg_0 = time.time()
+                # try to get an item from the job_q
+                tg_0 = time.time()                
+                try:                    
                     arg = job_q_get(block = True, timeout = job_q_get_timeout)
-                    tg_1 = time.time()
-                    time_queue += (tg_1-tg_0)
-                 
                 # regular case, just stop working when empty job_q was found
                 except queue.Empty:
                     log.info("finds empty job queue, processed %s jobs", cnt)
                     break
                 # handle SystemExit in outer try ... except
                 except SystemExit as e:
+                    arg = None
                     log.warning('getting arg from job_q failed due to SystemExit')
                     raise e
                 # job_q.get failed -> server down?             
                 except Exception as e:
+                    arg = None
                     log.error("Error when calling 'job_q_get'") 
                     handle_unexpected_queue_error(e)
                     break
+                tg_1 = time.time()
+                time_queue += (tg_1-tg_0)                
                 
                 # try to process the retrieved argument
                 try:
@@ -548,20 +549,23 @@ class JobManager_Client(object):
         # note SIGINT, SIGTERM -> SystemExit is achieved by overwriting the
         # default signal handlers
         except SystemExit:
-            log.warning("SystemExit, quit processing, reinsert current argument, please wait")
-            log.debug("put arg back to local job_q")
-            try:
-                local_job_q.put(arg)
-            # handle SystemExit in outer try ... except                        
-            except SystemExit as e:
-                log.error("puting arg back to local job_q failed due to SystemExit")
-                raise e
-            # fail_q.put failed -> server down?             
-            except Exception as e:
-                log.error("puting arg back to local job_q failed due to %s", type(e))
-                handle_unexpected_queue_error(e)
+            if arg is None:
+                log.warning("SystemExit, quit processing, no argument to reinsert")
             else:
-                log.debug("putting arg back to local job_q was successful")
+                log.warning("SystemExit, quit processing, reinsert current argument, please wait")
+                log.debug("put arg back to local job_q")
+                try:
+                    local_job_q.put(arg)
+                # handle SystemExit in outer try ... except                        
+                except SystemExit as e:
+                    log.error("puting arg back to local job_q failed due to SystemExit")
+                    raise e
+                # fail_q.put failed -> server down?             
+                except Exception as e:
+                    log.error("puting arg back to local job_q failed due to %s", type(e))
+                    handle_unexpected_queue_error(e)
+                else:
+                    log.debug("putting arg back to local job_q was successful")
 
         try:                
             sta = progress.humanize_time(time_calc / cnt)
@@ -589,7 +593,6 @@ class JobManager_Client(object):
         
         if not self.connected:
             raise JMConnectionError("Can not start Client with no connection to server (shared objetcs are not available)")
-
         
         log.info("STARTING CLIENT\nserver:%s authkey:%s port:%s num proc:%s", self.server, self.authkey.decode(), self.port, self.nproc)
             
@@ -607,6 +610,8 @@ class JobManager_Client(object):
             
         if not self.show_counter_only:
             m_set_by_function = m_progress
+        else:
+            m_progress = None
                       
         prepend = []
         infoline = progress.StringValue(num_of_bytes=12)