diff --git a/src/build.cc b/src/build.cc
index 6903e45306..782bed553a 100644
--- a/src/build.cc
+++ b/src/build.cc
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <climits>
+#include <stdint.h>
 #include <functional>
 
 #if defined(__SVR4) && defined(__sun)
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ struct DryRunCommandRunner : public CommandRunner {
   virtual ~DryRunCommandRunner() {}
 
   // Overridden from CommandRunner:
-  virtual bool CanRunMore() const;
+  virtual size_t CanRunMore() const;
   virtual bool StartCommand(Edge* edge);
   virtual bool WaitForCommand(Result* result);
 
@@ -54,8 +56,8 @@ struct DryRunCommandRunner : public CommandRunner {
   queue<Edge*> finished_;
 };
 
-bool DryRunCommandRunner::CanRunMore() const {
-  return true;
+size_t DryRunCommandRunner::CanRunMore() const {
+  return SIZE_MAX;
 }
 
 bool DryRunCommandRunner::StartCommand(Edge* edge) {
@@ -455,7 +457,7 @@ void Plan::Dump() const {
 struct RealCommandRunner : public CommandRunner {
   explicit RealCommandRunner(const BuildConfig& config) : config_(config) {}
   virtual ~RealCommandRunner() {}
-  virtual bool CanRunMore() const;
+  virtual size_t CanRunMore() const;
   virtual bool StartCommand(Edge* edge);
   virtual bool WaitForCommand(Result* result);
   virtual vector<Edge*> GetActiveEdges();
@@ -478,12 +480,26 @@ void RealCommandRunner::Abort() {
   subprocs_.Clear();
 }
 
-bool RealCommandRunner::CanRunMore() const {
+size_t RealCommandRunner::CanRunMore() const {
   size_t subproc_number =
       subprocs_.running_.size() + subprocs_.finished_.size();
-  return (int)subproc_number < config_.parallelism
-    && ((subprocs_.running_.empty() || config_.max_load_average <= 0.0f)
-        || GetLoadAverage() < config_.max_load_average);
+
+  int64_t capacity = config_.parallelism - subproc_number;
+
+  if (config_.max_load_average > 0.0f) {
+    int load_capacity = config_.max_load_average - GetLoadAverage();
+    if (load_capacity < capacity)
+      capacity = load_capacity;
+  }
+
+  if (capacity < 0)
+    capacity = 0;
+
+  if (capacity == 0 && subprocs_.running_.empty())
+    // Ensure that we make progress.
+    capacity = 1;
+
+  return capacity;
 }
 
 bool RealCommandRunner::StartCommand(Edge* edge) {
@@ -634,8 +650,13 @@ bool Builder::Build(string* err) {
   // Second, we attempt to wait for / reap the next finished command.
   while (plan_.more_to_do()) {
     // See if we can start any more commands.
-    if (failures_allowed && command_runner_->CanRunMore()) {
-      if (Edge* edge = plan_.FindWork()) {
+    if (failures_allowed) {
+      size_t capacity = command_runner_->CanRunMore();
+      while (capacity > 0) {
+        Edge* edge = plan_.FindWork();
+        if (!edge)
+          break;
+
         if (edge->GetBindingBool("generator")) {
           scan_.build_log()->Close();
         }
@@ -654,11 +675,19 @@ bool Builder::Build(string* err) {
           }
         } else {
           ++pending_commands;
-        }
 
-        // We made some progress; go back to the main loop.
-        continue;
+          --capacity;
+
+          // Re-evaluate capacity.
+          size_t current_capacity = command_runner_->CanRunMore();
+          if (current_capacity < capacity)
+            capacity = current_capacity;
+        }
       }
+
+       // We are finished with all work items and have no pending
+       // commands. Therefore, break out of the main loop.
+       if (pending_commands == 0 && !plan_.more_to_do()) break;
     }
 
     // See if we can reap any finished commands.
diff --git a/src/build.h b/src/build.h
index 8ec2355f7e..c4a49a39cf 100644
--- a/src/build.h
+++ b/src/build.h
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ struct Plan {
 /// RealCommandRunner is an implementation that actually runs commands.
 struct CommandRunner {
   virtual ~CommandRunner() {}
-  virtual bool CanRunMore() const = 0;
+  virtual size_t CanRunMore() const = 0;
   virtual bool StartCommand(Edge* edge) = 0;
 
   /// The result of waiting for a command.
diff --git a/src/build_test.cc b/src/build_test.cc
index 8152b4e312..a9bffbb81f 100644
--- a/src/build_test.cc
+++ b/src/build_test.cc
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 #include "build.h"
 
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <climits>
+#include <stdint.h>
 
 #include "build_log.h"
 #include "deps_log.h"
@@ -473,7 +475,7 @@ struct FakeCommandRunner : public CommandRunner {
       max_active_edges_(1), fs_(fs) {}
 
   // CommandRunner impl
-  virtual bool CanRunMore() const;
+  virtual size_t CanRunMore() const;
   virtual bool StartCommand(Edge* edge);
   virtual bool WaitForCommand(Result* result);
   virtual vector<Edge*> GetActiveEdges();
@@ -574,8 +576,11 @@ void BuildTest::RebuildTarget(const string& target, const char* manifest,
   builder.command_runner_.release();
 }
 
-bool FakeCommandRunner::CanRunMore() const {
-  return active_edges_.size() < max_active_edges_;
+size_t FakeCommandRunner::CanRunMore() const {
+  if (active_edges_.size() < max_active_edges_)
+    return SIZE_MAX;
+
+  return 0;
 }
 
 bool FakeCommandRunner::StartCommand(Edge* edge) {