diff --git a/shared-module/displayio/Display.c b/shared-module/displayio/Display.c
index da3424a360..1c9ba5702d 100644
--- a/shared-module/displayio/Display.c
+++ b/shared-module/displayio/Display.c
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ void common_hal_displayio_display_refresh_soon(displayio_display_obj_t* self) {
 
 int32_t common_hal_displayio_display_wait_for_frame(displayio_display_obj_t* self) {
     uint64_t last_refresh = self->last_refresh;
-    while (last_refresh == self->last_refresh) {
+    // Don't try to refresh if we got an exception.
+    while (last_refresh == self->last_refresh && MP_STATE_VM(mp_pending_exception) == NULL) {
         MICROPY_VM_HOOK_LOOP
     }
     return 0;
diff --git a/shared-module/displayio/__init__.c b/shared-module/displayio/__init__.c
index 0d35abf0f6..79014fb5af 100644
--- a/shared-module/displayio/__init__.c
+++ b/shared-module/displayio/__init__.c
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include "shared-module/displayio/__init__.h"
 
+#include "lib/utils/interrupt_char.h"
 #include "py/reload.h"
+#include "py/runtime.h"
 #include "shared-bindings/displayio/Bitmap.h"
 #include "shared-bindings/displayio/Display.h"
 #include "shared-bindings/displayio/Group.h"
@@ -23,8 +25,12 @@ static inline void swap(uint16_t* a, uint16_t* b) {
 bool refreshing_displays = false;
 
 void displayio_refresh_displays(void) {
+    if (mp_hal_is_interrupted()) {
+        return;
+    }
     // Somehow reloads from the sdcard are being lost. So, cheat and reraise.
-    if (reload_requested) {
+    // But don't re-raise if already pending.
+    if (reload_requested && MP_STATE_VM(mp_pending_exception) == MP_OBJ_NULL) {
         mp_raise_reload_exception();
         return;
     }