diff --git a/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py b/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
index 2075f56..8809ed6 100755
--- a/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ from IPython.utils import py3compat
 from IPython.utils.frame import extract_module_locals
 from IPython.utils.jsonutil import json_clean
 from IPython.utils.traitlets import (
-    Any, Instance, Float, Dict, CaselessStrEnum, List
+    Any, Instance, Float, Dict, CaselessStrEnum, List, Set
 )
 
 from entry_point import base_launch_kernel
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
             self.shell.init_user_ns()
 
     # Private interface
-
+    
     # Time to sleep after flushing the stdout/err buffers in each execute
     # cycle.  While this introduces a hard limit on the minimal latency of the
     # execute cycle, it helps prevent output synchronization problems for
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
     # This is a dict of port number that the kernel is listening on. It is set
     # by record_ports and used by connect_request.
     _recorded_ports = Dict()
+    
+    # set of aborted msg_ids
+    aborted = Set()
 
 
 
@@ -179,6 +182,7 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
 
     def dispatch_message(self, socket, idents, msg, handlers):
         msg_type = msg['header']['msg_type']
+        msg_id = msg['header']['msg_id']
 
         # This assert will raise in versions of zeromq 2.0.7 and lesser.
         # We now require 2.0.8 or above, so we can uncomment for safety.
@@ -191,6 +195,17 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
         self.log.debug('\n*** MESSAGE TYPE:%s***', msg_type)
         self.log.debug('   Content: %s\n   --->\n   ', msg['content'])
 
+        # check if request has been aborted
+        if msg_id in self.aborted:
+            self.aborted.remove(msg_id)
+            # is it safe to assume a msg_id will not be resubmitted?
+            reply_type = msg_type.split('_')[0] + '_reply'
+            status = {'status' : 'aborted'}
+            reply_msg = self.session.send(socket, reply_type, subheader=status,
+                        content=status, parent=msg, ident=idents)
+            return
+        
+
         # Find and call actual handler for message
         handler = handlers.get(msg_type, None)
         if handler is None:
@@ -390,7 +405,7 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
         self.log.debug("%s", reply_msg)
 
         if reply_msg['content']['status'] == u'error':
-            self._abort_queue()
+            self._abort_queues()
 
         self.session.send(self.iopub_socket,
                           u'status',
@@ -548,31 +563,6 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
     # Control messages
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    def abort_queues(self):
-        for socket in self.shell_sockets:
-            if socket:
-                self.abort_queue(socket)
-
-    def abort_queue(self, socket):
-        while True:
-            idents,msg = self.session.recv(socket, zmq.NOBLOCK, content=True)
-            if msg is None:
-                return
-
-            self.log.info("Aborting:")
-            self.log.info("%s", msg)
-            msg_type = msg['header']['msg_type']
-            reply_type = msg_type.split('_')[0] + '_reply'
-            # reply_msg = self.session.msg(reply_type, {'status' : 'aborted'}, msg)
-            # self.reply_socket.send(ident,zmq.SNDMORE)
-            # self.reply_socket.send_json(reply_msg)
-            reply_msg = self.session.send(socket, reply_type,
-                        content={'status' : 'aborted'}, parent=msg, ident=idents)
-            self.log.debug("%s", reply_msg)
-            # We need to wait a bit for requests to come in. This can probably
-            # be set shorter for true asynchronous clients.
-            time.sleep(0.05)
-
     def abort_request(self, socket, ident, parent):
         """abort a specifig msg by id"""
         msg_ids = parent['content'].get('msg_ids', None)
@@ -600,28 +590,31 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
     # Protected interface
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    def _abort_queue(self):
+    def _abort_queues(self):
+        for socket in self.shell_sockets:
+            if socket:
+                self._abort_queue(socket)
+
+    def _abort_queue(self, socket):
         while True:
-            try:
-                ident,msg = self.session.recv(self.shell_socket, zmq.NOBLOCK)
-            except Exception:
-                self.log.warn("Invalid Message:", exc_info=True)
-                continue
+            idents,msg = self.session.recv(socket, zmq.NOBLOCK, content=True)
             if msg is None:
-                break
-            else:
-                assert ident is not None, \
-                       "Unexpected missing message part."
+                return
 
-            self.log.debug("Aborting:\n%s", msg)
+            self.log.info("Aborting:")
+            self.log.info("%s", msg)
             msg_type = msg['header']['msg_type']
             reply_type = msg_type.split('_')[0] + '_reply'
-            reply_msg = self.session.send(self.shell_socket, reply_type,
-                    {'status' : 'aborted'}, msg, ident=ident)
+            # reply_msg = self.session.msg(reply_type, {'status' : 'aborted'}, msg)
+            # self.reply_socket.send(ident,zmq.SNDMORE)
+            # self.reply_socket.send_json(reply_msg)
+            reply_msg = self.session.send(socket, reply_type,
+                        content={'status' : 'aborted'}, parent=msg, ident=idents)
             self.log.debug("%s", reply_msg)
             # We need to wait a bit for requests to come in. This can probably
             # be set shorter for true asynchronous clients.
-            time.sleep(0.1)
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+
 
     def _no_raw_input(self):
         """Raise StdinNotImplentedError if active frontend doesn't support