diff -up evolution-3.8.5/mail/e-mail-backend.c.disconnect-on-network-outage evolution-3.8.5/mail/e-mail-backend.c
--- evolution-3.8.5/mail/e-mail-backend.c.disconnect-on-network-outage	2013-07-23 14:51:52.000000000 +0200
+++ evolution-3.8.5/mail/e-mail-backend.c	2014-04-07 12:47:49.658625438 +0200
@@ -128,6 +128,18 @@ mail_backend_store_operation_done_cb (Ca
 }
 
 static void
+mail_backend_set_session_offline_cb (gpointer user_data,
+				     GObject *object)
+{
+	CamelSession *session = user_data;
+
+	g_return_if_fail (CAMEL_IS_SESSION (session));
+
+	camel_session_set_online (session, FALSE);
+	g_object_unref (session);
+}
+
+static void
 mail_backend_prepare_for_offline_cb (EShell *shell,
                                      EActivity *activity,
                                      EMailBackend *backend)
@@ -138,18 +150,6 @@ mail_backend_prepare_for_offline_cb (ESh
 	GQueue queue = G_QUEUE_INIT;
 	gboolean synchronize = FALSE;
 
-	if (e_shell_backend_is_started (E_SHELL_BACKEND (backend))) {
-		if (!e_activity_get_cancellable (activity)) {
-			GCancellable *cancellable;
-
-			cancellable = camel_operation_new ();
-			e_activity_set_cancellable (activity, cancellable);
-			g_object_unref (cancellable);
-		}
-
-		e_shell_backend_add_activity (E_SHELL_BACKEND (backend), activity);
-	}
-
 	window = e_shell_get_active_window (shell);
 	session = e_mail_backend_get_session (backend);
 	account_store = e_mail_ui_session_get_account_store (E_MAIL_UI_SESSION (session));
@@ -163,8 +163,29 @@ mail_backend_prepare_for_offline_cb (ESh
 		mail_cancel_all ();
 		camel_session_set_network_available (
 			CAMEL_SESSION (session), FALSE);
+		camel_session_set_online (CAMEL_SESSION (session), FALSE);
 	}
 
+	if (e_shell_backend_is_started (E_SHELL_BACKEND (backend))) {
+		GCancellable *cancellable;
+
+		cancellable = e_activity_get_cancellable (activity);
+		if (!cancellable) {
+			cancellable = camel_operation_new ();
+			e_activity_set_cancellable (activity, cancellable);
+			g_object_unref (cancellable);
+		} else {
+			/* Maybe the cancellable just got cancelled when the above
+			   mail_cancel_all() had been called, but we want it alive
+			   for the following "go-offline" operation, thus reset it. */
+			g_cancellable_reset (cancellable); 
+		}
+
+		e_shell_backend_add_activity (E_SHELL_BACKEND (backend), activity);
+	}
+
+	g_object_weak_ref (G_OBJECT (activity), mail_backend_set_session_offline_cb, g_object_ref (session));
+
 	e_mail_account_store_queue_enabled_services (account_store, &queue);
 	while (!g_queue_is_empty (&queue)) {
 		CamelService *service;