diff --git a/src/ui/exportscreen.c b/src/ui/exportscreen.c
index 28221fd..3a58510 100644
--- a/src/ui/exportscreen.c
+++ b/src/ui/exportscreen.c
@@ -152,15 +152,9 @@ static enum {
 } export_confirm_action(ExportScreen *screen,
                         SensorState *state,
                         const char *fmt, ...) {
-    int done_status = EXPORT_CONFIRM_CONTINUE;
-    if (screen->current_op && export_check_bg_task(screen)) {
-        // background task done
-        done_status = EXPORT_CONFIRM_CONTINUE;
-        goto confirm_done;
-    }
+    int done_status;
     if (state->back_down || (state->sel_down && !screen->confirm_state)) {
         done_status = EXPORT_CONFIRM_NO;
-        screen->need_redraw = true;
         goto confirm_done;
     }
     if (state->sel_down) {
@@ -193,6 +187,7 @@ static enum {
     lcd_display_control(state->lcd, LCD_CURSOR_NO_BLINK, LCD_CURSOR_OFF,
                         LCD_DISPLAY_ON);
     screen->confirm_state = false;
+    screen->need_redraw = true;
     return done_status;
 }
 
@@ -225,12 +220,14 @@ static const char BACKGROUND_CHARS[] = {
  * True if done, false otherwise
  */
 static bool export_do_background_action(ExportScreen *screen, SensorState *state) {
-    if (state->down_down || state->up_down || state->back_down ||
-        state->sel_down) {
-        screen->last_cancel_stage = screen->stage;
-        screen->stage = EXPORT_SCREEN_CONFIRM_CANCEL;
+    if (!screen->show_cancel_screen && (state->down_down || state->up_down ||
+                                        state->back_down || state->sel_down)) {
+        screen->show_cancel_screen = true;
         screen->need_redraw = true;
-        return false;
+        // we need to make sure that the confirm action screen ignores actions
+        // for this iteration of the UI loop
+        state->back_down = state->up_down =
+            state->sel_down = state->down_down = false;
     }
     if (!screen->current_op) {
         screen->stage = EXPORT_SCREEN_FAILED;
@@ -240,16 +237,32 @@ static bool export_do_background_action(ExportScreen *screen, SensorState *state
     if (export_check_bg_task(screen)) {
         return true;
     }
-    time_t now = time(NULL);
-    if (screen->need_redraw || now != screen->last_char_change) {
-        lcd_display_control(state->lcd, LCD_CURSOR_NO_BLINK, LCD_CURSOR_OFF,
-                            LCD_DISPLAY_ON);
-        screen->last_char_change = now;
-        screen->need_redraw = false;
-        lcd_clear(state->lcd);
-        lcd_move_to(state->lcd, 0, 0);
-        lcd_write_string(state->lcd, "Working");
-        lcd_write_char(state->lcd, BACKGROUND_CHARS[screen->working_char++ % NBACKGROUND_CHAR]);
+    if (screen->show_cancel_screen) {
+        int confirm_status = export_confirm_action(screen, state, "Really cancel?");
+        if (confirm_status == EXPORT_CONFIRM_YES) {
+            async_operation_free(screen->current_op);
+            screen->current_op = NULL;
+            AsyncOperation *op = drive_unmount(&screen->drives[screen->cur_drive], true);
+            async_operation_poll(op, true);
+            async_operation_free(op);
+            screen->stage = EXPORT_SCREEN_CANCELED;
+            screen->need_redraw = true;
+        } else if (confirm_status == EXPORT_CONFIRM_NO) {
+            screen->need_redraw = true;
+            screen->show_cancel_screen = false;
+        }
+    } else {
+        time_t now = time(NULL);
+        if (screen->need_redraw || now != screen->last_char_change) {
+            lcd_display_control(state->lcd, LCD_CURSOR_NO_BLINK, LCD_CURSOR_OFF,
+                                LCD_DISPLAY_ON);
+            screen->last_char_change = now;
+            screen->need_redraw = false;
+            lcd_clear(state->lcd);
+            lcd_move_to(state->lcd, 0, 0);
+            lcd_write_string(state->lcd, "Working");
+            lcd_write_char(state->lcd, BACKGROUND_CHARS[screen->working_char++ % NBACKGROUND_CHAR]);
+        }
     }
     return false;
 }
@@ -291,6 +304,7 @@ static void export_handle_write(ExportScreen *screen, SensorState *state) {
         return;
     }
     // if we have no current op, start a new one
+    screen->show_cancel_screen = false;
     pid_t pid = fork();
     if (pid < 0) {
         warn("failed to start write background task");
@@ -344,6 +358,7 @@ static bool export_screen_dispatch(ExportScreen *screen,
     case EXPORT_SCREEN_WRITE_NEWFS:
         if (!screen->current_op) {
             screen->current_op = drive_newfs_msdos(cur_drive);
+            screen->show_cancel_screen = false;
         }
         if (export_do_background_action(screen, state)) {
             screen->stage = EXPORT_SCREEN_MOUNTING;
@@ -353,6 +368,7 @@ static bool export_screen_dispatch(ExportScreen *screen,
     case EXPORT_SCREEN_MOUNTING:
         if (!screen->current_op) {
             screen->current_op = drive_mount(cur_drive);
+            screen->show_cancel_screen = false;
         }
         if (export_do_background_action(screen, state)) {
             char *path = export_build_cur_path(screen);
@@ -387,27 +403,13 @@ static bool export_screen_dispatch(ExportScreen *screen,
     case EXPORT_SCREEN_UNMOUNT:
         if (!screen->current_op) {
             screen->current_op = drive_unmount(cur_drive, false);
+            screen->show_cancel_screen = false;
         }
         if (export_do_background_action(screen, state)) {
             screen->stage = EXPORT_SCREEN_DONE;
             screen->need_redraw = true;
         }
         break;
-    case EXPORT_SCREEN_CONFIRM_CANCEL:
-        confirm_status = export_confirm_action(screen, state, "Really cancel?");
-        if (confirm_status == EXPORT_CONFIRM_YES) {
-            async_operation_free(screen->current_op);
-            screen->current_op = NULL;
-            AsyncOperation *op = drive_unmount(cur_drive, true);
-            async_operation_poll(op, true);
-            async_operation_free(op);
-            screen->stage = EXPORT_SCREEN_CANCELED;
-            screen->need_redraw = true;
-        } else if (confirm_status == EXPORT_CONFIRM_NO) {
-            screen->stage = screen->last_cancel_stage;
-            screen->need_redraw = true;
-        }
-        break;
     case EXPORT_SCREEN_CANCELED:
         return export_show_message(screen, state, "Cancelled!");
     case EXPORT_SCREEN_FAILED:
diff --git a/src/ui/exportscreen.h b/src/ui/exportscreen.h
index bca366d..f96b090 100644
--- a/src/ui/exportscreen.h
+++ b/src/ui/exportscreen.h
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ typedef struct {
         EXPORT_SCREEN_WRITING,
         EXPORT_SCREEN_UNMOUNT,
         EXPORT_SCREEN_DONE,
-        EXPORT_SCREEN_CONFIRM_CANCEL,
         EXPORT_SCREEN_CANCELED,
         EXPORT_SCREEN_FAILED,
         EXPORT_SCREEN_NO_DRIVES,
@@ -54,6 +53,7 @@ typedef struct {
     sqlite3 *db_cache;
     int last_cancel_stage;
     AsyncOperation *current_op;
+    bool show_cancel_screen;
 } ExportScreen;
 
 ExportScreen *export_screen_new(void);