diff --git a/rss2irc.cabal b/rss2irc.cabal
--- a/rss2irc.cabal
+++ b/rss2irc.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                rss2irc
-version:             0.4.1
+version:             0.4.2
 homepage:            http://hackage.haskell.org/package/rss2irc
 license:             BSD3
 license-file:        LICENSE
@@ -45,11 +45,15 @@
  .
  > rss2irc http://hackage.haskell.org/packages/archive/recent.rss mybot@irc.freenode.org/#haskell
  .
- Release notes for 0.4.1, 2009-09-25:
+ Release notes for 0.4.2, 2009-09-27:
  .
+ * fix a bug where every --max-items-th announcement was skipped
+ .
+ Release notes for 0.4.1, 2009-09-26:
+ .
  * fix release notes issues
  .
- Release notes for 0.4, 2009-09-25:
+ Release notes for 0.4, 2009-09-26:
  .
  * wait for server connection confirmation before JOIN command.
   Problem was observed on irc.quakenet.org since it refuses
diff --git a/rss2irc.hs b/rss2irc.hs
--- a/rss2irc.hs
+++ b/rss2irc.hs
@@ -518,15 +518,16 @@
     let maxitems     = optIntValue MaxItems defaultmaxitems opts
         requiredidle = optIntValue Idle defaultidle opts         -- minutes
         pollinterval = optIntValue Interval defaultinterval opts -- minutes
-        idleinterval = max (requiredidle-idle) 1                 -- minutes
         sendinterval = if Debug `elem` opts then 0 else 2        -- seconds
         iscontinuation = continuationprefix `isPrefixOf` ann
         act | batchindex >= maxitems && not iscontinuation = (do
                                          when (DebugIrc `elem` opts) $
                                               getTimeStamp >>= \t -> printf "%s: sent %d messages in this batch, max is %d, sleeping for %dm\n" t batchindex maxitems pollinterval >> hFlush stdout
+                                         unGetChan q ann
                                          threadDelay $ pollinterval * minutes
                                          ircWriterThread bv 0)
-            | idle < requiredidle = (do
+            | requiredidle > 0 && (idle < requiredidle) = (do
+                                      let idleinterval = requiredidle-idle
                                       when (DebugIrc `elem` opts) $
                                            getTimeStamp >>= \t -> printf "%s: channel has been idle %dm, %dm required, sleeping for %dm\n" t idle requiredidle idleinterval >> hFlush stdout
                                       unGetChan q ann
@@ -534,7 +535,7 @@
                                       ircWriterThread bv batchindex)
             | otherwise = (do
                             when (DebugIrc `elem` opts) $
-                                 getTimeStamp >>= \t -> printf "%s: sent %d messages in this batch and channel has been idle %dm, sending next\n" t batchindex idle >> hFlush stdout
+                                 getTimeStamp >>= \t -> printf "%s: sent %d messages in this batch%s, sending next\n" t batchindex (if requiredidle == 0 then "" else printf " and channel has been idle %dm" idle) >> hFlush stdout
                             let (msg,rest) = splitAnnouncement ann
                             unless (null rest) $ unGetChan q rest
                             ircPrivmsgH b msg