diff --git a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
index a88df9cd0..f5a0cf7fb 100755
--- a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
@@ -187,8 +187,8 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
         self._ies = []
         self._ies_instances = {}
         self._pps = []
-        self._stop = False
-        self._pause = False
+        self._stop_state = False
+        self._pause_state = False
         self._progress_hooks = []
         self._download_retcode = 0
         self._num_downloads = 0
@@ -984,8 +984,8 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
                         for ph in self._progress_hooks:
                             fd.add_progress_hook(ph)
                         # Add stop, pause handlers 
-                        fd.add_stop_handler(self._stop_handler)
-                        fd.add_pause_handler(self._pause_handler)
+                        fd.set_stop_handler(self.get_stop_state)
+                        fd.set_pause_handler(self.get_pause_state)
                         return fd.download(name, info)
                     if info_dict.get('requested_formats') is not None:
                         downloaded = []
@@ -1019,7 +1019,7 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
                 except (ContentTooShortError, ) as err:
                     self.report_error('content too short (expected %s bytes and served %s)' % (err.expected, err.downloaded))
                     return
-                except StopDownloads:
+		except StopDownloads:
 		    return
 
             if success:
@@ -1031,27 +1031,17 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
 
         self.record_download_archive(info_dict)
 
-    def _stop_handler(self):
-	""" Return self._stop status """
-	return self._stop
-	
-    def _pause_handler(self):
-	""" Return self._pause status """
-	return self._pause
+    def get_stop_state(self):
+	return self._stop_state
         
-    def stop(self):
-	""" Stop downloads """
-	if self._stop:
-	  self._stop = False
-	else:
-	  self._stop = True
-	  
-    def pause(self):
-	""" Pause/Resume downloads """
-	if self._pause:
-	  self._pause = False
-	else:
-	  self._pause = True
+    def get_pause_state(self):
+	return self._pause_state
+
+    def set_stop_state(self, stop_state):
+	self._stop_state = stop_state
+        
+    def set_pause_state(self, pause_state):
+	self._pause_state = pause_state
         
     def download(self, url_list):
         """Download a given list of URLs."""
diff --git a/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py b/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
index b8ce20af0..e16f97d5b 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
@@ -301,27 +301,24 @@ class FileDownloader(object):
         for ph in self._progress_hooks:
             ph(status)
 
-    def _stop(self):
-	""" Check stop handler """
+    def _check_stop_handler(self):
 	if self._stop_handler is not None:
-	  if self._stop_handler():
-	    raise StopDownloads()
+	    if self._stop_handler():
+		raise StopDownloads()
       
-    def _pause(self):
-	""" Check pause/resume handler """
+    def _check_pause_handler(self):
 	if self._pause_handler is not None:
-	  while self._pause_handler():
-	    # Break if stop handler enable
-	    if self._stop_handler(): break
-	    time.sleep(1)
+	    while self._pause_handler():
+		if self._stop_handler(): break
+		time.sleep(1)
     
-    def add_stop_handler(self, shand):
-	""" shand gets checked. If True raise StopDownloads """
-	self._stop_handler = shand
+    def set_stop_handler(self, stop_handler):
+	""" stop_handler gets checked. If True raise StopDownloads """
+	self._stop_handler = stop_handler
       
-    def add_pause_handler(self, phand):
-	""" phand gets checked. If True pause downloads """
-	self._pause_handler = phand
+    def set_pause_handler(self, pause_handler):
+	""" pause_handler gets checked. If True pause downloads """
+	self._pause_handler = pause_handler
     
     def add_progress_hook(self, ph):
         """ ph gets called on download progress, with a dictionary with the entries
diff --git a/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py b/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
index 4f18c9e26..790ad9fc1 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/downloader/http.py
@@ -162,11 +162,9 @@ class HttpFD(FileDownloader):
                 'speed': speed,
             })
 
-            # Check stop handler
-            self._stop()
+            self._check_stop_handler()
             
-            # Check pause handler
-            self._pause()
+            self._check_pause_handler()
             
             # Apply rate limit
             self.slow_down(start, byte_counter - resume_len)
diff --git a/youtube_dl/utils.py b/youtube_dl/utils.py
index 3daf42d99..ebd1f41a4 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/utils.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/utils.py
@@ -656,7 +656,11 @@ class MaxDownloadsReached(Exception):
     pass
 
 class StopDownloads(Exception):
-    """ Stop Downloads """
+    """ Stop Downloads exception.
+    
+    This exception will be raised by FileDownloader objects when
+    YoutubDL._stop_state is True
+    """
     pass
 
 class UnavailableVideoError(Exception):