diff --git a/ssh/ssh-proxy.c b/ssh/ssh-proxy.c
index cbefaf5..c4916e9 100644
--- a/ssh/ssh-proxy.c
+++ b/ssh/ssh-proxy.c
@@ -41,10 +41,12 @@ struct side {
 	struct event input, output;
 	struct ssh *ssh;
 };
+#define SESSION_CONNECTED	0x01
+#define SESSION_NEEDS_FLUSH	0x02
 struct session {
 	struct side client, server;
-	int connected;
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(session) next;
+	int flags;
 };
 Forward fwd;
 
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ int do_connect(const char *, int);
 int do_listen(const char *, int);
 void session_close(struct session *);
 int ssh_packet_fwd(struct side *, struct side *);
+int ssh_prepare_output(struct side *);
 void usage(void);
 
 uid_t original_real_uid;	/* XXX */
@@ -165,7 +168,7 @@ session_close(struct session *s)
 		close(s->client.fd);
 	if (s->server.fd != -1)
 		close(s->server.fd);
-	if (s->connected == 1) {
+	if (s->flags & SESSION_CONNECTED) {
 		event_del(&s->client.input);
 		event_del(&s->client.output);
 		event_del(&s->server.input);
@@ -262,7 +265,7 @@ connect_cb(int fd, short type, void *arg)
 	event_set(&s->server.output, s->server.fd, EV_WRITE, output_cb, s);
 	event_add(&s->server.input, NULL);
 	event_add(&s->client.input, NULL);
-	s->connected = 1;
+	s->flags = SESSION_CONNECTED;
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&sessions, s, next);
 	return;
  fail:
@@ -272,6 +275,20 @@ connect_cb(int fd, short type, void *arg)
 	return;
 }
 
+/* schedule output event and return 1 if there is any output pending */
+int
+ssh_prepare_output(struct side *side)
+{
+	u_int len;
+
+	ssh_output_ptr(side->ssh, &len);
+	if (len) {
+		debug3("output %d for %d", len, side->fd);
+		event_add(&side->output, NULL);
+	}
+	return len > 0;
+}
+
 int
 ssh_packet_fwd(struct side *from, struct side *to)
 {
@@ -286,7 +303,7 @@ ssh_packet_fwd(struct side *from, struct side *to)
 			return ret;
 		if (!type) {
 			debug3("no packet on %d", from->fd);
-			break;
+			return 0;
 		}
 		data = ssh_packet_payload(from->ssh, &len);
 		debug("ssh_packet_fwd %d->%d type %d len %d",
@@ -306,17 +323,6 @@ ssh_packet_fwd(struct side *from, struct side *to)
 		if ((ret = ssh_packet_put(to->ssh, type, data, len)) != 0)
 			return ret;
 	}
-	ssh_output_ptr(from->ssh, &len);
-	if (len) {
-		debug3("output %d for %d", len, from->fd);
-		event_add(&from->output, NULL);
-	}
-	ssh_output_ptr(to->ssh, &len);
-	if (len) {
-		debug3("output %d for %d", len, to->fd);
-		event_add(&to->output, NULL);
-	}
-	return 0;
 }
 
 void
@@ -326,8 +332,8 @@ input_cb(int fd, short type, void *arg)
 	struct session *s = arg;
 	struct side *r, *w;
 	ssize_t len;
+	int pending, r1, r2;
 	const char *tag;
-	int ret;
 
 	if (fd == s->client.fd) {
 		tag = "client";
@@ -351,10 +357,15 @@ input_cb(int fd, short type, void *arg)
 		event_add(&r->input, NULL);
 		ssh_input_append(r->ssh, buf, len);
 	}
-	if ((ret = ssh_packet_fwd(r, w)) != 0 ||
-	    (ret = ssh_packet_fwd(w, r)) != 0) {
-		error("ssh_packet_fwd: %s", ssh_err(ret));
-		session_close(s);
+	r1 = ssh_packet_fwd(r, w);
+	r2 = ssh_packet_fwd(w, r);
+	pending = ssh_prepare_output(r) + ssh_prepare_output(w);
+	if (r1 || r1) {
+		error("ssh_packet_fwd: %s/%s", ssh_err(r1), ssh_err(r2));
+		if (pending)
+			s->flags |= SESSION_NEEDS_FLUSH;
+		else
+			session_close(s);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -363,9 +374,9 @@ output_cb(int fd, short type, void *arg)
 {
 	struct session *s = arg;
 	struct side *r, *w;
-	ssize_t len;
+	ssize_t len, olen;
+	int pending;
 	const char *tag;
-	ssize_t olen;
 	char *obuf;
 
 	if (fd == s->client.fd) {
@@ -396,8 +407,16 @@ output_cb(int fd, short type, void *arg)
 			ssh_output_consume(w->ssh, len);
 		}
 	}
-	ssh_packet_fwd(r, w);
-	ssh_packet_fwd(w, r);
+	if (!(s->flags & SESSION_NEEDS_FLUSH)) {
+		ssh_packet_fwd(r, w);
+		ssh_packet_fwd(w, r);
+	}
+	pending = ssh_prepare_output(r) + ssh_prepare_output(w);
+	if ((s->flags & SESSION_NEEDS_FLUSH) && !pending) {
+		debug("delayed close %p", s);
+		s->flags &= ~SESSION_NEEDS_FLUSH;
+		session_close(s);
+	}
 }
 
 void