diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/link.go b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
index a0ce5d87..dc61892f 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/link.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ type linkInterface struct {
 	keepAliveTimer *time.Timer // Fires to send keep-alive traffic
 	stallTimer     *time.Timer // Fires to signal that no incoming traffic (including keep-alive) has been seen
 	closeTimer     *time.Timer // Fires when the link has been idle so long we need to close it
-	isIdle         bool        // True if the peer actor knows the link is idle
 	isSending      bool        // True between a notifySending and a notifySent
 	blocked        bool        // True if we've blocked the peer in the switch
 }
@@ -279,7 +278,7 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) out(bss [][]byte) {
 		// nil to prevent it from blocking if the link is somehow frozen
 		// this is safe because another packet won't be sent until the link notifies
 		//  the peer that it's ready for one
-		intf.writer.sendFrom(nil, bss, false)
+		intf.writer.sendFrom(nil, bss)
 	})
 }
 
@@ -290,7 +289,7 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) linkOut(bs []byte) {
 		//  additional packets until this one finishes, otherwise this could leak
 		//  memory if writing happens slower than link packets are generated...
 		//  that seems unlikely, so it's a lesser evil than deadlocking for now
-		intf.writer.sendFrom(nil, [][]byte{bs}, true)
+		intf.writer.sendFrom(nil, [][]byte{bs})
 	})
 }
 
@@ -332,11 +331,8 @@ const (
 )
 
 // notify the intf that we're currently sending
-func (intf *linkInterface) notifySending(size int, isLinkTraffic bool) {
+func (intf *linkInterface) notifySending(size int) {
 	intf.Act(&intf.writer, func() {
-		if !isLinkTraffic {
-			intf.isIdle = false
-		}
 		intf.isSending = true
 		intf.sendTimer = time.AfterFunc(sendTime, intf.notifyBlockedSend)
 		intf._cancelStallTimer()
@@ -365,13 +361,18 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) notifyBlockedSend() {
 }
 
 // notify the intf that we've finished sending, returning the peer to the switch
-func (intf *linkInterface) notifySent(size int, isLinkTraffic bool) {
+func (intf *linkInterface) notifySent(size int) {
 	intf.Act(&intf.writer, func() {
-		intf.sendTimer.Stop()
-		intf.sendTimer = nil
-		if !isLinkTraffic {
-			intf._notifyIdle()
+		if intf.sendTimer != nil {
+			intf.sendTimer.Stop()
+			intf.sendTimer = nil
 		}
+		if intf.keepAliveTimer != nil {
+			// TODO? unset this when we start sending, not when we finish...
+			intf.keepAliveTimer.Stop()
+			intf.keepAliveTimer = nil
+		}
+		intf._notifyIdle()
 		intf.isSending = false
 		if size > 0 && intf.stallTimer == nil {
 			intf.stallTimer = time.AfterFunc(stallTime, intf.notifyStalled)
@@ -381,10 +382,7 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) notifySent(size int, isLinkTraffic bool) {
 
 // Notify the peer that we're ready for more traffic
 func (intf *linkInterface) _notifyIdle() {
-	if !intf.isIdle {
-		intf.isIdle = true
-		intf.peer.Act(intf, intf.peer._handleIdle)
-	}
+	intf.peer.Act(intf, intf.peer._handleIdle)
 }
 
 // Set the peer as stalled, to prevent them from returning to the switch until a read succeeds
@@ -416,8 +414,8 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) notifyRead(size int) {
 			intf.stallTimer.Stop()
 			intf.stallTimer = nil
 		}
-		if size > 0 && intf.stallTimer == nil {
-			intf.stallTimer = time.AfterFunc(keepAliveTime, intf.notifyDoKeepAlive)
+		if size > 0 && intf.keepAliveTimer == nil {
+			intf.keepAliveTimer = time.AfterFunc(keepAliveTime, intf.notifyDoKeepAlive)
 		}
 		if intf.blocked {
 			intf.blocked = false
@@ -432,7 +430,7 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) notifyDoKeepAlive() {
 		if intf.stallTimer != nil {
 			intf.stallTimer.Stop()
 			intf.stallTimer = nil
-			intf.writer.sendFrom(nil, [][]byte{nil}, true) // Empty keep-alive traffic
+			intf.writer.sendFrom(nil, [][]byte{nil}) // Empty keep-alive traffic
 		}
 	})
 }
@@ -446,7 +444,7 @@ type linkWriter struct {
 	closed bool
 }
 
-func (w *linkWriter) sendFrom(from phony.Actor, bss [][]byte, isLinkTraffic bool) {
+func (w *linkWriter) sendFrom(from phony.Actor, bss [][]byte) {
 	w.Act(from, func() {
 		if w.closed {
 			return
@@ -455,9 +453,9 @@ func (w *linkWriter) sendFrom(from phony.Actor, bss [][]byte, isLinkTraffic bool
 		for _, bs := range bss {
 			size += len(bs)
 		}
-		w.intf.notifySending(size, isLinkTraffic)
+		w.intf.notifySending(size)
 		w.worker <- bss
-		w.intf.notifySent(size, isLinkTraffic)
+		w.intf.notifySent(size)
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/peer.go b/src/yggdrasil/peer.go
index 339ea5a7..3cfc0b4f 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/peer.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/peer.go
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ func (p *peer) dropFromQueue(from phony.Actor, seq uint64) {
 	p.Act(from, func() {
 		if seq == p.seq {
 			p.drop = true
-			p.max = p.queue.size
+			p.max = p.queue.size + streamMsgSize
 		}
 	})
 }