diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/link.go b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
index a4a41e7..98c080c 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/link.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
@@ -276,6 +276,13 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) notifySending(size int, isLinkTraffic bool) {
 	})
 }
 
+// called by an AfterFunc if we seem to be blocked in a send syscall for a long time
+func (intf *linkInterface) _notifySyscall() {
+	intf.link.core.switchTable.Act(intf, func() {
+		intf.link.core.switchTable._sendingIn(intf.peer.port)
+	})
+}
+
 // we just sent something, so cancel any pending timer to send keep-alive traffic
 func (intf *linkInterface) _cancelStallTimer() {
 	if intf.stallTimer != nil {
@@ -284,9 +291,11 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) _cancelStallTimer() {
 	}
 }
 
-// called by an AfterFunc if we appear to have timed out
+// This gets called from a time.AfterFunc, and notifies the switch that we appear
+// to have gotten blocked on a write, so the switch should start routing traffic
+// through other links, if alternatives exist
 func (intf *linkInterface) notifyBlockedSend() {
-	intf.Act(nil, func() { // Sent from a time.AfterFunc
+	intf.Act(nil, func() {
 		if intf.sendTimer != nil {
 			//As far as we know, we're still trying to send, and the timer fired.
 			intf.link.core.switchTable.blockPeer(intf.peer.port)
@@ -380,7 +389,19 @@ func (w *linkWriter) sendFrom(from phony.Actor, bss [][]byte, isLinkTraffic bool
 			size += len(bs)
 		}
 		w.intf.notifySending(size, isLinkTraffic)
+		// start a timer that will fire if we get stuck in writeMsgs for an oddly long time
+		var once sync.Once
+		timer := time.AfterFunc(time.Millisecond, func() {
+			// 1 ms is kind of arbitrary
+			// the rationale is that this should be very long compared to a syscall
+			// but it's still short compared to end-to-end latency or human perception
+			once.Do(func() {
+				w.intf.Act(nil, w.intf._notifySyscall)
+			})
+		})
 		w.intf.msgIO.writeMsgs(bss)
+		// Make sure we either stop the timer from doing anything or wait until it's done
+		once.Do(func() { timer.Stop() })
 		w.intf.notifySent(size, isLinkTraffic)
 		// Cleanup
 		for _, bs := range bss {
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/switch.go b/src/yggdrasil/switch.go
index f4df60d..ba30758 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/switch.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/switch.go
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ type switchTable struct {
 	phony.Inbox                            // Owns the below
 	queues      switch_buffers             // Queues - not atomic so ONLY use through the actor
 	idle        map[switchPort]struct{}    // idle peers - not atomic so ONLY use through the actor
+	sending     map[switchPort]struct{}    // peers known to be blocked in a send (somehow)
 }
 
 // Minimum allowed total size of switch queues.
@@ -203,6 +204,7 @@ func (t *switchTable) init(core *Core) {
 		core.config.Mutex.RUnlock()
 		t.queues.bufs = make(map[string]switch_buffer)
 		t.idle = make(map[switchPort]struct{})
+		t.sending = make(map[switchPort]struct{})
 	})
 }
 
@@ -527,7 +529,7 @@ func (t *switchTable) unlockedHandleMsg(msg *switchMsg, fromPort switchPort, rep
 		t.parent = sender.port
 		t.core.peers.sendSwitchMsgs(t)
 	}
-	if doUpdate {
+	if true || doUpdate {
 		t.updater.Store(&sync.Once{})
 	}
 	return
@@ -664,7 +666,7 @@ func (t *switchTable) bestPortForCoords(coords []byte) switchPort {
 // Handle an incoming packet
 // Either send it to ourself, or to the first idle peer that's free
 // Returns true if the packet has been handled somehow, false if it should be queued
-func (t *switchTable) _handleIn(packet []byte, idle map[switchPort]struct{}) bool {
+func (t *switchTable) _handleIn(packet []byte, idle map[switchPort]struct{}, sending map[switchPort]struct{}) bool {
 	coords := switch_getPacketCoords(packet)
 	closer := t.getCloser(coords)
 	if len(closer) == 0 {
@@ -677,12 +679,13 @@ func (t *switchTable) _handleIn(packet []byte, idle map[switchPort]struct{}) boo
 	ports := t.core.peers.getPorts()
 	for _, cinfo := range closer {
 		to := ports[cinfo.elem.port]
-		_, isIdle := idle[cinfo.elem.port]
+		//_, isIdle := idle[cinfo.elem.port]
+		_, isSending := sending[cinfo.elem.port]
 		var update bool
 		switch {
 		case to == nil:
 			// no port was found, ignore it
-		case !isIdle:
+		case isSending:
 			// the port is busy, ignore it
 		case best == nil:
 			// this is the first idle port we've found, so select it until we find a
@@ -702,6 +705,7 @@ func (t *switchTable) _handleIn(packet []byte, idle map[switchPort]struct{}) boo
 			// has a n older tstamp, so presumably a worse path
 		case cinfo.elem.time.Before(best.elem.time):
 			// same tstamp, but got it earlier, so presumably a better path
+			//t.core.log.Println("DEBUG new best:", best.elem.time, cinfo.elem.time)
 			update = true
 		default:
 			// the search for a port has finished
@@ -712,10 +716,11 @@ func (t *switchTable) _handleIn(packet []byte, idle map[switchPort]struct{}) boo
 		}
 	}
 	if best != nil {
-		// Send to the best idle next hop
-		delete(idle, best.elem.port)
-		ports[best.elem.port].sendPacketsFrom(t, [][]byte{packet})
-		return true
+		if _, isIdle := idle[best.elem.port]; isIdle {
+			delete(idle, best.elem.port)
+			ports[best.elem.port].sendPacketsFrom(t, [][]byte{packet})
+			return true
+		}
 	}
 	// Didn't find anyone idle to send it to
 	return false
@@ -785,6 +790,7 @@ func (b *switch_buffers) _cleanup(t *switchTable) {
 // Loops over packets and sends the newest one that's OK for this peer to send
 // Returns true if the peer is no longer idle, false if it should be added to the idle list
 func (t *switchTable) _handleIdle(port switchPort) bool {
+	// TODO? only send packets for which this is the best next hop that isn't currently blocked sending
 	to := t.core.peers.getPorts()[port]
 	if to == nil {
 		return true
@@ -842,7 +848,7 @@ func (t *switchTable) packetInFrom(from phony.Actor, bytes []byte) {
 
 func (t *switchTable) _packetIn(bytes []byte) {
 	// Try to send it somewhere (or drop it if it's corrupt or at a dead end)
-	if !t._handleIn(bytes, t.idle) {
+	if !t._handleIn(bytes, t.idle, t.sending) {
 		// There's nobody free to take it right now, so queue it for later
 		packet := switch_packetInfo{bytes, time.Now()}
 		streamID := switch_getPacketStreamID(packet.bytes)
@@ -869,8 +875,15 @@ func (t *switchTable) _packetIn(bytes []byte) {
 
 func (t *switchTable) _idleIn(port switchPort) {
 	// Try to find something to send to this peer
+	delete(t.sending, port)
 	if !t._handleIdle(port) {
 		// Didn't find anything ready to send yet, so stay idle
 		t.idle[port] = struct{}{}
 	}
 }
+
+func (t *switchTable) _sendingIn(port switchPort) {
+	if _, isIn := t.idle[port]; !isIn {
+		t.sending[port] = struct{}{}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go b/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go
index ed8f7b9..66f708c 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go
@@ -233,8 +233,9 @@ func (t *tcp) call(saddr string, options interface{}, sintf string) {
 		}
 		defer func() {
 			// Block new calls for a little while, to mitigate livelock scenarios
-			time.Sleep(default_timeout)
-			time.Sleep(time.Duration(rand.Intn(1000)) * time.Millisecond)
+			rand.Seed(time.Now().UnixNano())
+			delay := default_timeout + time.Duration(rand.Intn(10000))*time.Millisecond
+			time.Sleep(delay)
 			t.mutex.Lock()
 			delete(t.calls, callname)
 			t.mutex.Unlock()