diff --git a/server-client.c b/server-client.c
index b8ccbeff..059a5c89 100644
--- a/server-client.c
+++ b/server-client.c
@@ -492,6 +492,50 @@ server_client_check_exit(struct client *c)
 	c->flags &= ~CLIENT_EXIT;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Check if the client should backoff. During backoff, data from external
+ * programs is not written to the terminal. When the existing data drains, the
+ * client is redrawn.
+ *
+ * There are two backoff phases - both the tty and client have backoff flags -
+ * the first to allow existing data to drain and the latter to ensure backoff
+ * is disabled until the redraw has finished and prevent the redraw triggering
+ * another backoff.
+ */
+void
+server_client_check_backoff(struct client *c)
+{
+	struct tty	*tty = &c->tty;
+	size_t		 used;
+
+	used = EVBUFFER_LENGTH(tty->event->output);
+
+	/*
+	 * If in the second backoff phase (redrawing), don't check backoff
+	 * until the redraw has completed (or enough of it to drop below the
+	 * backoff threshold).
+	 */
+	if (c->flags & CLIENT_BACKOFF) {
+		if (used > BACKOFF_THRESHOLD)
+			return;
+		c->flags &= ~CLIENT_BACKOFF;
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* Once drained, allow data through again and schedule redraw. */
+	if (tty->flags & TTY_BACKOFF) {
+		if (used != 0)
+			return;
+		tty->flags &= ~TTY_BACKOFF;
+		c->flags |= (CLIENT_BACKOFF|CLIENT_REDRAWWINDOW|CLIENT_STATUS);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* If too much data, start backoff. */
+	if (used > BACKOFF_THRESHOLD)
+		tty->flags |= TTY_BACKOFF;
+}
+
 /* Check for client redraws. */
 void
 server_client_check_redraw(struct client *c)
@@ -520,6 +564,10 @@ server_client_check_redraw(struct client *c)
 	if (c->flags & CLIENT_REDRAW) {
 		screen_redraw_screen(c, 0, 0);
 		c->flags &= ~(CLIENT_STATUS|CLIENT_BORDERS);
+	} else if (c->flags & CLIENT_REDRAWWINDOW) {
+		TAILQ_FOREACH(wp, &c->session->curw->window->panes, entry)
+			screen_redraw_pane(c, wp);
+		c->flags &= ~CLIENT_REDRAWWINDOW;
 	} else {
 		TAILQ_FOREACH(wp, &c->session->curw->window->panes, entry) {
 			if (wp->flags & PANE_REDRAW)
diff --git a/server-window.c b/server-window.c
index f8bf27d8..634a1b8a 100644
--- a/server-window.c
+++ b/server-window.c
@@ -29,31 +29,6 @@ int	server_window_check_activity(struct session *, struct winlink *);
 int	server_window_check_content(
 	    struct session *, struct winlink *, struct window_pane *);
 
-/* Check if this window should suspend reading. */
-int
-server_window_backoff(struct window_pane *wp)
-{
-	struct client	*c;
-	u_int		 i;
-
-	if (!window_pane_visible(wp))
-		return (0);
-
-	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(&clients); i++) {
-		c = ARRAY_ITEM(&clients, i);
-		if (c == NULL || c->session == NULL)
-			continue;
-		if ((c->flags & (CLIENT_SUSPENDED|CLIENT_DEAD)) != 0)
-			continue;
-		if (c->session->curw->window != wp->window)
-			continue;
-
-		if (EVBUFFER_LENGTH(c->tty.event->output) > BACKOFF_THRESHOLD)
-			return (1);
-	}
-	return (0);
-}
-
 /* Window functions that need to happen every loop. */
 void
 server_window_loop(void)
@@ -69,17 +44,6 @@ server_window_loop(void)
 		if (w == NULL)
 			continue;
 
-		TAILQ_FOREACH(wp, &w->panes, entry) {
-			if (wp->fd == -1)
-				continue;
-			if (!(wp->flags & PANE_FREEZE)) {
-				if (server_window_backoff(wp))
-					bufferevent_disable(wp->event, EV_READ);
-				else
-					bufferevent_enable(wp->event, EV_READ);
-			}
-		}
-
 		for (j = 0; j < ARRAY_LENGTH(&sessions); j++) {
 			s = ARRAY_ITEM(&sessions, j);
 			if (s == NULL)
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index e1cd0b7e..af731ff7 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ extern char   **environ;
 /* Automatic name refresh interval, in milliseconds. */
 #define NAME_INTERVAL 500
 
-/* Maximum data to buffer for output before suspending reading from panes. */
-#define BACKOFF_THRESHOLD 1024
+/* Maximum data to buffer for output before suspending writing to a tty. */
+#define BACKOFF_THRESHOLD 16384
 
 /*
  * Maximum sizes of strings in message data. Don't forget to bump
@@ -1017,6 +1017,7 @@ struct tty {
 #define TTY_UTF8 0x8
 #define TTY_STARTED 0x10
 #define TTY_OPENED 0x20
+#define TTY_BACKOFF 0x40
 	int		 flags;
 
 	int		 term_flags;
@@ -1126,6 +1127,8 @@ struct client {
 #define CLIENT_DEAD 0x200
 #define CLIENT_BORDERS 0x400
 #define CLIENT_READONLY 0x800
+#define CLIENT_BACKOFF 0x1000
+#define CLIENT_REDRAWWINDOW 0x2000
 	int		 flags;
 
 	struct event	 identify_timer;
diff --git a/tty.c b/tty.c
index fa2cd552..bf0a48b0 100644
--- a/tty.c
+++ b/tty.c
@@ -578,7 +578,9 @@ tty_write(void (*cmdfn)(
 			continue;
 
 		if (c->session->curw->window == wp->window) {
-			if (c->tty.flags & TTY_FREEZE || c->tty.term == NULL)
+			if (c->tty.term == NULL)
+				continue;
+			if (c->tty.flags & (TTY_FREEZE|TTY_BACKOFF))
 				continue;
 			cmdfn(&c->tty, ctx);
 		}