diff --git a/net/rds/send.c b/net/rds/send.c
index b0acd45a9d42..a081a6478e67 100644
--- a/net/rds/send.c
+++ b/net/rds/send.c
@@ -1123,8 +1123,9 @@ int rds_sendmsg(struct socket *sock, struct msghdr *msg, size_t payload_len)
 	 */
 	rds_stats_inc(s_send_queued);
 
-	if (!test_bit(RDS_LL_SEND_FULL, &conn->c_flags))
-		rds_send_xmit(conn);
+	ret = rds_send_xmit(conn);
+	if (ret == -ENOMEM || ret == -EAGAIN)
+		queue_delayed_work(rds_wq, &conn->c_send_w, 1);
 
 	rds_message_put(rm);
 	return payload_len;
@@ -1180,8 +1181,9 @@ rds_send_pong(struct rds_connection *conn, __be16 dport)
 	rds_stats_inc(s_send_queued);
 	rds_stats_inc(s_send_pong);
 
-	if (!test_bit(RDS_LL_SEND_FULL, &conn->c_flags))
-		queue_delayed_work(rds_wq, &conn->c_send_w, 0);
+	ret = rds_send_xmit(conn);
+	if (ret == -ENOMEM || ret == -EAGAIN)
+		queue_delayed_work(rds_wq, &conn->c_send_w, 1);
 
 	rds_message_put(rm);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/net/rds/threads.c b/net/rds/threads.c
index dc2402e871fd..454aa6d23327 100644
--- a/net/rds/threads.c
+++ b/net/rds/threads.c
@@ -162,7 +162,9 @@ void rds_send_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 	int ret;
 
 	if (rds_conn_state(conn) == RDS_CONN_UP) {
+		clear_bit(RDS_LL_SEND_FULL, &conn->c_flags);
 		ret = rds_send_xmit(conn);
+		cond_resched();
 		rdsdebug("conn %p ret %d\n", conn, ret);
 		switch (ret) {
 		case -EAGAIN: