diff --git a/connectd/connectd.c b/connectd/connectd.c
index 69fe522a1e7c..068e4ab56986 100644
--- a/connectd/connectd.c
+++ b/connectd/connectd.c
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ static struct peer *new_peer(struct daemon *daemon,
 	peer->sent_to_peer = NULL;
 	peer->urgent = false;
 	peer->draining = false;
+	peer->peer_in_lastmsg = -1;
 	peer->peer_outq = msg_queue_new(peer, false);
 	peer->last_recv_time = time_now();
 	peer->is_websocket = is_websocket;
diff --git a/connectd/connectd.h b/connectd/connectd.h
index d43179d966dd..8b4a224b3acb 100644
--- a/connectd/connectd.h
+++ b/connectd/connectd.h
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ struct peer {
 	/* Last time we received traffic */
 	struct timeabs last_recv_time;
 
+	/* How long have we been ignoring peer input? */
+	struct timemono peer_in_lasttime;
+	int peer_in_lastmsg;
+
 	/* Ratelimits for onion messages.  One token per msec. */
 	size_t onionmsg_incoming_tokens;
 	struct timemono onionmsg_last_incoming;
diff --git a/connectd/multiplex.c b/connectd/multiplex.c
index 49eccbb3d4cc..6ca9dc17dda7 100644
--- a/connectd/multiplex.c
+++ b/connectd/multiplex.c
@@ -1073,6 +1073,16 @@ static struct io_plan *write_to_subd(struct io_conn *subd_conn,
 
 		/* Tell them to read again. */
 		io_wake(&subd->peer->peer_in);
+		if (subd->peer->peer_in_lastmsg != -1) {
+			u64 msec = time_to_msec(timemono_between(time_mono(),
+								 subd->peer->peer_in_lasttime));
+			if (msec > 1000)
+				status_peer_broken(&subd->peer->id,
+						   "wake delay for %s: %"PRIu64"msec",
+						   peer_wire_name(subd->peer->peer_in_lastmsg),
+						   msec);
+			subd->peer->peer_in_lastmsg = -1;
+		}
 
 		/* Wait for them to wake us */
 		return msg_queue_wait(subd_conn, subd->outq,
@@ -1242,8 +1252,20 @@ static struct io_plan *read_body_from_peer_done(struct io_conn *peer_conn,
 				    close_subd_timeout, subd));
        }
 
-       /* Wait for them to wake us */
-       return io_wait(peer_conn, &peer->peer_in, next_read, peer);
+       /* We used to io_wait after every message, but that means we don't read
+	* *non-channel* messages (gossip, pings) either.  So as a compromise,
+	* we allow a handful of messages to be queued before we ignore the
+	* peer until we've drained the outgoing queue. */
+       if (msg_queue_length(subd->outq) > 5) {
+	       /* Wait for them to wake us (oldest packet) */
+	       if (peer->peer_in_lastmsg == -1) {
+		       peer->peer_in_lastmsg = type;
+		       peer->peer_in_lasttime = time_mono();
+	       }
+
+	       return io_wait(peer_conn, &peer->peer_in, next_read, peer);
+       }
+       return next_read(peer_conn, peer);
 }
 
 static struct io_plan *read_body_from_peer(struct io_conn *peer_conn,
diff --git a/devtools/gossipwith.c b/devtools/gossipwith.c
index c6f427f544e2..f506787cd4e3 100644
--- a/devtools/gossipwith.c
+++ b/devtools/gossipwith.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ static bool no_init = false;
 static bool handle_pings = false;
 static bool hex = false;
 static bool explicit_network = false;
+static bool no_early_close = false;
 static int timeout_after = -1;
 static u8 *features;
 
@@ -154,6 +155,8 @@ static u8 *sync_crypto_read(const tal_t *ctx, int peer_fd, struct crypto_state *
 
 	if (!read_all(peer_fd, hdr, sizeof(hdr))) {
 		status_debug("Failed reading header: %s", strerror(errno));
+		if (no_early_close)
+			exit(1);
 		exit(0);
 	}
 
@@ -237,8 +240,12 @@ static struct io_plan *handshake_success(struct io_conn *conn,
 		u8 *msg;
 
 		if (poll(pollfd, ARRAY_SIZE(pollfd),
-			 timeout_after < 0 ? -1 : timeout_after * 1000) == 0)
-			return 0;
+			 timeout_after < 0 ? -1 : timeout_after * 1000) == 0) {
+			/* Timeout */
+			if (no_early_close)
+				exit(1);
+			exit(0);
+		}
 
 		/* We always to stdin first if we can */
 		if (pollfd[0].revents & POLLIN) {
@@ -288,6 +295,8 @@ static struct io_plan *handshake_success(struct io_conn *conn,
 		err(1, "failed to shutdown write to peer: %s", strerror(errno));
 
 	while (sync_crypto_read(NULL, peer_fd, cs));
+	if (max_messages != 0 && no_early_close)
+		exit(1);
 	exit(0);
 }
 
@@ -368,6 +377,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	                 "Select the network parameters (bitcoin, testnet, signet,"
 	                 " regtest, liquid, liquid-regtest, litecoin or"
 	                 " litecoin-testnet)");
+	opt_register_noarg("--must-get-max-messages", opt_set_bool, &no_early_close,
+			   "Fail with exit code 1 unless we reach maximum messages");
 	opt_register_noarg("--help|-h", opt_usage_and_exit,
 			   "id@addr[:port] [hex-msg-tosend...]\n"
 			   "Connect to a lightning peer and relay gossip messages from it",
@@ -436,5 +447,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	initiator_handshake(conn, &us, &them, &addr, NULL, NORMAL_SOCKET,
 			    handshake_success, argv+2);
-	exit(0);
+	/* Unreachable */
+	abort();
 }