diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index 63573bee4..842985cf0 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-29 January 2008: Wouter
+31 January 2008: Wouter
+	- bg thread/process reads and writes the pipe nonblocking all the time
+	  so that even if the pipe is buffered or so, the bg thread does not
+	  block, and services both pipes and queries.
+
+30 January 2008: Wouter
 	- check trailing / on chrootdir in checkconf.
 	- check if root hints and anchor files are in chrootdir.
 	- no route to host tcp error is verbosity level 2. 
diff --git a/libunbound/worker.c b/libunbound/worker.c
index 80b17c0f8..632416d67 100644
--- a/libunbound/worker.c
+++ b/libunbound/worker.c
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ libworker_delete(struct libworker* w)
 		ub_randfree(w->env->rnd);
 		free(w->env);
 	}
+	free(w->cmd_msg);
 	outside_network_delete(w->back);
 	comm_point_delete(w->cmd_com);
 	comm_point_delete(w->res_com);
@@ -195,15 +196,70 @@ handle_cancel(struct libworker* w, uint8_t* buf, uint32_t len)
 	free(buf);
 }
 
+/** do control command coming into bg server */
+static void
+libworker_do_cmd(struct libworker* w, uint8_t* msg, uint32_t len)
+{
+	switch(context_serial_getcmd(msg, len)) {
+		default:
+		case UB_LIBCMD_ANSWER:
+			log_err("unknown command for bg worker %d", 
+				(int)context_serial_getcmd(msg, len));
+			/* and fall through to quit */
+		case UB_LIBCMD_QUIT:
+			free(msg);
+			comm_base_exit(w->base);
+			break;
+		case UB_LIBCMD_NEWQUERY:
+			handle_newq(w, msg, len);
+			break;
+		case UB_LIBCMD_CANCEL:
+			handle_cancel(w, msg, len);
+			break;
+	}
+}
+
 /** handle control command coming into server */
 int 
 libworker_handle_control_cmd(struct comm_point* c, void* arg, 
 	int ATTR_UNUSED(err), struct comm_reply* ATTR_UNUSED(rep))
 {
 	struct libworker* w = (struct libworker*)arg;
-	uint32_t len = 0;
-	uint8_t* buf = NULL;
-	int r = libworker_read_msg(c->fd, &buf, &len, 1);
+	ssize_t r;
+
+	if(w->cmd_read < sizeof(w->cmd_len)) {
+		/* complete reading the length of control msg */
+		r = read(c->fd, ((uint8_t*)&w->cmd_len) + w->cmd_read,
+			sizeof(w->cmd_len) - w->cmd_read);
+		if(r==0) {
+			/* error has happened or */
+			/* parent closed pipe, must have exited somehow */
+			/* it is of no use to go on, exit */
+			comm_base_exit(w->base);
+			return 0;
+		}
+		if(r==-1) {
+			if(errno != EAGAIN && errno != EINTR) {
+				log_err("rpipe error: %s", strerror(errno));
+			}
+			/* nothing to read now, try later */
+			return 0;
+		}
+		w->cmd_read += r;
+		if(w->cmd_read < sizeof(w->cmd_len)) {
+			/* not complete, try later */
+			return 0;
+		}
+		w->cmd_msg = (uint8_t*)calloc(1, w->cmd_len);
+		if(!w->cmd_msg) {
+			log_err("malloc failure");
+			w->cmd_read = 0;
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+	/* cmd_len has been read, read remainder */
+	r = read(c->fd, w->cmd_msg + w->cmd_read - sizeof(w->cmd_len),
+		w->cmd_len - (w->cmd_read - sizeof(w->cmd_len)));
 	if(r==0) {
 		/* error has happened or */
 		/* parent closed pipe, must have exited somehow */
@@ -211,26 +267,21 @@ libworker_handle_control_cmd(struct comm_point* c, void* arg,
 		comm_base_exit(w->base);
 		return 0;
 	}
-	if(r==-1) /* nothing to read now, try later */
+	if(r==-1) {
+		/* nothing to read now, try later */
+		if(errno != EAGAIN && errno != EINTR) {
+			log_err("rpipe error: %s", strerror(errno));
+		}
 		return 0;
-	
-	switch(context_serial_getcmd(buf, len)) {
-		default:
-		case UB_LIBCMD_ANSWER:
-			log_err("unknown command for bg worker %d", 
-				(int)context_serial_getcmd(buf, len));
-			/* and fall through to quit */
-		case UB_LIBCMD_QUIT:
-			free(buf);
-			comm_base_exit(w->base);
-			break;
-		case UB_LIBCMD_NEWQUERY:
-			handle_newq(w, buf, len);
-			break;
-		case UB_LIBCMD_CANCEL:
-			handle_cancel(w, buf, len);
-			break;
 	}
+	w->cmd_read += r;
+	if(w->cmd_read < sizeof(w->cmd_len) + w->cmd_len) {
+		/* not complete, try later */
+		return 0;
+	}
+	w->cmd_read = 0;
+	libworker_do_cmd(w, w->cmd_msg, w->cmd_len); /* also frees the buf */
+	w->cmd_msg = NULL;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -241,20 +292,47 @@ libworker_handle_result_write(struct comm_point* c, void* arg,
 {
 	struct libworker* w = (struct libworker*)arg;
 	struct libworker_res_list* item = w->res_list;
-	int r;
+	ssize_t r;
 	if(!item) {
 		comm_point_stop_listening(c);
 		return 0;
 	}
-	r = libworker_write_msg(c->fd, item->buf, item->len, 1);
-	if(r == -1)
+	if(w->res_write < sizeof(item->len)) {
+		r = write(c->fd, ((uint8_t*)&item->len) + w->res_write,
+			sizeof(item->len) - w->res_write);
+		if(r == -1) {
+			if(errno != EAGAIN && errno != EINTR) {
+				log_err("wpipe error: %s", strerror(errno));
+			}
+			return 0; /* try again later */
+		}
+		if(r == 0) {
+			/* error on pipe, must have exited somehow */
+			/* it is of no use to go on, exit */
+			comm_base_exit(w->base);
+			return 0;
+		}
+		w->res_write += r;
+		if(w->res_write < sizeof(item->len))
+			return 0;
+	}
+	r = write(c->fd, item->buf + w->res_write - sizeof(item->len),
+		item->len - (w->res_write - sizeof(item->len)));
+	if(r == -1) {
+		if(errno != EAGAIN && errno != EINTR) {
+			log_err("wpipe error: %s", strerror(errno));
+		}
 		return 0; /* try again later */
+	}
 	if(r == 0) {
 		/* error on pipe, must have exited somehow */
 		/* it is of no use to go on, exit */
 		comm_base_exit(w->base);
 		return 0;
 	}
+	w->res_write += r;
+	if(w->res_write < sizeof(item->len) + item->len)
+		return 0;
 	/* done this result, remove it */
 	free(item->buf);
 	item->buf = NULL;
@@ -264,6 +342,7 @@ libworker_handle_result_write(struct comm_point* c, void* arg,
 		w->res_last = NULL;
 		comm_point_stop_listening(c);
 	}
+	w->res_write = 0;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -591,7 +670,7 @@ add_bg_result(struct libworker* w, struct ctx_query* q, ldns_buffer* pkt,
 	item->buf = msg;
 	item->len = len;
 	item->next = NULL;
-	/* add at back of list */
+	/* add at back of list, since the first one may be partially written */
 	if(w->res_last)
 		w->res_last->next = item;
 	else	w->res_list = item;
diff --git a/libunbound/worker.h b/libunbound/worker.h
index 275f10463..d32b60709 100644
--- a/libunbound/worker.h
+++ b/libunbound/worker.h
@@ -79,14 +79,23 @@ struct libworker {
 	struct comm_base* base;
 	/** the backside outside network interface to the auth servers */
 	struct outside_network* back;
-
 	/** random() table for this worker. */
 	struct ub_randstate* rndstate;
+	
 	/** commpoint to listen to commands */
 	struct comm_point* cmd_com;
+	/** are we currently reading a command, 0 if not, else bytecount */
+	size_t cmd_read;
+	/** size of current read command, may be partially read */
+	uint32_t cmd_len;
+	/** the current read command content, malloced, can be partially read*/
+	uint8_t* cmd_msg;
+
 	/** commpoint to write results back */
 	struct comm_point* res_com;
-
+	/** are we curently writing a result, 0 if not, else bytecount into
+	 * the res_list first entry. */
+	size_t res_write;
 	/** list of outstanding results to be written back */
 	struct libworker_res_list* res_list;
 	/** last in list */