diff --git a/services/listen_dnsport.c b/services/listen_dnsport.c
index 8ef084e5e..4d1c17373 100644
--- a/services/listen_dnsport.c
+++ b/services/listen_dnsport.c
@@ -2133,7 +2133,7 @@ void listen_start_accept(struct listen_dnsport* listen)
 }
 
 struct tcp_req_info*
-tcp_req_info_create(struct sldns_buffer* spoolbuf)
+tcp_req_info_create(struct comm_base* base, struct sldns_buffer* spoolbuf)
 {
 	struct tcp_req_info* req = (struct tcp_req_info*)malloc(sizeof(*req));
 	if(!req) {
@@ -2141,6 +2141,12 @@ tcp_req_info_create(struct sldns_buffer* spoolbuf)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	memset(req, 0, sizeof(*req));
+	req->read_again_timer = comm_timer_create(base, tcp_read_again_cb, req);
+	if(!req->read_again_timer) {
+		log_err("malloc failure");
+		free(req);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	req->spool_buffer = spoolbuf;
 	return req;
 }
@@ -2150,6 +2156,7 @@ tcp_req_info_delete(struct tcp_req_info* req)
 {
 	if(!req) return;
 	tcp_req_info_clear(req);
+	comm_timer_delete(req->read_again_timer);
 	/* cp is pointer back to commpoint that owns this struct and
 	 * called delete on us */
 	/* spool_buffer is shared udp buffer, not deleted here */
@@ -2189,6 +2196,9 @@ void tcp_req_info_clear(struct tcp_req_info* req)
 	req->done_req_list = NULL;
 	req->num_done_req = 0;
 	req->read_is_closed = 0;
+
+	if(comm_timer_is_set(req->read_again_timer))
+		comm_timer_disable(req->read_again_timer);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/services/listen_dnsport.h b/services/listen_dnsport.h
index ae0463468..4aeb6aa70 100644
--- a/services/listen_dnsport.h
+++ b/services/listen_dnsport.h
@@ -347,6 +347,10 @@ struct tcp_req_info {
 	int num_done_req;
 	/** list of pending writable result packets, malloced one at a time */
 	struct tcp_req_done_item* done_req_list;
+	/** the read again timer, when the number of pipelined TCP queries
+	 * is large, it waits, zero time, for a new event loop to service
+	 * the remainder of the TCP traffic on the fd. */
+	struct comm_timer* read_again_timer;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -377,10 +381,12 @@ struct tcp_req_done_item {
  * Create tcp request info structure that keeps track of open
  * requests on the TCP channel that are resolved at the same time,
  * and the pending results that have to get written back to that client.
+ * @param base: comm base for read again timer.
  * @param spoolbuf: shared buffer
  * @return new structure or NULL on alloc failure.
  */
-struct tcp_req_info* tcp_req_info_create(struct sldns_buffer* spoolbuf);
+struct tcp_req_info* tcp_req_info_create(struct comm_base* base,
+	struct sldns_buffer* spoolbuf);
 
 /**
  * Delete tcp request structure.  Called by owning commpoint.
diff --git a/testcode/testbound.c b/testcode/testbound.c
index 063037df4..3a3bcaef6 100644
--- a/testcode/testbound.c
+++ b/testcode/testbound.c
@@ -786,3 +786,13 @@ size_t doq_table_quic_size_get(struct doq_table* ATTR_UNUSED(table))
 	return 0;
 }
 #endif
+
+void tcp_read_again_cb(void* ATTR_UNUSED(arg))
+{
+	/* nothing */
+}
+
+void tcp_more_read_again_cb(void* ATTR_UNUSED(arg))
+{
+	/* nothing */
+}
diff --git a/util/fptr_wlist.c b/util/fptr_wlist.c
index 0ff6840ad..1be742bd5 100644
--- a/util/fptr_wlist.c
+++ b/util/fptr_wlist.c
@@ -141,6 +141,8 @@ fptr_whitelist_comm_timer(void (*fptr)(void*))
 #ifdef UB_ON_WINDOWS
 	else if(fptr == &wsvc_cron_cb) return 1;
 #endif
+	else if(fptr == &tcp_read_again_cb) return 1;
+	else if(fptr == &tcp_more_read_again_cb) return 1;
 	else if(fptr == &auth_xfer_timer) return 1;
 	else if(fptr == &auth_xfer_probe_timer_callback) return 1;
 	else if(fptr == &auth_xfer_transfer_timer_callback) return 1;
diff --git a/util/netevent.c b/util/netevent.c
index 432fead1b..6b1957dc3 100644
--- a/util/netevent.c
+++ b/util/netevent.c
@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@
 #define NUM_UDP_PER_SELECT 1
 #endif
 
+/** The number of TCP queries over a TCP connection, per read indication
+ * from select. */
+#define NUM_TCP_PER_SELECT 100
+
 /** timeout in millisec to wait for write to unblock, packets dropped after.*/
 #define SEND_BLOCKED_WAIT_TIMEOUT 200
 /** max number of times to wait for write to unblock, packets dropped after.*/
@@ -4621,6 +4625,10 @@ comm_point_tcp_handle_write(int fd, struct comm_point* c)
 static int
 tcp_req_info_read_again(int fd, struct comm_point* c)
 {
+	/* One event-loop visit drains at most this many pipelined queries;
+	 * the rest is re-queued, so that other file descriptors get
+	 * serviced in between. */
+	int budget = NUM_TCP_PER_SELECT;
 	while(c->tcp_req_info->read_again) {
 		int r;
 		c->tcp_req_info->read_again = 0;
@@ -4637,6 +4645,16 @@ tcp_req_info_read_again(int fd, struct comm_point* c)
 			}
 			return 0;
 		}
+		if(--budget <= 0 && c->tcp_req_info->read_again) {
+			/* Defer the rest of the drain to the next loop turn.
+			 * This uses a zero delay timer. For TLS the undrained
+			 * remainder sits in OpenSSL's user-space buffer. */
+			struct timeval tv;
+			memset(&tv, 0, sizeof(tv));
+			verbose(VERB_ALGO, "Defer tcp_req_info read again");
+			comm_timer_set(c->tcp_req_info->read_again_timer, &tv);
+			return 1;
+		}
 	}
 	return 1;
 }
@@ -4650,6 +4668,7 @@ tcp_more_read_again(int fd, struct comm_point* c)
 	/* this continues until the read routines get EAGAIN or so,
 	 * and thus does not call the callback, and the bool is 0 */
 	int* moreread = c->tcp_more_read_again;
+	int budget = NUM_TCP_PER_SELECT;
 	while(moreread && *moreread) {
 		*moreread = 0;
 		if(!comm_point_tcp_handle_read(fd, c, 0)) {
@@ -4662,6 +4681,30 @@ tcp_more_read_again(int fd, struct comm_point* c)
 			}
 			return;
 		}
+		if(--budget <= 0 && *moreread) {
+			/* Defer the rest of the drain to the next loop turn.
+			 * This uses a zero delay timer. For TLS the undrained
+			 * remainder sits in OpenSSL's user-space buffer. */
+			struct timeval tv;
+			memset(&tv, 0, sizeof(tv));
+			if(!c->tcp_more_read_again_timer) {
+				c->tcp_more_read_again_timer = comm_timer_create(c->ev->base, tcp_more_read_again_cb, c);
+				if(!c->tcp_more_read_again_timer) {
+					log_err("out of memory for tcp more read again timer");
+					reclaim_tcp_handler(c);
+					if(!c->tcp_do_close) {
+						fptr_ok(fptr_whitelist_comm_point(
+							c->callback));
+						(void)(*c->callback)(c, c->cb_arg,
+							NETEVENT_CLOSED, NULL);
+					}
+					return;
+				}
+			}
+			verbose(VERB_ALGO, "Defer more read again");
+			comm_timer_set(c->tcp_more_read_again_timer, &tv);
+			return;
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -4689,6 +4732,23 @@ tcp_more_write_again(int fd, struct comm_point* c)
 	}
 }
 
+void
+tcp_read_again_cb(void* arg)
+{
+	struct tcp_req_info* req = (struct tcp_req_info*)arg;
+	verbose(VERB_ALGO, "tcp_read_again_cb");
+	if(!tcp_req_info_read_again(req->cp->fd, req->cp))
+		return;
+}
+
+void
+tcp_more_read_again_cb(void* arg)
+{
+	struct comm_point* c = (struct comm_point*)arg;
+	verbose(VERB_ALGO, "tcp_more_read_again_cb");
+	tcp_more_read_again(c->fd, c);
+}
+
 void
 comm_point_tcp_handle_callback(int fd, short event, void* arg)
 {
@@ -6131,7 +6191,7 @@ comm_point_create_tcp_handler(struct comm_base *base,
 	c->pp2_enabled = parent->pp2_enabled;
 	c->pp2_header_state = pp2_header_none;
 	if(spoolbuf) {
-		c->tcp_req_info = tcp_req_info_create(spoolbuf);
+		c->tcp_req_info = tcp_req_info_create(base, spoolbuf);
 		if(!c->tcp_req_info) {
 			log_err("could not create tcp commpoint");
 			sldns_buffer_free(c->buffer);
@@ -6693,6 +6753,9 @@ comm_point_close(struct comm_point* c)
 		*c->tcp_more_read_again = 0;
 	if(c->tcp_more_write_again && *c->tcp_more_write_again)
 		*c->tcp_more_write_again = 0;
+	if(c->tcp_more_read_again_timer &&
+		comm_timer_is_set(c->tcp_more_read_again_timer))
+		comm_timer_disable(c->tcp_more_read_again_timer);
 
 	/* close fd after removing from event lists, or epoll.. is messed up */
 	if(c->fd != -1 && !c->do_not_close) {
@@ -6732,6 +6795,7 @@ comm_point_delete(struct comm_point* c)
 		free(c->tcp_handlers);
 	}
 	free(c->timeout);
+	comm_timer_delete(c->tcp_more_read_again_timer);
 	if(c->type == comm_tcp || c->type == comm_local || c->type == comm_http) {
 		sldns_buffer_free(c->buffer);
 #ifdef USE_DNSCRYPT
diff --git a/util/netevent.h b/util/netevent.h
index 7d64fac5b..7f53464b1 100644
--- a/util/netevent.h
+++ b/util/netevent.h
@@ -384,6 +384,9 @@ struct comm_point {
 	 * Or leave NULL if it is not used at all. */
 	int* tcp_more_write_again;
 
+	/** resume timer for tcp_more_read_again */
+	struct comm_timer* tcp_more_read_again_timer;
+
 	/** if set, read/write completes:
 		read/write state of tcp is toggled.
 		buffer reset/bytecount reset.
@@ -1133,6 +1136,12 @@ void doq_send_pkt(struct comm_point* c, struct doq_pkt_addr* paddr,
 /** doq timer callback function. */
 void doq_timer_cb(void* arg);
 
+/** tcp read again callback function. For tcp req info listen. */
+void tcp_read_again_cb(void* arg);
+
+/** tcp more read again callback function. For outside network. */
+void tcp_more_read_again_cb(void* arg);
+
 /**
  * This routine is published for checks and tests, and is only used internally.
  * handle libevent callback for timer comm.