diff --git a/io/io_canread.c b/io/io_canread.c
index 278a3a4..81d609f 100644
--- a/io/io_canread.c
+++ b/io/io_canread.c
@@ -11,6 +11,21 @@ void io_wantread_really(int64 d, io_entry* e);
 
 int64 io_canread() {
   io_entry* e;
+
+#if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
+  /* We promise that the user can call io_canread() and read, and
+    * the user uses io_tryread or calls io_eagain_read to signal if
+    * there is no more data to read. That means if the user does not
+    * call io_eagain_read, we need to know which fd it was so we can
+    * keep it in the alternative queue. */
+  if (alt_curread!=-1) {
+    e=iarray_get(&io_fds,alt_curread);
+    e->next_read=alt_firstread;
+    alt_firstread=alt_curread;
+    alt_curread=-1;
+  }
+#endif
+
   if (first_readable==-1)
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
   {
@@ -54,9 +69,15 @@ int64 io_canread() {
 #endif
 				  ) {
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
+#if 0
+      /* this code violates an invariant that the other code has, namely
+       * that e->next_read is -1 once the fd is dequeued. */
       e->next_read=alt_firstread;
       alt_firstread=r;
       debug_printf(("io_canread: enqueue %ld in alt read queue (next is %ld)\n",alt_firstread,e->next_read));
+#else
+      alt_curread=r;
+#endif
       if (io_waitmode!=_SIGIO)
 #endif
 	e->canread=0;
diff --git a/io/io_canwrite.c b/io/io_canwrite.c
index 2950ad9..0006c46 100644
--- a/io/io_canwrite.c
+++ b/io/io_canwrite.c
@@ -7,6 +7,21 @@ void io_wantwrite_really(int64 d, io_entry* e);
 
 int64 io_canwrite() {
   io_entry* e;
+
+#if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
+  /* We promise that the user can call io_canread() and read, and
+    * the user uses io_tryread or calls io_eagain_read to signal if
+    * there is no more data to read. That means if the user does not
+    * call io_eagain_read, we need to know which fd it was so we can
+    * keep it in the alternative queue. */
+  if (alt_curwrite!=-1) {
+    e=iarray_get(&io_fds,alt_curwrite);
+    e->next_write=alt_firstwrite;
+    alt_firstwrite=alt_curwrite;
+    alt_curwrite=-1;
+  }
+#endif
+
   if (first_writeable==-1)
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
   {
@@ -46,9 +61,15 @@ int64 io_canwrite() {
 #endif
       				   ) {
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
+#if 0
+      /* this code violates an invariant that the other code has, namely
+       * that e->next_read is -1 once the fd is dequeued. */
       e->next_write=alt_firstwrite;
       alt_firstwrite=r;
       debug_printf(("io_canwrite: enqueue %ld in alt write queue (next is %ld)\n",alt_firstwrite,e->next_write));
+#else
+      alt_curwrite=r;
+#endif
       if (io_waitmode!=_SIGIO)
 #endif
 	e->canwrite=0;
diff --git a/io/io_close.c b/io/io_close.c
index ea8bc6f..f1dac4e 100644
--- a/io/io_close.c
+++ b/io/io_close.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #else
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #endif
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include "io_internal.h"
 
 extern void io_dontwantread_really(int64 d,io_entry* e);
@@ -33,10 +34,12 @@ void io_close(int64 d) {
        * happen for everybody.
        * So we don't actually close the fd now, but we will mark it as
        * closed. */
+//      fprintf(stderr,"io_close(%d) DEFERRED!\n",d);
       e->closed=1;
       return;
     } else
       e->closed=0;
   }
+//  fprintf(stderr,"io_close(%d)\n",d);
   close(d);
 }
diff --git a/io/io_eagain.c b/io/io_eagain.c
index b097c3f..a5a5a27 100644
--- a/io/io_eagain.c
+++ b/io/io_eagain.c
@@ -6,15 +6,23 @@ void io_eagain(int64 d) {
     if (e->wantread) e->canread=0;
     if (e->wantwrite) e->canwrite=0;
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
-    if (d==alt_firstread) {
+    if (d==alt_curread) {
+#if 0
       debug_printf(("io_eagain: dequeueing %lld from alt read queue (next is %ld)\n",d,e->next_read));
       alt_firstread=e->next_read;
       e->next_read=-1;
+#else
+      alt_curread=-1;
+#endif
     }
     if (d==alt_firstwrite) {
+#if 0
       debug_printf(("io_eagain: dequeueing %lld from alt write queue (next is %ld)\n",d,e->next_write));
       alt_firstwrite=e->next_write;
       e->next_write=-1;
+#else
+      alt_curwrite=-1;
+#endif
     }
 #endif
   }
diff --git a/io/io_eagain_read.c b/io/io_eagain_read.c
index c58b2dd..55bcbe0 100644
--- a/io/io_eagain_read.c
+++ b/io/io_eagain_read.c
@@ -5,10 +5,14 @@ void io_eagain_read(int64 d) {
   if (e) {
     e->canread=0;
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
-    if (d==alt_firstread) {
+    if (d==alt_curread) {
+#if 0
       debug_printf(("io_eagain: dequeueing %lld from alt read queue (next is %ld)\n",d,e->next_read));
       alt_firstread=e->next_read;
       e->next_read=-1;
+#else
+      alt_curread=-1;
+#endif
     }
 #endif
   }
diff --git a/io/io_eagain_write.c b/io/io_eagain_write.c
index a2aed7f..bf973a5 100644
--- a/io/io_eagain_write.c
+++ b/io/io_eagain_write.c
@@ -5,10 +5,14 @@ void io_eagain_write(int64 d) {
   if (e) {
     e->canwrite=0;
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
-    if (d==alt_firstwrite) {
+    if (d==alt_curwrite) {
+#if 0
       debug_printf(("io_eagain: dequeueing %lld from alt write queue (next is %ld)\n",d,e->next_write));
       alt_firstwrite=e->next_write;
       e->next_write=-1;
+#else
+      alt_curwrite=-1;
+#endif
     }
 #endif
   }
diff --git a/io/io_fd.c b/io/io_fd.c
index 794a306..ccbd3d9 100644
--- a/io/io_fd.c
+++ b/io/io_fd.c
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ int io_signum;
 sigset_t io_ss;
 #endif
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
-long alt_firstread;
-long alt_firstwrite;
+long alt_firstread, alt_firstwrite;
+long alt_curread, alt_curwrite;
 #endif
 
 /* put d on internal data structure, return 1 on success, 0 on error */
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ static io_entry* io_fd_internal(int64 d,int flags) {
     }
 #endif
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
-    alt_firstread=alt_firstwrite=-1;
+    alt_firstread=alt_firstwrite=alt_curread=alt_curwrite=-1;
     if (io_waitmode==UNDECIDED) {
       io_signum=SIGRTMIN+1;
       if (sigemptyset(&io_ss)==0 &&
diff --git a/io/io_tryread.c b/io/io_tryread.c
index 1c689b9..859a109 100644
--- a/io/io_tryread.c
+++ b/io/io_tryread.c
@@ -113,11 +113,17 @@ int64 io_tryread(int64 d,char* buf,int64 len) {
   if (r!=len) {
     e->canread=0;
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
-    if (d==alt_firstread) {
-      debug_printf(("io_tryread: dequeueing %ld from alt read queue (next is %ld)\n",d,e->next_read));
-      alt_firstread=e->next_read;
-      e->next_read=-1;
-    }
+#if 0
+    debug_printf(("io_tryread: dequeueing %ld from alt read queue (next is %ld)\n",d,alt_firstread));
+    alt_firstread=e->next_read;
+    e->next_read=-1;
+#else
+    if (d==alt_curread) alt_curread=-1;
+  } else {
+    debug_printf(("io_tryread: enqueueing %ld into alt read queue (next is %ld)\n",d,alt_firstread));
+    e->next_read=alt_firstread;
+    alt_firstread=d;
+#endif
 #endif
   }
   return r;
diff --git a/io/io_trywrite.c b/io/io_trywrite.c
index f91c69c..2fffdbd 100644
--- a/io/io_trywrite.c
+++ b/io/io_trywrite.c
@@ -108,9 +108,17 @@ int64 io_trywrite(int64 d,const char* buf,int64 len) {
     e->canwrite=0;
 #if defined(HAVE_SIGIO)
     if (d==alt_firstwrite) {
+#if 0
       debug_printf(("io_trywrite: dequeueing %ld from alt write queue (next is %ld)\n",d,e->next_write));
       alt_firstwrite=e->next_write;
       e->next_write=-1;
+#else
+    if (d==alt_curwrite) alt_curwrite=-1;
+  } else {
+    debug_printf(("io_trywrite: enqueueing %ld into alt write queue (next is %ld)\n",d,alt_firstwrite));
+    e->next_write=alt_firstwrite;
+    alt_firstwrite=d;
+#endif
     }
 #endif
   }
diff --git a/io_internal.h b/io_internal.h
index 09a497d..30d72ae 100644
--- a/io_internal.h
+++ b/io_internal.h
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ my_extern int io_master;
 my_extern int io_signum;
 my_extern sigset_t io_ss;
 
-my_extern long alt_firstread;
-my_extern long alt_firstwrite;
+my_extern long alt_firstread, alt_firstwrite;
+my_extern long alt_curread, alt_curwrite;
 #endif
 
 int64 io_waituntil2(int64 milliseconds);