diff --git a/src/cluster/OnLoop.h b/src/cluster/OnLoop.h
index 88edfa21bc..d0aae42d45 100644
--- a/src/cluster/OnLoop.h
+++ b/src/cluster/OnLoop.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include <atomic>
 #include <chrono>
+#include <condition_variable>
 #include <list>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <thread>
@@ -14,6 +15,8 @@
 #include "zeek/iosource/Manager.h"
 
 namespace zeek::detail {
+
+
 /**
  * Template class allowing work items to be queued by threads and processed
  * in Zeek's main thread.
@@ -38,12 +41,15 @@ public:
      *
      * @param proc The instance processing.
      * @param tag The tag to use as the IOSource's tag.
+     * @param max_queue_size How many messages to queue before blocking the producing thread.
+     * @param cond_timeout If a producer is blocked for more than that many microseconds, report a warning.
+     * @param main_thread_id The ID of the main thread for usage checks.
      */
-    OnLoopProcess(Proc* proc, std::string tag, size_t max_queue_size = 10,
-                  std::chrono::microseconds block_duration = std::chrono::microseconds(100),
+    OnLoopProcess(Proc* proc, std::string tag, size_t max_queue_size = 250,
+                  std::chrono::microseconds cond_timeout = std::chrono::microseconds(100000),
                   std::thread::id main_thread_id = std::this_thread::get_id())
-        : max_queue_size(max_queue_size),
-          block_duration(block_duration),
+        : cond_timeout(cond_timeout),
+          max_queue_size(max_queue_size),
           proc(proc),
           tag(std::move(tag)),
           main_thread_id(main_thread_id) {}
@@ -76,6 +82,9 @@ public:
             std::scoped_lock lock(mtx);
             SetClosed(true);
 
+            // Wake a process stuck in queueing.
+            cond.notify_one();
+
             // Don't attempt to Process anymore.
             proc = nullptr;
         }
@@ -92,12 +101,21 @@ public:
      */
     void Process() override {
         std::list<Work> to_process;
+        bool notify = false;
         {
             std::scoped_lock lock(mtx);
+            if ( queue.size() >= max_queue_size )
+                notify = true;
+
             to_process.splice(to_process.end(), queue);
             flare.Extinguish();
         }
 
+        // The queue was full before and is now empty,
+        // wake up any pending thread.
+        if ( notify )
+            cond.notify_one();
+
         // We've been closed, so proc will most likely
         // be invalid at this point and we'll discard
         // whatever was left to do.
@@ -139,43 +157,58 @@ public:
         bool fire = false;
         size_t qs = 0;
 
-        while ( ! to_queue.empty() ) {
-            {
-                std::scoped_lock lock(mtx);
+        int timeouts = 0;
 
-                if ( ! IsOpen() ) {
-                    // IO Source is being removed.
-                    fire = false;
-                    break;
-                }
+        {
+            std::unique_lock lock(mtx);
 
-                qs = queue.size();
-                if ( qs < max_queue_size ) {
-                    queue.splice(queue.end(), to_queue);
-                    fire = fire || qs == 0;
-                    assert(to_queue.empty());
-                    assert(! queue.empty());
-                }
+            // Wait for room in the queue.
+            while ( IsOpen() && queue.size() >= max_queue_size ) {
+                auto status = cond.wait_for(lock, cond_timeout);
+                if ( status == std::cv_status::timeout && IsOpen() )
+                    ++timeouts;
             }
 
-            if ( ! to_queue.empty() ) {
-                std::this_thread::sleep_for(block_duration);
-                fire = true;
+            if ( IsOpen() ) {
+                assert(queue.size() < max_queue_size);
+                assert(to_queue.size() == 1);
+                queue.splice(queue.end(), to_queue);
+                fire = queue.size() == 1; // first element in queue triggers processing.
+            }
+            else {
+                // IO Source is being or was removed.
+                fire = false;
             }
         }
 
+
         if ( fire )
             flare.Fire();
 
+        if ( timeouts > 0 ) {
+            // XXX: Should this invoke some callback or change the return value
+            // so users can react on this?
+            //
+            // We could also do suicidal snail pattern here. If the event
+            // loop is unable to process, we may as well knock ourselves out.
+            std::fprintf(stderr, "timeouts %d!\n", timeouts);
+        }
+
         --queuers;
     }
 
 private:
+    // Flare to notify Zeek's IO loop.
     zeek::detail::Flare flare;
+
+    // Mutex, condition and timeout protecting access to queue.
     std::mutex mtx;
+    std::condition_variable cond;
+    std::chrono::microseconds cond_timeout;
+
     std::list<Work> queue;
     size_t max_queue_size;
-    std::chrono::microseconds block_duration;
+
     Proc* proc;
     std::string tag;
     std::atomic<int> queuers = 0;