diff --git a/src/broker/Manager.cc b/src/broker/Manager.cc
index 9baf20ef02..9288c576e4 100644
--- a/src/broker/Manager.cc
+++ b/src/broker/Manager.cc
@@ -805,15 +805,8 @@ bool Manager::Unsubscribe(const string& topic_prefix)
 void Manager::GetFds(iosource::FD_Set* read, iosource::FD_Set* write,
                            iosource::FD_Set* except)
 	{
-	if ( bstate->status_subscriber.available() || bstate->subscriber.available() )
-                SetIdle(false);
-
 	read->Insert(bstate->subscriber.fd());
 	read->Insert(bstate->status_subscriber.fd());
-	write->Insert(bstate->subscriber.fd());
-	write->Insert(bstate->status_subscriber.fd());
-	except->Insert(bstate->subscriber.fd());
-	except->Insert(bstate->status_subscriber.fd());
 
 	for ( auto& x : data_stores )
 		read->Insert(x.second->proxy.mailbox().descriptor());
@@ -821,19 +814,10 @@ void Manager::GetFds(iosource::FD_Set* read, iosource::FD_Set* write,
 
 double Manager::NextTimestamp(double* local_network_time)
 	{
-	if ( ! IsIdle() )
-		return timer_mgr->Time();
-
-	if ( bstate->status_subscriber.available() || bstate->subscriber.available() )
-		return timer_mgr->Time();
-
-	for ( auto& s : data_stores )
-		{
-		if ( ! s.second->proxy.mailbox().empty() )
-			return timer_mgr->Time();
-		}
-
-	return -1;
+	// We're only asked for a timestamp if either (1) a FD was ready
+	// or (2) we're not idle (and we go idle if when Process is no-op),
+	// so there's no case where returning -1 to signify a skip will help.
+	return timer_mgr->Time();
 	}
 
 void Manager::DispatchMessage(const broker::topic& topic, broker::data msg)
@@ -933,11 +917,15 @@ void Manager::Process()
 
 	for ( auto& s : data_stores )
 		{
-		while ( ! s.second->proxy.mailbox().empty() )
+		auto num_available = s.second->proxy.mailbox().size();
+
+		if ( num_available > 0 )
 			{
 			had_input = true;
-			auto response = s.second->proxy.receive();
-			ProcessStoreResponse(s.second, move(response));
+			auto responses = s.second->proxy.receive(num_available);
+
+			for ( auto& r : responses )
+				ProcessStoreResponse(s.second, move(r));
 			}
 		}