diff --git a/distributed/batched.py b/distributed/batched.py
index 47ba98df2ed..2aeabf6005e 100644
--- a/distributed/batched.py
+++ b/distributed/batched.py
@@ -64,12 +64,7 @@ def send_next(self, wait=True):
                 wait_time = min(self.last_transmission + self.interval - now,
                                 self.interval)
                 yield gen.sleep(wait_time)
-            while self.stream._write_buffer:
-                try:
-                    yield gen.with_timeout(timedelta(milliseconds=10),
-                                           self.last_send)  # hangs otherwise?
-                except gen.TimeoutError:
-                    pass
+            yield self.last_send
             self.buffer, payload = [], self.buffer
             self.last_payload = payload
             self.last_transmission = now
diff --git a/distributed/core.py b/distributed/core.py
index 4f1895bfd4e..a5ca0ab2d9e 100644
--- a/distributed/core.py
+++ b/distributed/core.py
@@ -242,10 +242,12 @@ def write(stream, msg):
 
         futures.append(stream.write(frames[-1]))
 
-        if WINDOWS:
-            yield futures[-1]
-        else:
-            yield futures
+        while stream._write_buffer:
+            try:
+                yield gen.with_timeout(timedelta(seconds=0.01), futures[-1])
+                break
+            except gen.TimeoutError:
+                pass
 
 
 def pingpong(stream):