diff --git a/src/clientconn.cpp b/src/clientconn.cpp
index 35c6547..05567c9 100644
--- a/src/clientconn.cpp
+++ b/src/clientconn.cpp
@@ -56,19 +56,21 @@ std::shared_ptr<Connection> Connection::build(const std::shared_ptr<ContextImpl>
 
 void Connection::startConnecting()
 {
-    assert(!bev);
+    assert(!this->bev);
 
-    connect(bufferevent_socket_new(context->tcp_loop.base, -1, BEV_OPT_CLOSE_ON_FREE|BEV_OPT_DEFER_CALLBACKS));
+    auto bev(bufferevent_socket_new(context->tcp_loop.base, -1, BEV_OPT_CLOSE_ON_FREE|BEV_OPT_DEFER_CALLBACKS));
 
-    bufferevent_setcb(bev.get(), &bevReadS, nullptr, &bevEventS, this);
+    bufferevent_setcb(bev, &bevReadS, nullptr, &bevEventS, this);
 
     timeval tmo(totv(context->effective.tcpTimeout));
-    bufferevent_set_timeouts(bev.get(), &tmo, &tmo);
+    bufferevent_set_timeouts(bev, &tmo, &tmo);
 
-    if(bufferevent_socket_connect(bev.get(), const_cast<sockaddr*>(&peerAddr->sa), peerAddr.size()))
+    if(bufferevent_socket_connect(bev, const_cast<sockaddr*>(&peerAddr->sa), peerAddr.size()))
         throw std::runtime_error("Unable to begin connecting");
 
-    log_debug_printf(io, "Connecting to %s\n", peerName.c_str());
+    connect(bev);
+
+    log_debug_printf(io, "Connecting to %s, RX readahead %zu\n", peerName.c_str(), readahead);
 }
 
 void Connection::createChannels()
diff --git a/src/conn.cpp b/src/conn.cpp
index 63e709e..c76cdba 100644
--- a/src/conn.cpp
+++ b/src/conn.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,15 @@ DEFINE_LOGGER(connio, "pvxs.tcp.io");
 namespace pvxs {
 namespace impl {
 
+// Amount of following messages which we allow to be read while
+// processing the current message.  Avoids some extra recv() calls,
+// at the price of maybe extra copying.
+// Also bounds the loop in ConnBase::bevRead()
+//
+// Defined as a multiple of the OS RX socket buffer size.
+static
+constexpr size_t tcp_readahead_mult = 2u;
+
 ConnBase::ConnBase(bool isClient, bool sendBE, bufferevent* bev, const SockAddr& peerAddr)
     :peerAddr(peerAddr)
     ,peerName(peerAddr.tostring())
@@ -29,7 +38,7 @@ ConnBase::ConnBase(bool isClient, bool sendBE, bufferevent* bev, const SockAddr&
     ,txBody(evbuffer_new())
     ,state(Holdoff)
 {
-    if(bev)
+    if(bev) // true for server connection.  client will call connect() shortly
         connect(bev);
 }
 
@@ -48,10 +57,24 @@ void ConnBase::connect(bufferevent* bev)
 
     this->bev.reset(bev);
 
+    readahead = evsocket::get_buffer_size(bufferevent_getfd(bev), false);
+
+#if LIBEVENT_VERSION_NUMBER >= 0x02010000
+    // allow to drain OS socket buffer in a single read
+    (void)bufferevent_set_max_single_read(bev, readahead);
+#endif
+
+    readahead *= tcp_readahead_mult;
+
+#if LIBEVENT_VERSION_NUMBER >= 0x02010000
+    // allow attempt to write as much as is available
+    (void)bufferevent_set_max_single_write(bev, EV_SSIZE_MAX);
+#endif
+
     state = isClient ? Connecting : Connected;
 
     // initially wait for at least a header
-    bufferevent_setwatermark(this->bev.get(), EV_READ, 8, tcp_readahead);
+    bufferevent_setwatermark(this->bev.get(), EV_READ, 8, readahead);
 }
 
 void ConnBase::disconnect()
@@ -181,10 +204,10 @@ void ConnBase::bevRead()
         if(evbuffer_get_length(rx)-8 < len) {
             // wait for complete payload
             // and some additional if available
-            size_t readahead = len;
-            if(readahead < std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max()-tcp_readahead)
-                readahead += tcp_readahead;
-            bufferevent_setwatermark(bev.get(), EV_READ, len, readahead);
+            size_t newmax = len;
+            if(newmax < std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max()-readahead)
+                newmax += readahead;
+            bufferevent_setwatermark(bev.get(), EV_READ, len, newmax);
             bufferevent_enable(bev.get(), EV_READ);
             return;
         }
@@ -270,7 +293,7 @@ void ConnBase::bevRead()
         // incomplete body took earlier return
         assert(evbuffer_get_length(rx)<8);
         // wait for next header
-        bufferevent_setwatermark(bev.get(), EV_READ, 8, tcp_readahead);
+        bufferevent_setwatermark(bev.get(), EV_READ, 8, readahead);
         bufferevent_enable(bev.get(), EV_READ);
 
     } else {
diff --git a/src/conn.h b/src/conn.h
index a7b1988..b4ba715 100644
--- a/src/conn.h
+++ b/src/conn.h
@@ -13,12 +13,6 @@
 namespace pvxs {
 namespace impl {
 
-// Amount of following messages which we allow to be read while
-// processing the current message.  Avoids some extra recv() calls,
-// at the price of maybe extra copying.
-// Also bounds the loop in ConnBase::bevRead()
-constexpr size_t tcp_readahead = 0x1000u;
-
 struct ConnBase
 {
     const SockAddr peerAddr;
@@ -47,6 +41,7 @@ public:
     evbuf segBuf, txBody;
 
     size_t statTx{}, statRx{};
+    size_t readahead{};
 
     enum {
         Holdoff,
diff --git a/src/evhelper.cpp b/src/evhelper.cpp
index eca14de..54b55ee 100644
--- a/src/evhelper.cpp
+++ b/src/evhelper.cpp
@@ -635,6 +635,18 @@ std::vector<SockAddr> evsocket::broadcasts(const SockAddr* match) const
     return ret;
 }
 
+size_t evsocket::get_buffer_size(evutil_socket_t sock, bool tx)
+{
+    unsigned ret;
+    socklen_t len(sizeof(ret));
+    auto err = getsockopt(sock, SOL_SOCKET, tx ? SO_SNDBUF : SO_RCVBUF, (char*)&ret, &len);
+    if(err<0 || len!=sizeof(ret)) {
+        int err = evutil_socket_geterror(sock);
+        throw std::system_error(err, std::system_category());
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
+
 #if defined(_WIN32) && !defined(EAFNOSUPPORT)
 #  define EAFNOSUPPORT WSAESOCKTNOSUPPORT
 #endif
diff --git a/src/evhelper.h b/src/evhelper.h
index b1f8370..1ef7dc2 100644
--- a/src/evhelper.h
+++ b/src/evhelper.h
@@ -247,6 +247,9 @@ struct PVXS_API evsocket
     //! wraps osiSockDiscoverBroadcastAddresses()
     std::vector<SockAddr> broadcasts(const SockAddr* match=nullptr) const;
 
+    static
+    size_t get_buffer_size(evutil_socket_t sock, bool tx);
+
     static
     bool canIPv6;
 
diff --git a/src/serverconn.cpp b/src/serverconn.cpp
index fc4de32..978ebcd 100644
--- a/src/serverconn.cpp
+++ b/src/serverconn.cpp
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
 #include <pvxs/log.h>
 #include "serverconn.h"
 
-// limit on size of TX buffer above which we suspend RX
-static constexpr size_t tcp_tx_limit = 0x100000;
+// limit on size of TX buffer above which we suspend RX.
+// defined as multiple of OS socket TX buffer size
+static constexpr size_t tcp_tx_limit_mult = 2u;
 
 namespace pvxs {
 namespace server {
@@ -48,8 +49,10 @@ ServerConn::ServerConn(ServIface* iface, evutil_socket_t sock, struct sockaddr *
               bufferevent_socket_new(iface->server->acceptor_loop.base, sock, BEV_OPT_CLOSE_ON_FREE|BEV_OPT_DEFER_CALLBACKS),
               SockAddr(peer))
     ,iface(iface)
+    ,tcp_tx_limit(evsocket::get_buffer_size(sock, true) * tcp_tx_limit_mult)
 {
-    log_debug_printf(connio, "Client %s connects\n", peerName.c_str());
+    log_debug_printf(connio, "Client %s connects, RX readahead %zu TX limit %zu\n",
+                     peerName.c_str(), readahead, tcp_tx_limit);
 
     {
         auto cred(std::make_shared<server::ClientCredentials>());
diff --git a/src/serverconn.h b/src/serverconn.h
index 6f668ae..0af6f0f 100644
--- a/src/serverconn.h
+++ b/src/serverconn.h
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ struct ServerChan
 struct ServerConn : public ConnBase, public std::enable_shared_from_this<ServerConn>
 {
     ServIface* const iface;
+    const size_t tcp_tx_limit;
 
     std::shared_ptr<const server::ClientCredentials> cred;
 
diff --git a/test/testsock.cpp b/test/testsock.cpp
index 26d712f..2abaa74 100644
--- a/test/testsock.cpp
+++ b/test/testsock.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,12 @@ void test_udp(int af)
 
     SockAddr bind_addr(SockAddr::loopback(af));
 
+    {
+        auto rxbuf = evsocket::get_buffer_size(A.sock, false);
+        auto txbuf = evsocket::get_buffer_size(A.sock, true);
+        testOk(rxbuf>0 && txbuf>0, "non-zero OS socket buffer sizes %zu, %zu\n", rxbuf, txbuf);
+    }
+
     A.enable_IP_PKTINFO();
     try{
         A.bind(bind_addr);
@@ -382,7 +388,7 @@ MAIN(testsock)
 {
     SockAttach attach;
     logger_config_env();
-    testPlan(66);
+    testPlan(68);
     testSetup();
     // check for behavior when binding ipv4 and ipv6 to the same socket
     // as a function of socket type and order.