diff --git a/tty-handler.c b/tty-handler.c
index 523743b..22f9a75 100644
--- a/tty-handler.c
+++ b/tty-handler.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <err.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -28,10 +29,11 @@
 #include "console-server.h"
 
 struct tty_handler {
-	struct handler	handler;
-	struct console	*console;
-	struct poller	*poller;
-	int		fd;
+	struct handler			handler;
+	struct console			*console;
+	struct ringbuffer_consumer	*rbc;
+	struct poller			*poller;
+	int				fd;
 };
 
 struct terminal_speed_name {
@@ -44,24 +46,98 @@
 	return container_of(handler, struct tty_handler, handler);
 }
 
+static int tty_drain_queue(struct tty_handler *th, size_t force_len)
+{
+	size_t len, total_len;
+	ssize_t wlen;
+	uint8_t *buf;
+	int flags;
+
+	/* if we're forcing data, we need to clear non-blocking mode */
+	if (force_len) {
+		flags = fcntl(th->fd, F_GETFL, 0);
+		if (flags & O_NONBLOCK) {
+			flags &= ~O_NONBLOCK;
+			fcntl(th->fd, F_SETFL, flags);
+		}
+	}
+
+	total_len = 0;
+
+	for (;;) {
+		len = ringbuffer_dequeue_peek(th->rbc, total_len, &buf);
+		if (!len)
+			break;
+
+		/* write as little as possible while blocking */
+		if (force_len && force_len < total_len + len)
+			len = force_len - total_len;
+
+		wlen = write(th->fd, buf, len);
+		if (wlen < 0) {
+			if (errno == EINTR)
+				continue;
+			if ((errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK)
+					&& !force_len)
+				break;
+			warn("failed writing to local tty; disabling");
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		total_len += wlen;
+
+		if (force_len && total_len >= force_len)
+			break;
+	}
+
+	ringbuffer_dequeue_commit(th->rbc, total_len);
+
+	if (force_len)
+		fcntl(th->fd, F_SETFL, flags | O_NONBLOCK);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static enum ringbuffer_poll_ret tty_ringbuffer_poll(void *arg, size_t force_len)
+{
+	struct tty_handler *th = arg;
+	int rc;
+
+	rc = tty_drain_queue(th, force_len);
+	if (rc) {
+		console_poller_unregister(th->console, th->poller);
+		return RINGBUFFER_POLL_REMOVE;
+	}
+
+	return RINGBUFFER_POLL_OK;
+}
+
 static enum poller_ret tty_poll(struct handler *handler,
 		int events, void __attribute__((unused)) *data)
 {
 	struct tty_handler *th = to_tty_handler(handler);
 	uint8_t buf[4096];
 	ssize_t len;
+	int rc;
 
-	if (!(events & POLLIN))
-		return POLLER_OK;
+	if (events & POLLIN) {
+		len = read(th->fd, buf, sizeof(buf));
+		if (len <= 0) {
+			th->poller = NULL;
+			close(th->fd);
+			return POLLER_REMOVE;
+		}
 
-	len = read(th->fd, buf, sizeof(buf));
-	if (len <= 0) {
-		th->poller = NULL;
-		close(th->fd);
-		return POLLER_REMOVE;
+		console_data_out(th->console, buf, len);
 	}
 
-	console_data_out(th->console, buf, len);
+	if (events & POLLOUT) {
+		rc = tty_drain_queue(th, 0);
+		if (rc) {
+			ringbuffer_consumer_unregister(th->rbc);
+			return POLLER_REMOVE;
+		}
+	}
 
 	return POLLER_OK;
 }
@@ -202,16 +278,12 @@
 	th->poller = console_poller_register(console, handler, tty_poll,
 			th->fd, POLLIN, NULL);
 	th->console = console;
+	th->rbc = console_ringbuffer_consumer_register(console,
+			tty_ringbuffer_poll, th);
 
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int tty_data(struct handler *handler, uint8_t *buf, size_t len)
-{
-	struct tty_handler *th = to_tty_handler(handler);
-	return write_buf_to_fd(th->fd, buf, len);
-}
-
 static void tty_fini(struct handler *handler)
 {
 	struct tty_handler *th = to_tty_handler(handler);
@@ -224,7 +296,6 @@
 	.handler = {
 		.name		= "tty",
 		.init		= tty_init,
-		.data_in	= tty_data,
 		.fini		= tty_fini,
 	},
 };