diff --git a/src/libp2p_connection.erl b/src/libp2p_connection.erl
index 91a2f6fb..3a61dcb3 100644
--- a/src/libp2p_connection.erl
+++ b/src/libp2p_connection.erl
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 -export_type([connection/0, close_state/0]).
 
 -export([new/2, send/2, send/3,
-         recv/1, recv/2, recv/3,
+         recv/1, recv/2, recv/3, unrecv/2,
          acknowledge/2, fdset/1, socket/1, fdclr/1,
          addr_info/1, close/1, close_state/1,
          controlling_process/2, session/1, monitor/1,
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 -callback acknowledge(any(), any()) -> ok.
 -callback send(any(), iodata(), non_neg_integer() | infinity) -> ok | {error, term()}.
 -callback recv(any(), non_neg_integer(), non_neg_integer()) -> {ok, binary()} | {error, term()}.
+-callback unrecv(any(), iodata()) -> ok.
 -callback close(any()) -> ok.
 -callback close_state(any()) -> close_state().
 -callback fdset(any()) -> ok | {error, term()}.
@@ -58,6 +59,10 @@ recv(Conn=#connection{}, Length) ->
 recv(#connection{module=Module, state=State}, Length, Timeout) ->
     Module:recv(State, Length, Timeout).
 
+-spec unrecv(connection(), iodata()) -> ok.
+unrecv(#connection{module=Module, state=State}, Data) ->
+    Module:unrecv(State, Data).
+
 -spec acknowledge(connection(), any()) -> ok.
 acknowledge(#connection{module=Module, state=State}, Ref) ->
     Module:acknowledge(State, Ref).
diff --git a/src/libp2p_framed_stream.erl b/src/libp2p_framed_stream.erl
index 4f25a113..bf8cc690 100644
--- a/src/libp2p_framed_stream.erl
+++ b/src/libp2p_framed_stream.erl
@@ -379,11 +379,15 @@ recv(Connection, Timeout) ->
         {error, Error} -> {error, Error};
         {ok, <<Size:32/little-unsigned-integer>>} ->
             %% TODO: Limit max message size we're willing to
-            %% TODO if we read the prefix length, but time out on the payload, we should handle this?
             case libp2p_connection:recv(Connection, Size, Timeout) of
                 {ok, Data} when byte_size(Data) == Size -> {ok, Data};
                 {ok, _Data} -> {error, frame_size_mismatch};
-                {error, Error} -> {error, Error}
+                {error, timeout} ->
+                    %% the underlying buffer didn't have everything in time, so put the length prefix back in
+                    %% the buffer
+                    libp2p_connection:unrecv(Connection, <<Size:32/integer-unsigned-little>>),
+                    {error, payload_timeout};
+                {error, Error} ->{error, Error}
             end
     end.
 
@@ -402,7 +406,11 @@ dispatch_handle_data(Kind, Bin, State=#state{module=Module}) ->
             {noreply, handle_fdset(handle_resp_send({stop, Reason}, Response, State#state{state=ModuleState}))}
     end.
 
-
+handle_recv_result({error, payload_timeout}, State) ->
+    %% we have pending data, but it's not complete
+    %% schedule another fdset so we can check again later
+    libp2p_connection:fdset(State#state.connection),
+    {noreply, State};
 handle_recv_result({error, timeout}, State) ->
     {noreply, State};
 handle_recv_result({error, closed}, State) ->
diff --git a/src/libp2p_transport_tcp.erl b/src/libp2p_transport_tcp.erl
index c3d245dd..5417ddb9 100644
--- a/src/libp2p_transport_tcp.erl
+++ b/src/libp2p_transport_tcp.erl
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 -export([start_link/1, init/1, handle_call/3, handle_info/2, handle_cast/2, terminate/2]).
 
 %% libp2p_connection
--export([send/3, recv/3, acknowledge/2, addr_info/1,
+-export([send/3, recv/3, unrecv/2, acknowledge/2, addr_info/1,
          close/1, close_state/1, controlling_process/2,
          session/1, fdset/1, socket/1, fdclr/1, monitor/1,
          set_idle_timeout/2
@@ -161,6 +161,10 @@ send(#tcp_state{socket=Socket, transport=Transport}, Data, _Timeout) ->
 recv(#tcp_state{socket=Socket, transport=Transport}, Length, Timeout) ->
     Transport:recv(Socket, Length, Timeout).
 
+-spec unrecv(tcp_state(), iodata()) -> ok.
+unrecv(#tcp_state{socket=Socket}, Data) ->
+    gen_tcp:unrecv(Socket, Data).
+
 -spec close(tcp_state()) -> ok.
 close(#tcp_state{socket=Socket, transport=Transport}) ->
     Transport:close(Socket).
diff --git a/src/libp2p_yamux_stream.erl b/src/libp2p_yamux_stream.erl
index f9c3cbdf..fd264dc0 100644
--- a/src/libp2p_yamux_stream.erl
+++ b/src/libp2p_yamux_stream.erl
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 % API
 -export([new_connection/1, open_stream/3, receive_stream/3, update_window/3, receive_data/2]).
 % libp2p_connection
--export([close/1, close_state/1, send/3, recv/3, acknowledge/2,
+-export([close/1, close_state/1, send/3, recv/3, unrecv/2, acknowledge/2,
          fdset/1, fdclr/1, addr_info/1, controlling_process/2,
          session/1, monitor/1, set_idle_timeout/2]).
 %% libp2p_info
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ send(Pid, Data, Timeout) ->
 recv(Pid, Size, Timeout) ->
     statem(Pid, {recv, Size, Timeout}).
 
+unrecv(Pid, Data) ->
+    gen_statem:cast(Pid, {unrecv, Data}).
+
 acknowledge(_, _) ->
     ok.
 
@@ -284,6 +287,8 @@ handle_event({call, From}, {recv, Size, Timeout}, _State, Data0=#state{}) when ?
             lager:debug("Remote closed and no receivable data; closing"),
             {stop, normal, notify_inert(Data)}
     end;
+handle_event(cast, {unrecv, Bin}, _State, Data=#state{recv_state=#recv_state{waiter_data=WaiterData}=RecvState}) ->
+    {keep_state, Data#state{recv_state=RecvState#recv_state{waiter_data = <<Bin/binary, WaiterData/binary>>}}};
 handle_event({call, From}, {recv, Size, Timeout}, _State, Data=#state{}) ->
     % Normal open state
     {keep_state, data_recv(From, Size, Timeout, Data)};