diff --git a/packer/rpc/muxconn.go b/packer/rpc/muxconn.go
index f449024b1..bc9de8e72 100644
--- a/packer/rpc/muxconn.go
+++ b/packer/rpc/muxconn.go
@@ -400,8 +400,6 @@ func (m *MuxConn) loop() {
 			stream.mu.Unlock()
 
 		case muxPacketData:
-			unlocked := false
-
 			stream.mu.Lock()
 			switch stream.state {
 			case streamStateFinWait1:
@@ -409,26 +407,15 @@ func (m *MuxConn) loop() {
 			case streamStateFinWait2:
 				fallthrough
 			case streamStateEstablished:
-				if len(data) > 0 {
-					// Get a reference to the write channel while we have
-					// the lock because otherwise the field might change.
-					// We unlock early here because the write might block
-					// for a long time.
-					writeCh := stream.writeCh
-					stream.mu.Unlock()
-					unlocked = true
-
-					// Blocked write, this provides some backpressure on
-					// the connection if there is a lot of data incoming.
-					writeCh <- data
+				if len(data) > 0 && stream.writeCh != nil {
+					//log.Printf("[TRACE] %p: Stream %d (%s) WRITE-START", m, id, from)
+					stream.writeCh <- data
+					//log.Printf("[TRACE] %p: Stream %d (%s) WRITE-END", m, id, from)
 				}
 			default:
 				log.Printf("[ERR] Data received for stream in state: %d", stream.state)
 			}
-
-			if !unlocked {
-				stream.mu.Unlock()
-			}
+			stream.mu.Unlock()
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -516,6 +503,7 @@ func newStream(from muxPacketFrom, id uint32, m *MuxConn) *Stream {
 	go func() {
 		defer dataW.Close()
 
+		drain := false
 		for {
 			data := <-writeCh
 			if data == nil {
@@ -524,8 +512,14 @@ func newStream(from muxPacketFrom, id uint32, m *MuxConn) *Stream {
 				return
 			}
 
+			if drain {
+				// We're draining, meaning we're just waiting for the
+				// write channel to close.
+				continue
+			}
+
 			if _, err := dataW.Write(data); err != nil {
-				return
+				drain = true
 			}
 		}
 	}()
@@ -568,7 +562,10 @@ func (s *Stream) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
 }
 
 func (s *Stream) closeWriter() {
-	s.writeCh <- nil
+	if s.writeCh != nil {
+		s.writeCh <- nil
+		s.writeCh = nil
+	}
 }
 
 func (s *Stream) setState(state streamState) {
@@ -594,6 +591,7 @@ func (s *Stream) waitState(target streamState) error {
 		delete(s.stateChange, stateCh)
 	}()
 
+	//log.Printf("[TRACE] %p: Stream %d (%s) waiting for state: %d", s.mux, s.id, s.from, target)
 	state := <-stateCh
 	if state == target {
 		return nil
diff --git a/packer/rpc/muxconn_test.go b/packer/rpc/muxconn_test.go
index 6abeec9d2..8784b1410 100644
--- a/packer/rpc/muxconn_test.go
+++ b/packer/rpc/muxconn_test.go
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ func TestMuxConn(t *testing.T) {
 
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
+			defer s1.Close()
 			data := readStream(t, s1)
 			if data != "another" {
 				t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", data)
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ func TestMuxConn(t *testing.T) {
 
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
+			defer s0.Close()
 			data := readStream(t, s0)
 			if data != "hello" {
 				t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", data)
@@ -110,6 +112,9 @@ func TestMuxConn(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
+	s0.Close()
+	s1.Close()
+
 	// Wait for the server to be done
 	<-doneCh
 }
@@ -131,18 +136,20 @@ func TestMuxConn_lotsOfData(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 		}
 
-		var wg sync.WaitGroup
-		wg.Add(1)
+		var data [1024]byte
+		for {
+			n, err := s0.Read(data[:])
+			if err == io.EOF {
+				break
+			}
 
-		go func() {
-			defer wg.Done()
-			data := readStream(t, s0)
-			if data != "hello" {
-				t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", data)
+			dataString := string(data[0:n])
+			if dataString != "hello" {
+				t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", dataString)
 			}
-		}()
+		}
 
-		wg.Wait()
+		s0.Close()
 	}()
 
 	s0, err := client.Dial(0)
@@ -156,6 +163,10 @@ func TestMuxConn_lotsOfData(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if err := s0.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
 	// Wait for the server to be done
 	<-doneCh
 }