diff --git a/block/iscsi.c b/block/iscsi.c
index ed1ad7b..d710b86 100644
--- a/block/iscsi.c
+++ b/block/iscsi.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ typedef struct IscsiLun {
     int lun;
     int block_size;
     unsigned long num_blocks;
+    int events;
 } IscsiLun;
 
 typedef struct IscsiAIOCB {
@@ -105,18 +106,34 @@ static void
 iscsi_set_events(IscsiLun *iscsilun)
 {
     struct iscsi_context *iscsi = iscsilun->iscsi;
+    int ev;
 
-    qemu_aio_set_fd_handler(iscsi_get_fd(iscsi), iscsi_process_read,
-                           (iscsi_which_events(iscsi) & POLLOUT)
-                           ? iscsi_process_write : NULL,
-                           iscsi_process_flush, iscsilun);
+    /* Try to write as much as we can to the socket
+     * without setting up an event
+     */
+    if (iscsi_which_events(iscsi) & POLLOUT) {
+        iscsi_process_write(iscsilun);
+    }
+
+    /* We always register a read handler.  */
+    ev = POLLIN;
+    ev |= iscsi_which_events(iscsi);
+    if (ev != iscsilun->events) {
+        qemu_aio_set_fd_handler(iscsi_get_fd(iscsi),
+                      iscsi_process_read,
+                      (ev & POLLOUT) ? iscsi_process_write : NULL,
+                      iscsi_process_flush,
+                      iscsilun);
 
-    /* If we just added the event for writeable we must call
-       and the socket is already writeable the callback might
-       not be invoked until after a short delay unless we call
-       qemu_notify_event().
+    }
+
+    /* If we just added an event, the callback might be delayed
+     * unless we call qemu_notify_event().
      */
-    qemu_notify_event();
+    if (ev & ~iscsilun->events) {
+        qemu_notify_event();
+    }
+    iscsilun->events = ev;
 }
 
 static void