diff --git a/net/socket.c b/net/socket.c
index 1c4e153..8a401e6 100644
--- a/net/socket.c
+++ b/net/socket.c
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ static ssize_t net_socket_receive(VLANClientState *nc, const uint8_t *buf, size_
     uint32_t len;
     len = htonl(size);
 
-    send_all(s->fd, (const uint8_t *)&len, sizeof(len));
-    return send_all(s->fd, buf, size);
+    send_all(s->fd, (const uint8_t *)&len, sizeof(len), false);
+    return send_all(s->fd, buf, size, false);
 }
 
 static ssize_t net_socket_receive_dgram(VLANClientState *nc, const uint8_t *buf, size_t size)
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index decf687..5e4dec3 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -145,6 +145,16 @@ int qemu_chr_write(CharDriverState *s, const uint8_t *buf, int len)
     return s->chr_write(s, buf, len);
 }
 
+ssize_t qemu_chr_write_nb(CharDriverState *s, const uint8_t *buf, size_t len)
+{
+    if (!s->nonblock) {
+        /* Fallback to blocking write if no callback registered */
+        return qemu_chr_write(s, buf, len);
+    }
+
+    return s->chr_write_nb(s, buf, len);
+}
+
 int qemu_chr_ioctl(CharDriverState *s, int cmd, void *arg)
 {
     if (!s->chr_ioctl)
@@ -203,11 +213,15 @@ void qemu_chr_add_handlers(CharDriverState *s,
     }
     s->chr_can_read = handlers->fd_can_read;
     s->chr_read = handlers->fd_read;
+    s->chr_write_unblocked = handlers->fd_write_unblocked;
     s->chr_event = handlers->fd_event;
     s->handler_opaque = opaque;
     if (s->chr_update_read_handler)
         s->chr_update_read_handler(s);
 
+    /* We'll set this at connect-time */
+    s->nonblock = false;
+
     /* We're connecting to an already opened device, so let's make sure we
        also get the open event */
     if (s->opened) {
@@ -499,7 +513,7 @@ static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_mux(CharDriverState *drv)
 
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
-int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1)
+int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1, bool nonblock)
 {
     int ret, len;
 
@@ -526,7 +540,7 @@ int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1)
 
 #else
 
-static int unix_write(int fd, const uint8_t *buf, int len1)
+static int unix_write(int fd, const uint8_t *buf, int len1, bool nonblock)
 {
     int ret, len;
 
@@ -540,6 +554,9 @@ static int unix_write(int fd, const uint8_t *buf, int len1)
             if (len1 - len) {
                 return len1 - len;
             }
+            if (errno == EAGAIN && nonblock) {
+                return -EAGAIN;
+            }
             if (errno != EAGAIN) {
                 return -1;
             }
@@ -553,9 +570,9 @@ static int unix_write(int fd, const uint8_t *buf, int len1)
     return len1 - len;
 }
 
-int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1)
+int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1, bool nonblock)
 {
-    return unix_write(fd, buf, len1);
+    return unix_write(fd, buf, len1, nonblock);
 }
 #endif /* !_WIN32 */
 
@@ -572,7 +589,7 @@ static int stdio_nb_clients = 0;
 static int fd_chr_write(CharDriverState *chr, const uint8_t *buf, int len)
 {
     FDCharDriver *s = chr->opaque;
-    return send_all(s->fd_out, buf, len);
+    return send_all(s->fd_out, buf, len, false);
 }
 
 static int fd_chr_read_poll(void *opaque)
@@ -884,7 +901,7 @@ static int pty_chr_write(CharDriverState *chr, const uint8_t *buf, int len)
         pty_chr_update_read_handler(chr);
         return 0;
     }
-    return send_all(s->fd, buf, len);
+    return send_all(s->fd, buf, len, false);
 }
 
 static int pty_chr_read_poll(void *opaque)
@@ -1949,7 +1966,7 @@ static int tcp_chr_write(CharDriverState *chr, const uint8_t *buf, int len)
 {
     TCPCharDriver *s = chr->opaque;
     if (s->connected) {
-        return send_all(s->fd, buf, len);
+        return send_all(s->fd, buf, len, false);
     } else {
         /* XXX: indicate an error ? */
         return len;
diff --git a/qemu-char.h b/qemu-char.h
index eacb3b9..52f9ef1 100644
--- a/qemu-char.h
+++ b/qemu-char.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef QEMU_CHAR_H
 #define QEMU_CHAR_H
 
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
 #include "qemu-common.h"
 #include "qemu-queue.h"
 #include "qemu-option.h"
@@ -53,12 +55,15 @@ typedef void IOEventHandler(void *opaque, int event);
 struct CharDriverState {
     void (*init)(struct CharDriverState *s);
     int (*chr_write)(struct CharDriverState *s, const uint8_t *buf, int len);
+    ssize_t (*chr_write_nb)(struct CharDriverState *s, const uint8_t *buf,
+                            size_t len);
     void (*chr_update_read_handler)(struct CharDriverState *s);
     int (*chr_ioctl)(struct CharDriverState *s, int cmd, void *arg);
     int (*get_msgfd)(struct CharDriverState *s);
     IOEventHandler *chr_event;
     IOCanReadHandler *chr_can_read;
     IOReadHandler *chr_read;
+    IOHandler *chr_write_unblocked;
     void *handler_opaque;
     void (*chr_send_event)(struct CharDriverState *chr, int event);
     void (*chr_close)(struct CharDriverState *chr);
@@ -68,6 +73,8 @@ struct CharDriverState {
     char *label;
     char *filename;
     int opened;
+    bool nonblock;
+    bool write_blocked;
     QTAILQ_ENTRY(CharDriverState) next;
 };
 
@@ -85,6 +92,7 @@ CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open(const char *label, const char *filename, void (*i
 void qemu_chr_close(CharDriverState *chr);
 void qemu_chr_printf(CharDriverState *s, const char *fmt, ...);
 int qemu_chr_write(CharDriverState *s, const uint8_t *buf, int len);
+ssize_t qemu_chr_write_nb(CharDriverState *s, const uint8_t *buf, size_t len);
 void qemu_chr_send_event(CharDriverState *s, int event);
 void qemu_chr_add_handlers(CharDriverState *s, const QemuChrHandlers *handlers,
                            void *opaque);
diff --git a/qemu_socket.h b/qemu_socket.h
index 164ae3e..bdf878b 100644
--- a/qemu_socket.h
+++ b/qemu_socket.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ int inet_aton(const char *cp, struct in_addr *ia);
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
 #include <netdb.h>
 #include <sys/un.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 
 #define socket_error() errno
 #define closesocket(s) close(s)
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ int inet_aton(const char *cp, struct in_addr *ia);
 int qemu_socket(int domain, int type, int protocol);
 int qemu_accept(int s, struct sockaddr *addr, socklen_t *addrlen);
 void socket_set_nonblock(int fd);
-int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1);
+int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1, bool nonblock);
 
 /* New, ipv6-ready socket helper functions, see qemu-sockets.c */
 int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset);
