diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/NTCPConnection.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/NTCPConnection.java
index d637901f5..217ae341e 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/NTCPConnection.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/NTCPConnection.java
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ class NTCPConnection {
     //private final CoDelPriorityBlockingQueue<OutNetMessage> _outbound;
     private final PriBlockingQueue<OutNetMessage> _outbound;
     /**
-     *  current prepared OutNetMessage, or null - synchronize on _outbound to modify
+     *  current prepared OutNetMessage, or null - synchronize on _outbound to modify or read
      *  FIXME why do we need this???
      */
     private OutNetMessage _currentOutbound;
@@ -302,12 +302,21 @@ class NTCPConnection {
 
     public long getMessagesSent() { return _messagesWritten; }
     public long getMessagesReceived() { return _messagesRead; }
-    public long getOutboundQueueSize() { 
-            int queued = _outbound.size();
-            if (_currentOutbound != null)
-                queued++;
+    public long getOutboundQueueSize() {
+            int queued;
+            synchronized(_outbound) {
+                queued = _outbound.size();
+                if (getCurrentOutbound() != null)
+                    queued++;
+            }
             return queued;
     }
+    
+    private OutNetMessage getCurrentOutbound() {
+        synchronized(_outbound) {
+            return _currentOutbound;
+        }
+    }
 
     /** @return milliseconds */
     public long getTimeSinceSend() { return System.currentTimeMillis()-_lastSendTime; }
@@ -390,7 +399,7 @@ class NTCPConnection {
             _transport.afterSend(msg, false, allowRequeue, msg.getLifetime());
         }
 
-        OutNetMessage msg = _currentOutbound;
+        OutNetMessage msg = getCurrentOutbound();
         if (msg != null) {
             Object buf = msg.releasePreparationBuffer();
             if (buf != null)
@@ -434,7 +443,7 @@ class NTCPConnection {
         //int enqueued = _outbound.size();
         // although stat description says ahead of this one, not including this one...
         //_context.statManager().addRateData("ntcp.sendQueueSize", enqueued);
-        boolean noOutbound = (_currentOutbound == null);
+        boolean noOutbound = (getCurrentOutbound() == null);
         //if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG)) _log.debug("messages enqueued on " + toString() + ": " + enqueued + " new one: " + msg.getMessageId() + " of " + msg.getMessageType());
         if (isEstablished() && noOutbound)
             _transport.getWriter().wantsWrite(this, "enqueued");
@@ -468,7 +477,7 @@ class NTCPConnection {
             int size = _outbound.size();
             if (_log.shouldLog(Log.WARN)) {
 	        int writeBufs = _writeBufs.size();
-                boolean currentOutboundSet = _currentOutbound != null;
+                boolean currentOutboundSet = getCurrentOutbound() != null;
                 try {
                     _log.warn("Too backlogged: size is " + size 
                           + ", wantsWrite? " + (0 != (_conKey.interestOps()&SelectionKey.OP_WRITE))
@@ -1072,8 +1081,7 @@ class NTCPConnection {
                 _log.info("I2NP meta message sent completely");
         }
         
-        boolean msgs = ((!_outbound.isEmpty()) || (_currentOutbound != null));
-        if (msgs) // push through the bw limiter to reach _writeBufs
+        if (getOutboundQueueSize() > 0) // push through the bw limiter to reach _writeBufs
             _transport.getWriter().wantsWrite(this, "write completed");
 
         // this is not necessary, EventPumper.processWrite() handles this