diff --git a/ipc.c b/ipc.c
index 06b2793..0ce6f35 100644
--- a/ipc.c
+++ b/ipc.c
@@ -33,6 +33,21 @@ deadline(void)
 	return now + Ipcwaitms;
 }
 
+static int
+checkdeadline(int64_t until)
+{
+	int64_t now;
+
+	now = nowms();
+	if(now < 0)
+		return -1;
+	if(now >= until){
+		errno = ETIMEDOUT;
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int
 waitfd(int fd, short events, int64_t until)
 {
@@ -78,13 +93,16 @@ readwait(int fd, void *buf, size_t n, int64_t until)
 
 	p = buf;
 	while(n > 0){
-		if(waitfd(fd, POLLIN, until) < 0)
+		if(checkdeadline(until) < 0)
 			return -1;
 		r = recv(fd, p, n, MSG_DONTWAIT);
 		if(r < 0 && errno == EINTR)
 			continue;
-		if(r < 0 && (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK))
+		if(r < 0 && (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK)){
+			if(waitfd(fd, POLLIN, until) < 0)
+				return -1;
 			continue;
+		}
 		if(r < 0)
 			return -1;
 		if(r == 0){
@@ -380,13 +398,16 @@ ipcsend(int fd, const void *buf, size_t n)
 	if(until < 0)
 		return -1;
 	while(n > 0){
-		if(waitfd(fd, POLLOUT, until) < 0)
+		if(checkdeadline(until) < 0)
 			return -1;
 		r = send(fd, p, n, MSG_NOSIGNAL|MSG_DONTWAIT);
 		if(r < 0 && errno == EINTR)
 			continue;
-		if(r < 0 && (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK))
+		if(r < 0 && (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK)){
+			if(waitfd(fd, POLLOUT, until) < 0)
+				return -1;
 			continue;
+		}
 		if(r < 0)
 			return -1;
 		if(r == 0){