diff --git a/src/input/adapters/async_adapter.rs b/src/input/adapters/async_adapter.rs
index fe763acc1..6131f12f2 100644
--- a/src/input/adapters/async_adapter.rs
+++ b/src/input/adapters/async_adapter.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ struct AsyncAdapterSink {
 
 impl AsyncAdapterSink {
     async fn launch(mut self) {
-        let mut inner_buf = [0u8; 10 * 1024];
+        let mut inner_buf = [0u8; 32 * 1024];
         let mut read_region = 0..0;
         let mut hit_end = false;
         let mut blocked = false;
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ impl AsyncAdapterSink {
                         .write(&inner_buf[read_region.start..read_region.end])
                     {
                         read_region.start += n_moved;
+                        drop(self.resp_tx.send_async(AdapterResponse::ReadOccurred).await);
                     } else {
                         blocked = true;
                     }
@@ -137,9 +138,10 @@ impl AsyncAdapterSink {
 pub struct AsyncAdapterStream {
     bytes_out: HeapConsumer<u8>,
     can_seek: bool,
-    // Note: this is Atomic just to work around the need for
+    // Note: these are Atomic just to work around the need for
     // check_messages to take &self rather than &mut.
     finalised: AtomicBool,
+    bytes_known_present: AtomicBool,
     req_tx: Sender<AdapterRequest>,
     resp_rx: Receiver<AdapterResponse>,
     notify_tx: Arc<Notify>,
@@ -168,6 +170,7 @@ impl AsyncAdapterStream {
             bytes_out,
             can_seek,
             finalised: false.into(),
+            bytes_known_present: false.into(),
             req_tx,
             resp_rx,
             notify_tx,
@@ -180,16 +183,29 @@ impl AsyncAdapterStream {
         stream
     }
 
-    fn handle_messages(&self, block: bool) -> Option<AdapterResponse> {
+    fn handle_messages(&self, op: Operation) -> Option<AdapterResponse> {
         loop {
-            match self.resp_rx.try_recv() {
-                Ok(AdapterResponse::ReadZero) => {
+            let msg = if op.will_block() {
+                self.resp_rx.recv().ok()
+            } else {
+                self.resp_rx.try_recv().ok()
+            };
+
+            let msg = if let Some(msg) = msg { msg } else { break None };
+
+            // state changes
+            match &msg {
+                AdapterResponse::ReadZero => {
                     self.finalised.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
                 },
-                Ok(a) => break Some(a),
-                Err(TryRecvError::Empty) if !block => break None,
-                Err(TryRecvError::Disconnected) => break None,
-                Err(TryRecvError::Empty) => {},
+                AdapterResponse::ReadOccurred => {
+                    self.bytes_known_present.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+                },
+                _ => {},
+            }
+
+            if op.expected_msg(&msg) {
+                break Some(msg);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -212,11 +228,10 @@ impl AsyncAdapterStream {
 
 impl Read for AsyncAdapterStream {
     fn read(&mut self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> IoResult<usize> {
-        // TODO: make this run via condvar instead?
-        // This needs to remain blocking or spin loopy
-        // Mainly because this is at odds with "keep CPU low."
         loop {
-            drop(self.handle_messages(false));
+            let block = !(self.bytes_known_present.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
+                || self.finalised.load(Ordering::Relaxed));
+            drop(self.handle_messages(Operation::Read { block }));
 
             match self.bytes_out.read(buf) {
                 Ok(n) => {
@@ -229,9 +244,8 @@ impl Read for AsyncAdapterStream {
                     if self.finalised.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
                         return Ok(0);
                     }
-
+                    self.bytes_known_present.store(false, Ordering::Relaxed);
                     self.check_dropped()?;
-                    std::thread::yield_now();
                 },
                 a => {
                     println!("Misc err {a:?}");
@@ -258,7 +272,7 @@ impl Seek for AsyncAdapterStream {
         // wait for async to tell us that it has stopped writing,
         // then clear buf and allow async to write again.
         self.finalised.store(false, Ordering::Relaxed);
-        match self.handle_messages(true) {
+        match self.handle_messages(Operation::Seek) {
             Some(AdapterResponse::SeekClear) => {},
             None => self.check_dropped().map(|_| unreachable!())?,
             _ => unreachable!(),
@@ -268,7 +282,7 @@ impl Seek for AsyncAdapterStream {
 
         let _ = self.req_tx.send(AdapterRequest::SeekCleared);
 
-        match self.handle_messages(true) {
+        match self.handle_messages(Operation::Seek) {
             Some(AdapterResponse::SeekResult(a)) => a,
             None => self.check_dropped().map(|_| unreachable!()),
             _ => unreachable!(),
@@ -286,7 +300,7 @@ impl MediaSource for AsyncAdapterStream {
 
         let _ = self.req_tx.send(AdapterRequest::ByteLen);
 
-        match self.handle_messages(true) {
+        match self.handle_messages(Operation::Len) {
             Some(AdapterResponse::ByteLen(a)) => a,
             None => self.check_dropped().ok().map(|_| unreachable!()),
             _ => unreachable!(),
@@ -306,6 +320,37 @@ enum AdapterResponse {
     SeekClear,
     ByteLen(Option<u64>),
     ReadZero,
+    ReadOccurred,
+}
+
+#[derive(Copy, Clone)]
+enum Operation {
+    Read { block: bool },
+    Seek,
+    Len,
+}
+
+impl Operation {
+    fn will_block(self) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            Self::Read { block } => block,
+            _ => true,
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn expected_msg(self, msg: &AdapterResponse) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            Self::Read { .. } => matches!(
+                msg,
+                AdapterResponse::ReadOccurred | AdapterResponse::ReadZero
+            ),
+            Self::Seek => matches!(
+                msg,
+                AdapterResponse::SeekResult(_) | AdapterResponse::SeekClear
+            ),
+            Self::Len => matches!(msg, AdapterResponse::ByteLen(_)),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// An async port of symphonia's [`MediaSource`].