diff --git a/src/server.cpp b/src/server.cpp
index b84d11d..b1b352d 100644
--- a/src/server.cpp
+++ b/src/server.cpp
@@ -218,10 +218,9 @@ private:
         kj::Own<kj::PromiseFulfiller<void>> fulfiller;
     };
 
-    kj::Promise<void> handleWebsocket(WebsocketClient& lc) {
-        auto paf = kj::newPromiseAndFulfiller<void>();
-        lc.fulfiller = kj::mv(paf.fulfiller);
-        return lc.ws->receive().then([&lc,this](kj::WebSocket::Message&& message) -> kj::Promise<bool> {
+    kj::Promise<void> websocketRead(WebsocketClient& lc)
+    {
+        return lc.ws->receive().then([&lc,this](kj::WebSocket::Message&& message) {
             KJ_SWITCH_ONEOF(message) {
                 KJ_CASE_ONEOF(str, kj::String) {
                     rapidjson::Document d;
@@ -230,31 +229,36 @@ private:
                         int page = d["page"].GetInt();
                         lc.scope.page = page;
                         laminar.sendStatus(&lc);
-                        // freeze this promise. sendStatus will cause the other half of
-                        // exclusiveJoin below to proceed and this branch will be cancelled
-                        return kj::NEVER_DONE;
+                        return websocketRead(lc);
                     }
                 }
                 KJ_CASE_ONEOF(close, kj::WebSocket::Close) {
                     // clean socket shutdown
-                    return lc.ws->close(close.code, close.reason).then([]{return false;});
+                    return lc.ws->close(close.code, close.reason);
                 }
                 KJ_CASE_ONEOF_DEFAULT {}
             }
             // unhandled/unknown message
-            return lc.ws->disconnect().then([]{return false;});
-        }).exclusiveJoin(kj::mv(paf.promise).then([&lc]{
+            return lc.ws->disconnect();
+        });
+    }
+
+    kj::Promise<void> websocketWrite(WebsocketClient& lc)
+    {
+        auto paf = kj::newPromiseAndFulfiller<void>();
+        lc.fulfiller = kj::mv(paf.fulfiller);
+        return paf.promise.then([this,&lc]{
             kj::Promise<void> p = kj::READY_NOW;
-            for(std::string& s : lc.messages) {
+            std::list<std::string> messages = kj::mv(lc.messages);
+            for(std::string& s : messages) {
                 p = p.then([&s,&lc]{
                     kj::String str = kj::str(s);
                     return lc.ws->send(str).attach(kj::mv(str));
                 });
             }
-            return p.then([]{return true;});
-            //return lc.ws->send(str).attach(kj::mv(str)).then([]{ return true;});
-        })).then([this,&lc](bool cont){
-            return cont ? handleWebsocket(lc) : kj::READY_NOW;
+            return p.attach(kj::mv(messages)).then([this,&lc]{
+                return websocketWrite(lc);
+            });
         });
     }
 
@@ -285,7 +289,7 @@ private:
             }
         }
         laminar.registerClient(&lc);
-        kj::Promise<void> connection = handleWebsocket(lc);
+        kj::Promise<void> connection = websocketRead(lc).exclusiveJoin(websocketWrite(lc));
         // registerClient can happen after a successful websocket handshake.
         // However, the connection might not be closed gracefully, so the
         // corresponding deregister operation happens in the WebsocketClient