diff --git a/src/modules/alsa/alsa-sink.c b/src/modules/alsa/alsa-sink.c
index 886c735f9..073413f00 100644
--- a/src/modules/alsa/alsa-sink.c
+++ b/src/modules/alsa/alsa-sink.c
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@
 #define DEFAULT_REWIND_SAFEGUARD_BYTES (256U) /* 1.33ms @48kHz, we'll never rewind less than this */
 #define DEFAULT_REWIND_SAFEGUARD_USEC (1330) /* 1.33ms, depending on channels/rate/sample we may rewind more than 256 above */
 
+#define DEFAULT_WRITE_ITERATION_THRESHOLD 0.03 /* don't iterate write if < 3% of the buffer is available */
+
 struct userdata {
     pa_core *core;
     pa_module *module;
@@ -580,11 +582,18 @@ static int mmap_write(struct userdata *u, pa_usec_t *sleep_usec, bool polled, bo
             break;
         }
 
-        if (++j > 10) {
+        j++;
+
+        if (j > 10) {
 #ifdef DEBUG_TIMING
             pa_log_debug("Not filling up, because already too many iterations.");
 #endif
 
+            break;
+        } else if (j >= 2 && (n_bytes < (DEFAULT_WRITE_ITERATION_THRESHOLD * (u->hwbuf_size - u->hwbuf_unused)))) {
+#ifdef DEBUG_TIMING
+            pa_log_debug("Not filling up, because <%g%% available.", DEFAULT_WRITE_ITERATION_THRESHOLD * 100);
+#endif
             break;
         }
 
@@ -754,11 +763,18 @@ static int unix_write(struct userdata *u, pa_usec_t *sleep_usec, bool polled, bo
             break;
         }
 
-        if (++j > 10) {
+        j++;
+
+        if (j > 10) {
 #ifdef DEBUG_TIMING
             pa_log_debug("Not filling up, because already too many iterations.");
 #endif
 
+            break;
+        } else if (j >= 2 && (n_bytes < (DEFAULT_WRITE_ITERATION_THRESHOLD * (u->hwbuf_size - u->hwbuf_unused)))) {
+#ifdef DEBUG_TIMING
+            pa_log_debug("Not filling up, because <%g%% available.", DEFAULT_WRITE_ITERATION_THRESHOLD * 100);
+#endif
             break;
         }