diff --git a/lib/context.c b/lib/context.c
index 7d76c803..e11af453 100644
--- a/lib/context.c
+++ b/lib/context.c
@@ -246,9 +246,14 @@ lws_callback_http_dummy(struct lws *wsi, enum lws_callback_reasons reason,
 
 	case LWS_CALLBACK_HTTP_WRITEABLE:
 #ifdef LWS_WITH_CGI
-		if (wsi->reason_bf & LWS_CB_REASON_AUX_BF__CGI) {
-			if (lws_cgi_write_split_stdout_headers(wsi) < 0)
+		if (wsi->reason_bf & (LWS_CB_REASON_AUX_BF__CGI_HEADERS | LWS_CB_REASON_AUX_BF__CGI)) {
+			n = lws_cgi_write_split_stdout_headers(wsi);
+			if (n < 0) {
+				lwsl_debug("LWS_CB_REASON_AUX_BF__CGI forcing close\n");
 				return -1;
+			}
+			if (!n)
+				lws_rx_flow_control(wsi->cgi->stdwsi[LWS_STDOUT], 1);
 
 			if (wsi->reason_bf & LWS_CB_REASON_AUX_BF__CGI_HEADERS)
 				wsi->reason_bf &= ~LWS_CB_REASON_AUX_BF__CGI_HEADERS;
@@ -258,6 +263,7 @@ lws_callback_http_dummy(struct lws *wsi, enum lws_callback_reasons reason,
 		}
 
 		if (wsi->reason_bf & LWS_CB_REASON_AUX_BF__CGI_CHUNK_END) {
+			lwsl_debug("writing chunk terminator and exiting\n");
 			n = lws_write(wsi, (unsigned char *)"0\x0d\x0a\x0d\x0a",
 				      5, LWS_WRITE_HTTP);
 			/* always close after sending it */
@@ -363,6 +369,8 @@ lws_callback_http_dummy(struct lws *wsi, enum lws_callback_reasons reason,
 			/* TBD stdin rx flow control */
 			break;
 		case LWS_STDOUT:
+			/* quench POLLIN on STDOUT until MASTER got writeable */
+			lws_rx_flow_control(args->stdwsi[LWS_STDOUT], 0);
 			wsi->reason_bf |= LWS_CB_REASON_AUX_BF__CGI;
 			/* when writing to MASTER would not block */
 			lws_callback_on_writable(wsi);
@@ -385,6 +393,7 @@ lws_callback_http_dummy(struct lws *wsi, enum lws_callback_reasons reason,
 				wsi->cgi->explicitly_chunked, (uint64_t)wsi->cgi->content_length);
 		if (!wsi->cgi->explicitly_chunked && !wsi->cgi->content_length) {
 			/* send terminating chunk */
+			lwsl_debug("LWS_CALLBACK_CGI_TERMINATED: looking to send terminating chunk\n");
 			wsi->reason_bf |= LWS_CB_REASON_AUX_BF__CGI_CHUNK_END;
 			lws_callback_on_writable(wsi);
 			lws_set_timeout(wsi, PENDING_TIMEOUT_CGI, 3);
diff --git a/lib/libwebsockets.c b/lib/libwebsockets.c
index 32b27325..3ce469f0 100755
--- a/lib/libwebsockets.c
+++ b/lib/libwebsockets.c
@@ -3028,8 +3028,13 @@ lws_cgi_write_split_stdout_headers(struct lws *wsi)
 			return -1;
 		}
 		wsi->cgi->content_length_seen += m;
+	} else {
+		if (wsi->cgi_stdout_zero_length) {
+			lwsl_debug("%s: failed to read anything: stdout is POLLHUP'd\n", __func__);
+			return 1;
+		}
+		wsi->cgi_stdout_zero_length = 1;
 	}
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -3153,7 +3158,7 @@ lws_cgi_kill_terminated(struct lws_context_per_thread *pt)
 
 				if (!cgi->content_length) {
 					/*
-					 * well, if he sends chunked... give him 5s after the
+					 * well, if he sends chunked... give him 2s after the
 					 * cgi terminated to send buffered
 					 */
 					cgi->chunked_grace++;
@@ -3192,7 +3197,7 @@ lws_cgi_kill_terminated(struct lws_context_per_thread *pt)
 		/* we deferred killing him after reaping his PID */
 		if (cgi->chunked_grace) {
 			cgi->chunked_grace++;
-			if (cgi->chunked_grace < 5)
+			if (cgi->chunked_grace < 2)
 				continue;
 			goto finish_him;
 		}
@@ -3214,7 +3219,7 @@ lws_cgi_kill_terminated(struct lws_context_per_thread *pt)
 
 			if (!cgi->content_length) {
 				/*
-				 * well, if he sends chunked... give him 5s after the
+				 * well, if he sends chunked... give him 2s after the
 				 * cgi terminated to send buffered
 				 */
 				cgi->chunked_grace++;
diff --git a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
index 5c75bed6..ee2edd36 100644
--- a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
+++ b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
@@ -1671,6 +1671,7 @@ struct lws {
 	unsigned int ipv6:1;
 	unsigned int parent_carries_io:1;
 	unsigned int parent_pending_cb_on_writable:1;
+	unsigned int cgi_stdout_zero_length:1;
 
 #if defined(LWS_WITH_ESP8266)
 	unsigned int pending_send_completion:3;
diff --git a/lib/service.c b/lib/service.c
index 1850426a..184ded08 100644
--- a/lib/service.c
+++ b/lib/service.c
@@ -902,7 +902,7 @@ lws_service_fd_tsi(struct lws_context *context, struct lws_pollfd *pollfd, int t
 					    wsi, buf, pt->ah_pool[n].rxpos,
 					    pt->ah_pool[n].rxlen,
 					    pt->ah_pool[n].pos);
-
+				buf[0] = '\0';
 				m = 0;
 				do {
 					c = lws_token_to_string(m);
@@ -915,11 +915,12 @@ lws_service_fd_tsi(struct lws_context *context, struct lws_pollfd *pollfd, int t
 						continue;
 					}
 
-					lws_hdr_copy(wsi, buf, sizeof buf, m);
-					buf[sizeof(buf) - 1] = '\0';
+					if (lws_hdr_copy(wsi, buf, sizeof buf, m) > 0) {
+						buf[sizeof(buf) - 1] = '\0';
 
-					lwsl_notice("   %s = %s\n",
-						    (const char *)c, buf);
+						lwsl_notice("   %s = %s\n",
+								(const char *)c, buf);
+					}
 					m++;
 				} while (1);