diff --git a/pkg/distributor/distributor.go b/pkg/distributor/distributor.go
index 0998d62efac..98e60ce5905 100644
--- a/pkg/distributor/distributor.go
+++ b/pkg/distributor/distributor.go
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	ClientCleanupPeriod time.Duration
 	IngestionRateLimit  float64
 	IngestionBurstSize  int
+	WaitForAllIngesters bool
 
 	// for testing
 	ingesterClientFactory func(addr string, cfg ingester_client.Config) (client.IngesterClient, error)
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ func (cfg *Config) RegisterFlags(f *flag.FlagSet) {
 	flag.DurationVar(&cfg.ClientCleanupPeriod, "distributor.client-cleanup-period", 15*time.Second, "How frequently to clean up clients for ingesters that have gone away.")
 	flag.Float64Var(&cfg.IngestionRateLimit, "distributor.ingestion-rate-limit", 25000, "Per-user ingestion rate limit in samples per second.")
 	flag.IntVar(&cfg.IngestionBurstSize, "distributor.ingestion-burst-size", 50000, "Per-user allowed ingestion burst size (in number of samples).")
+	flag.BoolVar(&cfg.WaitForAllIngesters, "distributor.wait-for-all-ingesters", false, "Turning this on will no longer short circuit ingester writes once a minimum quorum is reached.")
 }
 
 // New constructs a new Distributor
@@ -250,8 +252,10 @@ func tokenFor(userID string, name []byte) uint32 {
 type sampleTracker struct {
 	labels      []client.LabelPair
 	sample      client.Sample
+	total       int
 	minSuccess  int
 	maxFailures int
+	finished    int32
 	succeeded   int32
 	failed      int32
 }
@@ -316,6 +320,7 @@ func (d *Distributor) Push(ctx context.Context, req *client.WriteRequest) (*clie
 		// We need a response from a quorum of ingesters, which is n/2 + 1.
 		minSuccess := (len(ingesters[i]) / 2) + 1
 		samples[i].minSuccess = minSuccess
+		samples[i].total = len(ingesters[i])
 		samples[i].maxFailures = len(ingesters[i]) - minSuccess
 
 		// Skip those that have not heartbeated in a while. NB these are still
@@ -388,19 +393,35 @@ func (d *Distributor) sendSamples(ctx context.Context, ingester *ring.IngesterDe
 	// goroutine will write to either channel.
 	for i := range sampleTrackers {
 		if err != nil {
-			if atomic.AddInt32(&sampleTrackers[i].failed, 1) <= int32(sampleTrackers[i].maxFailures) {
-				continue
-			}
-			if atomic.AddInt32(&pushTracker.samplesFailed, 1) == 1 {
-				pushTracker.err <- err
+			if atomic.AddInt32(&sampleTrackers[i].failed, 1) > int32(sampleTrackers[i].maxFailures) {
+				if atomic.AddInt32(&pushTracker.samplesFailed, 1) == 1 {
+					pushTracker.err <- err
+				}
 			}
+		}
+		if d.cfg.WaitForAllIngesters {
+			waitForAll(sampleTrackers[i], pushTracker)
 		} else {
-			if atomic.AddInt32(&sampleTrackers[i].succeeded, 1) != int32(sampleTrackers[i].minSuccess) {
-				continue
-			}
-			if atomic.AddInt32(&pushTracker.samplesPending, -1) == 0 {
-				pushTracker.done <- struct{}{}
-			}
+			shortCircuit(err, sampleTrackers[i], pushTracker)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func shortCircuit(err error, sampleTracker *sampleTracker, pushTracker *pushTracker) {
+	if err == nil {
+		if atomic.AddInt32(&sampleTracker.succeeded, 1) != int32(sampleTracker.minSuccess) {
+			return
+		}
+		if atomic.AddInt32(&pushTracker.samplesPending, -1) == 0 {
+			pushTracker.done <- struct{}{}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func waitForAll(sampleTracker *sampleTracker, pushTracker *pushTracker) {
+	if atomic.AddInt32(&sampleTracker.finished, 1) == int32(sampleTracker.total) {
+		if atomic.AddInt32(&pushTracker.samplesPending, -1) == 0 {
+			pushTracker.done <- struct{}{}
 		}
 	}
 }