diff --git a/lib/connection.js b/lib/connection.js
index de5381864b..e43410a13e 100644
--- a/lib/connection.js
+++ b/lib/connection.js
@@ -223,11 +223,15 @@ class Connection extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   write(buffer) {
-    this.stream.write(buffer, err => {
+    const result = this.stream.write(buffer, err => {
       if (err) {
         this._handleNetworkError(err);
       }
     });
+
+    if (!result) {
+      this.stream.emit('pause');
+    }
   }
 
   // http://dev.mysql.com/doc/internals/en/sequence-id.html