diff --git a/src/remote/remote_ssh_helper.c b/src/remote/remote_ssh_helper.c
index 0da55c1d1f..8ed7e64507 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_ssh_helper.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_ssh_helper.c
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 
 #define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_REMOTE
 
+#define SSH_BUF_SIZE (1024 * 1024)
+
 VIR_LOG_INIT("remote.remote_ssh_helper");
 
 struct virRemoteSSHHelperBuffer {
@@ -45,8 +47,11 @@ typedef virRemoteSSHHelper *virRemoteSSHHelperPtr;
 struct virRemoteSSHHelper {
     bool quit;
     virNetSocketPtr sock;
+    int sockEvents;
     int stdinWatch;
+    int stdinEvents;
     int stdoutWatch;
+    int stdoutEvents;
 
     struct virRemoteSSHHelperBuffer sockToTerminal;
     struct virRemoteSSHHelperBuffer terminalToSock;
@@ -75,6 +80,40 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperShutdown(virRemoteSSHHelperPtr proxy)
 }
 
 
+static void
+virRemoteSSHHelperUpdateEvents(virRemoteSSHHelperPtr proxy)
+{
+    int sockEvents = 0;
+    int stdinEvents = 0;
+    int stdoutEvents = 0;
+
+    if (proxy->terminalToSock.offset != 0)
+        sockEvents |= VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_WRITABLE;
+    if (proxy->terminalToSock.offset < proxy->terminalToSock.length)
+        stdinEvents |= VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_READABLE;
+
+    if (proxy->sockToTerminal.offset != 0)
+        stdoutEvents |= VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_WRITABLE;
+    if (proxy->sockToTerminal.offset < proxy->sockToTerminal.length)
+        sockEvents |= VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_READABLE;
+
+    if (sockEvents != proxy->sockEvents) {
+        VIR_DEBUG("Update sock events %d -> %d", proxy->sockEvents, sockEvents);
+        virNetSocketUpdateIOCallback(proxy->sock, sockEvents);
+        proxy->sockEvents = sockEvents;
+    }
+    if (stdinEvents != proxy->stdinEvents) {
+        VIR_DEBUG("Update stdin events %d -> %d", proxy->stdinEvents, stdinEvents);
+        virEventUpdateHandle(proxy->stdinWatch, stdinEvents);
+        proxy->stdinEvents = stdinEvents;
+    }
+    if (stdoutEvents != proxy->stdoutEvents) {
+        VIR_DEBUG("Update stdout events %d -> %d", proxy->stdoutEvents, stdoutEvents);
+        virEventUpdateHandle(proxy->stdoutWatch, stdoutEvents);
+        proxy->stdoutEvents = stdoutEvents;
+    }
+}
+
 static void
 virRemoteSSHHelperEventOnSocket(virNetSocketPtr sock,
                                 int events,
@@ -91,14 +130,9 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperEventOnSocket(virNetSocketPtr sock,
             proxy->sockToTerminal.offset;
         int got;
 
-        if (avail < 1024) {
-            if (VIR_REALLOC_N(proxy->sockToTerminal.data,
-                              proxy->sockToTerminal.length + 1024) < 0) {
-                virRemoteSSHHelperShutdown(proxy);
-                return;
-            }
-            proxy->sockToTerminal.length += 1024;
-            avail += 1024;
+        if (avail == 0) {
+            VIR_DEBUG("Unexpectedly called with no space in buffer");
+            goto cleanup;
         }
 
         got = virNetSocketRead(sock,
@@ -117,15 +151,11 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperEventOnSocket(virNetSocketPtr sock,
             return;
         }
         proxy->sockToTerminal.offset += got;
-        if (proxy->sockToTerminal.offset)
-            virEventUpdateHandle(proxy->stdoutWatch,
-                                 VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_WRITABLE);
     }
 
     if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_WRITABLE &&
         proxy->terminalToSock.offset) {
         ssize_t done;
-        size_t avail;
         done = virNetSocketWrite(proxy->sock,
                                  proxy->terminalToSock.data,
                                  proxy->terminalToSock.offset);
@@ -135,26 +165,21 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperEventOnSocket(virNetSocketPtr sock,
             virRemoteSSHHelperShutdown(proxy);
             return;
         }
+
         memmove(proxy->terminalToSock.data,
                 proxy->terminalToSock.data + done,
                 proxy->terminalToSock.offset - done);
         proxy->terminalToSock.offset -= done;
-
-        avail = proxy->terminalToSock.length - proxy->terminalToSock.offset;
-        if (avail > 1024) {
-            ignore_value(VIR_REALLOC_N(proxy->terminalToSock.data,
-                                       proxy->terminalToSock.offset + 1024));
-            proxy->terminalToSock.length = proxy->terminalToSock.offset + 1024;
-        }
     }
-    if (!proxy->terminalToSock.offset)
-        virNetSocketUpdateIOCallback(proxy->sock,
-                                     VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_READABLE);
 
     if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_ERROR ||
         events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_HANGUP) {
         virRemoteSSHHelperShutdown(proxy);
+        return;
     }
+
+ cleanup:
+    virRemoteSSHHelperUpdateEvents(proxy);
 }
 
 
@@ -175,14 +200,9 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperEventOnStdin(int watch G_GNUC_UNUSED,
             proxy->terminalToSock.offset;
         int got;
 
-        if (avail < 1024) {
-            if (VIR_REALLOC_N(proxy->terminalToSock.data,
-                              proxy->terminalToSock.length + 1024) < 0) {
-                virRemoteSSHHelperShutdown(proxy);
-                return;
-            }
-            proxy->terminalToSock.length += 1024;
-            avail += 1024;
+        if (avail == 0) {
+            VIR_DEBUG("Unexpectedly called with no space in buffer");
+            goto cleanup;
         }
 
         got = read(fd,
@@ -203,10 +223,6 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperEventOnStdin(int watch G_GNUC_UNUSED,
         }
 
         proxy->terminalToSock.offset += got;
-        if (proxy->terminalToSock.offset)
-            virNetSocketUpdateIOCallback(proxy->sock,
-                                         VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_READABLE |
-                                         VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_WRITABLE);
     }
 
     if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_ERROR) {
@@ -220,6 +236,9 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperEventOnStdin(int watch G_GNUC_UNUSED,
         virRemoteSSHHelperShutdown(proxy);
         return;
     }
+
+ cleanup:
+    virRemoteSSHHelperUpdateEvents(proxy);
 }
 
 
@@ -238,7 +257,6 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperEventOnStdout(int watch G_GNUC_UNUSED,
     if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_WRITABLE &&
         proxy->sockToTerminal.offset) {
         ssize_t done;
-        size_t avail;
         done = write(fd,
                      proxy->sockToTerminal.data,
                      proxy->sockToTerminal.offset);
@@ -253,18 +271,8 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperEventOnStdout(int watch G_GNUC_UNUSED,
                 proxy->sockToTerminal.data + done,
                 proxy->sockToTerminal.offset - done);
         proxy->sockToTerminal.offset -= done;
-
-        avail = proxy->sockToTerminal.length - proxy->sockToTerminal.offset;
-        if (avail > 1024) {
-            ignore_value(VIR_REALLOC_N(proxy->sockToTerminal.data,
-                                       proxy->sockToTerminal.offset + 1024));
-            proxy->sockToTerminal.length = proxy->sockToTerminal.offset + 1024;
-        }
     }
 
-    if (!proxy->sockToTerminal.offset)
-        virEventUpdateHandle(proxy->stdoutWatch, 0);
-
     if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_ERROR) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("IO error stdout"));
         virRemoteSSHHelperShutdown(proxy);
@@ -276,6 +284,8 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperEventOnStdout(int watch G_GNUC_UNUSED,
         virRemoteSSHHelperShutdown(proxy);
         return;
     }
+
+    virRemoteSSHHelperUpdateEvents(proxy);
 }
 
 
@@ -285,8 +295,21 @@ virRemoteSSHHelperRun(virNetSocketPtr sock)
     int ret = -1;
     virRemoteSSHHelper proxy = {
         .sock = sock,
+        .sockEvents = VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_READABLE,
         .stdinWatch = -1,
+        .stdinEvents = VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_READABLE,
         .stdoutWatch = -1,
+        .stdoutEvents = 0,
+        .sockToTerminal = {
+            .offset = 0,
+            .length = SSH_BUF_SIZE,
+            .data = g_new0(char, SSH_BUF_SIZE),
+        },
+        .terminalToSock = {
+            .offset = 0,
+            .length = SSH_BUF_SIZE,
+            .data = g_new0(char, SSH_BUF_SIZE),
+        },
     };
 
     virEventRegisterDefaultImpl();