diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 9b0d161..f3ee72c 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ class PgQueryStream extends Readable {
     this.cursor = new Cursor(text, values)
     this._reading = false
     this._closed = false
+    this._buffer = []
     this.batchSize = (options || { }).batchSize || 100
 
     // delegate Submittable callbacks to cursor
@@ -35,7 +36,22 @@ class PgQueryStream extends Readable {
       return false
     }
     this._reading = true
-    const readAmount = Math.max(size, this.batchSize)
+    var readAmount = Math.max(size, this.batchSize)
+    var object;
+
+    while ((object = this._buffer.shift()) && readAmount) {
+      readAmount--;
+      if (!this.push(object)) {
+        this._reading = false
+        return
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (!readAmount) {
+      this._reading = false
+      return
+    }
+
     this.cursor.read(readAmount, (err, rows) => {
       if (this._closed) {
         return
@@ -52,8 +68,11 @@ class PgQueryStream extends Readable {
 
       // push each row into the stream
       this._reading = false
-      for (var i = 0; i < rows.length; i++) {
-        this.push(rows[i])
+      while (object = rows.shift()) {
+        if (!this.push(object)) {
+          this._buffer = this._buffer.concat(rows)
+          return
+        }
       }
     })
   }
diff --git a/test/pauses.js b/test/pauses.js
index 8d9beb0..7d6f1b7 100644
--- a/test/pauses.js
+++ b/test/pauses.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 var concat = require('concat-stream')
 var tester = require('stream-tester')
 var JSONStream = require('JSONStream')
+var assert = require('assert');
 
 var QueryStream = require('../')
 
@@ -15,4 +16,29 @@ require('./helper')('pauses', function (client) {
       done()
     }))
   })
+
+  it('keeps a stable internal buffer size when paused/resumed', function (done) {
+    this.timeout(5000)
+
+    var stream = client.query(new QueryStream('SELECT * FROM generate_series(0, $1)', [10000], {batchSize: 100}))
+    var results = []
+    var concurrency = 50
+
+    stream.on('data', function (result) {
+      results.push(result)
+
+      if (results.length == concurrency) {
+        stream.pause()
+
+        setTimeout(function () {
+          results = []
+          stream.resume()
+        }, 10)
+      }
+
+      assert(stream._readableState.buffer.length <= stream.batchSize)
+    })
+
+    stream.on('end', done);
+  })
 })
diff --git a/test/pushes.js b/test/pushes.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6633c7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/pushes.js
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+var helper = require('./helper')
+var QueryStream = require('../')
+var Writable = require('stream').Writable
+var assert = require('assert')
+
+helper('pushes', function (client) {
+  it('stops pushing data when push() returns false and resumes on _read()', function (done) {
+    var readable = client.query(new QueryStream('SELECT * FROM generate_series(0, $1)', [500]))
+    var writable = new Writable({highWaterMark: 100, objectMode: true})
+    var shouldPushAgain = true
+
+    readable.original_read = readable._read
+    readable._read = function (size) {
+      shouldPushAgain = true
+      return this.original_read(size)
+    }
+
+    readable.originalPush = readable.push
+    readable.push = function (data) {
+      assert(shouldPushAgain)
+      shouldPushAgain = this.originalPush(data)
+      return shouldPushAgain
+    }
+
+    writable._write = function (chunk, encoding, callback) {
+      setImmediate(callback)
+    }
+
+    readable.pipe(writable).on('finish', done)
+  })
+})