diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 6a70b9f40a..56f3d731cd 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -248,7 +248,10 @@ lazy val mimaSettings = Seq(
     ),
     ProblemFilters.exclude[DirectMissingMethodProblem](
       "fs2.io.tls.TLSSocket.fs2$io$tls$TLSSocket$$binding$default$3"
-    )
+    ),
+    // InputOutputBuffer is private[tls]
+    ProblemFilters.exclude[DirectMissingMethodProblem]("fs2.io.tls.InputOutputBuffer.output"),
+    ProblemFilters.exclude[ReversedMissingMethodProblem]("fs2.io.tls.InputOutputBuffer.output")
   )
 )
 
diff --git a/io/src/main/scala/fs2/io/tls/InputOutputBuffer.scala b/io/src/main/scala/fs2/io/tls/InputOutputBuffer.scala
index b192b3b7b3..0d5b85e94b 100644
--- a/io/src/main/scala/fs2/io/tls/InputOutputBuffer.scala
+++ b/io/src/main/scala/fs2/io/tls/InputOutputBuffer.scala
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ private[tls] trait InputOutputBuffer[F[_]] {
   /** Adds the specified chunk to the input buffer. */
   def input(data: Chunk[Byte]): F[Unit]
 
-  /** Removes all available data from the output buffer. */
-  def output: F[Chunk[Byte]]
+  /** Removes available data from the output buffer. */
+  def output(maxBytes: Int): F[Chunk[Byte]]
 
   /**
     * Performs an operation that may read from the input buffer and write to the output buffer.
@@ -75,16 +75,17 @@ private[tls] object InputOutputBuffer {
           }
         }
 
-      def output: F[Chunk[Byte]] =
+      def output(maxBytes: Int): F[Chunk[Byte]] =
         outBuff.get.flatMap { out =>
           if (out.position() == 0) Applicative[F].pure(Chunk.empty)
           else
             Sync[F].delay {
               (out: Buffer).flip()
               val cap = out.limit()
-              val dest = new Array[Byte](cap)
+              val sz = cap.min(maxBytes)
+              val dest = new Array[Byte](sz)
               out.get(dest)
-              (out: Buffer).clear()
+              out.compact()
               Chunk.bytes(dest)
             }
         }
diff --git a/io/src/main/scala/fs2/io/tls/TLSEngine.scala b/io/src/main/scala/fs2/io/tls/TLSEngine.scala
index 6a818bc0e5..f917152d0e 100644
--- a/io/src/main/scala/fs2/io/tls/TLSEngine.scala
+++ b/io/src/main/scala/fs2/io/tls/TLSEngine.scala
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ private[tls] object TLSEngine {
           }
 
       private def doWrite(timeout: Option[FiniteDuration]): F[Unit] =
-        wrapBuffer.output.flatMap { out =>
+        wrapBuffer.output(Int.MaxValue).flatMap { out =>
           if (out.isEmpty) Applicative[F].unit
           else binding.write(out, timeout)
         }
@@ -101,24 +101,30 @@ private[tls] object TLSEngine {
       def read(maxBytes: Int, timeout: Option[FiniteDuration]): F[Option[Chunk[Byte]]] =
         readSemaphore.withPermit(read0(maxBytes, timeout))
 
+      private def initialHandshakeDone: F[Boolean] =
+        Sync[F].delay(engine.getSession.getCipherSuite != "SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL")
+
       private def read0(maxBytes: Int, timeout: Option[FiniteDuration]): F[Option[Chunk[Byte]]] =
-        // Check if a session has been established -- if so, read; otherwise, handshake and then read
-        blocker
-          .delay(engine.getSession.isValid)
-          .ifM(
-            binding.read(maxBytes, timeout).flatMap {
-              case Some(c) =>
-                unwrapBuffer.input(c) >> unwrap(timeout).flatMap {
-                  case s @ Some(_) => Applicative[F].pure(s)
-                  case None        => read0(maxBytes, timeout)
-                }
-              case None => Applicative[F].pure(None)
-            },
-            write(Chunk.empty, None) >> read0(maxBytes, timeout)
-          )
+        // Check if the initial handshake has finished -- if so, read; otherwise, handshake and then read
+        initialHandshakeDone.ifM(
+          dequeueUnwrap(maxBytes).flatMap { out =>
+            if (out.isEmpty) read1(maxBytes, timeout) else Applicative[F].pure(out)
+          },
+          write(Chunk.empty, None) >> read1(maxBytes, timeout)
+        )
+
+      private def read1(maxBytes: Int, timeout: Option[FiniteDuration]): F[Option[Chunk[Byte]]] =
+        binding.read(maxBytes, timeout).flatMap {
+          case Some(c) =>
+            unwrapBuffer.input(c) >> unwrap(maxBytes, timeout).flatMap {
+              case s @ Some(_) => Applicative[F].pure(s)
+              case None        => read1(maxBytes, timeout)
+            }
+          case None => Applicative[F].pure(None)
+        }
 
       /** Performs an unwrap operation on the underlying engine. */
-      private def unwrap(timeout: Option[FiniteDuration]): F[Option[Chunk[Byte]]] =
+      private def unwrap(maxBytes: Int, timeout: Option[FiniteDuration]): F[Option[Chunk[Byte]]] =
         unwrapBuffer
           .perform(engine.unwrap(_, _))
           .flatTap(result => log(s"unwrap result: $result"))
@@ -129,24 +135,27 @@ private[tls] object TLSEngine {
                   case SSLEngineResult.HandshakeStatus.NOT_HANDSHAKING =>
                     unwrapBuffer.inputRemains
                       .map(_ > 0 && result.bytesConsumed > 0)
-                      .ifM(unwrap(timeout), dequeueUnwrap)
+                      .ifM(unwrap(maxBytes, timeout), dequeueUnwrap(maxBytes))
                   case SSLEngineResult.HandshakeStatus.FINISHED =>
-                    unwrap(timeout)
+                    unwrap(maxBytes, timeout)
                   case _ =>
                     handshakeSemaphore
-                      .withPermit(stepHandshake(result, false, timeout)) >> unwrap(timeout)
+                      .withPermit(stepHandshake(result, false, timeout)) >> unwrap(
+                      maxBytes,
+                      timeout
+                    )
                 }
               case SSLEngineResult.Status.BUFFER_UNDERFLOW =>
-                dequeueUnwrap
+                dequeueUnwrap(maxBytes)
               case SSLEngineResult.Status.BUFFER_OVERFLOW =>
-                unwrapBuffer.expandOutput >> unwrap(timeout)
+                unwrapBuffer.expandOutput >> unwrap(maxBytes, timeout)
               case SSLEngineResult.Status.CLOSED =>
-                stopWrap >> stopUnwrap >> dequeueUnwrap
+                stopWrap >> stopUnwrap >> dequeueUnwrap(maxBytes)
             }
           }
 
-      private def dequeueUnwrap: F[Option[Chunk[Byte]]] =
-        unwrapBuffer.output.map(out => if (out.isEmpty) None else Some(out))
+      private def dequeueUnwrap(maxBytes: Int): F[Option[Chunk[Byte]]] =
+        unwrapBuffer.output(maxBytes).map(out => if (out.isEmpty) None else Some(out))
 
       /**
         * Determines what to do next given the result of a handshake operation.