diff --git a/net/backpressure/backpressure_test.go b/net/backpressure/backpressure_test.go
index 448038909..7a92101cd 100644
--- a/net/backpressure/backpressure_test.go
+++ b/net/backpressure/backpressure_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package backpressure_tests
 
 import (
+	crand "crypto/rand"
+	"io"
+	"math/rand"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -206,3 +209,174 @@ a problem.
 		log.Info("handler backpressure works!")
 	}
 }
+
+// TestStBackpressureStreamWrite tests whether streams see proper
+// backpressure when writing data over the network streams.
+func TestStBackpressureStreamWrite(t *testing.T) {
+
+	// senderWrote signals that the sender wrote bytes to remote.
+	// the value is the count of bytes written.
+	senderWrote := make(chan int, 10000)
+
+	// sender signals it's done (errored out)
+	senderDone := make(chan struct{})
+
+	// writeStats lets us listen to all the writes and return
+	// how many happened and how much was written
+	writeStats := func() (int, int) {
+		writes := 0
+		bytes := 0
+		for {
+			select {
+			case n := <-senderWrote:
+				writes++
+				bytes = bytes + n
+			default:
+				log.Debugf("stats: sender wrote %d bytes, %d writes", bytes, writes)
+				return bytes, writes
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// sender attempts to write as fast as possible, signaling on the
+	// completion of every write. This makes it possible to see how
+	// fast it's actually writing. We pair this with a receiver
+	// that waits for a signal to read.
+	sender := func(s inet.Stream) {
+		defer func() {
+			s.Close()
+			senderDone <- struct{}{}
+		}()
+
+		// ready a buffer of random data
+		buf := make([]byte, 65536)
+		crand.Read(buf)
+
+		for {
+			// send a randomly sized subchunk
+			from := rand.Intn(len(buf) / 2)
+			to := rand.Intn(len(buf) / 2)
+			sendbuf := buf[from : from+to]
+
+			n, err := s.Write(sendbuf)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Debug("sender error. exiting:", err)
+				return
+			}
+
+			log.Debugf("sender wrote %d bytes", n)
+			senderWrote <- n
+		}
+	}
+
+	// receive a number of bytes from a stream.
+	// returns the number of bytes written.
+	receive := func(s inet.Stream, expect int) {
+		log.Debugf("receiver to read %d bytes", expect)
+		rbuf := make([]byte, expect)
+		n, err := io.ReadFull(s, rbuf)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Error("read failed:", err)
+		}
+		if expect != n {
+			t.Error("read len differs: %d != %d", expect, n)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// ok let's do it!
+
+	// setup the networks
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	n1, err := GenNetwork(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	n2, err := GenNetwork(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// setup sender handler on 1
+	n1.SetHandler(inet.ProtocolTesting, sender)
+
+	log.Debugf("dialing %s", n2.ListenAddresses())
+	if err := n1.DialPeer(ctx, n2.LocalPeer()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to dial:", err)
+	}
+
+	// open a stream, from 2->1, this is our reader
+	s, err := n2.NewStream(inet.ProtocolTesting, n1.LocalPeer())
+
+	// let's make sure r/w works.
+	testSenderWrote := func(bytesE int) {
+		bytesA, writesA := writeStats()
+		if bytesA != bytesE {
+			t.Errorf("numbers failed: %d =?= %d bytes, via %d writes", bytesA, bytesE, writesA)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// 500ms rounds of lockstep write + drain
+	roundsStart := time.Now()
+	roundsTotal := 0
+	for roundsTotal < (2 << 20) {
+		// let the sender fill its buffers, it will stop sending.
+		<-time.After(300 * time.Millisecond)
+		b, _ := writeStats()
+		testSenderWrote(0)
+		testSenderWrote(0)
+
+		// drain it all, wait again
+		receive(s, b)
+		roundsTotal = roundsTotal + b
+	}
+	roundsTime := time.Now().Sub(roundsStart)
+
+	// now read continously, while we measure stats.
+	stop := make(chan struct{})
+	contStart := time.Now()
+
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-stop:
+				return
+			default:
+				receive(s, 2<<15)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	contTotal := 0
+	for contTotal < (2 << 20) {
+		n := <-senderWrote
+		contTotal += n
+	}
+	stop <- struct{}{}
+	contTime := time.Now().Sub(contStart)
+
+	if roundsTime < contTime {
+		t.Error("continuous should have been faster")
+	}
+
+	if roundsTotal < contTotal {
+		t.Error("continuous should have been larger, too!")
+	}
+
+	<-time.After(300 * time.Millisecond)
+	writeStats()
+	testSenderWrote(0)
+	testSenderWrote(0)
+
+	// this doesn't work :(:
+	// // now for the sugar on top: let's tear down the receiver. it should
+	// // exit the sender.
+	// n1.Close()
+	// testSenderWrote(0)
+	// testSenderWrote(0)
+	// select {
+	// case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+	// 	t.Error("receiver shutdown failed to exit sender")
+	// case <-senderDone:
+	// 	log.Info("handler backpressure works!")
+	// }
+}