diff --git a/src/flow-manager.c b/src/flow-manager.c
index 2d86b81c6a..411dcbc88c 100644
--- a/src/flow-manager.c
+++ b/src/flow-manager.c
@@ -285,6 +285,10 @@ static uint32_t FlowManagerHashRowTimeout(Flow *f, struct timeval *ts,
             continue;
         }
 
+        /* before grabbing the flow lock, make sure we have at least
+         * 3 packets in the pool */
+        PacketPoolWaitForN(3);
+
         FLOWLOCK_WRLOCK(f);
 
         Flow *next_flow = f->hprev;
@@ -377,6 +381,10 @@ static uint32_t FlowTimeoutHash(struct timeval *ts, uint32_t try_cnt,
     for (idx = hash_min; idx < hash_max; idx++) {
         FlowBucket *fb = &flow_hash[idx];
 
+        /* before grabbing the row lock, make sure we have at least
+         * 9 packets in the pool */
+        PacketPoolWaitForN(9);
+
         if (FBLOCK_TRYLOCK(fb) != 0)
             continue;
 
@@ -1220,7 +1228,10 @@ static int FlowMgrTest04 (void)
 static int FlowMgrTest05 (void)
 {
     int result = 0;
+    extern intmax_t max_pending_packets;
+    max_pending_packets = 128;
 
+    PacketPoolInit();
     FlowInitConfig(FLOW_QUIET);
     FlowConfig backup;
     memcpy(&backup, &flow_config, sizeof(FlowConfig));
@@ -1258,7 +1269,7 @@ static int FlowMgrTest05 (void)
 
     memcpy(&flow_config, &backup, sizeof(FlowConfig));
     FlowShutdown();
-
+    PacketPoolDestroy();
     return result;
 }
 #endif /* UNITTESTS */
diff --git a/src/flow-timeout.c b/src/flow-timeout.c
index f2eb089928..b18007939e 100644
--- a/src/flow-timeout.c
+++ b/src/flow-timeout.c
@@ -515,6 +515,7 @@ static inline void FlowForceReassemblyForHash(void)
     for (idx = 0; idx < flow_config.hash_size; idx++) {
         FlowBucket *fb = &flow_hash[idx];
 
+        PacketPoolWaitForN(9);
         FBLOCK_LOCK(fb);
 
         /* get the topmost flow from the QUEUE */
@@ -522,6 +523,8 @@ static inline void FlowForceReassemblyForHash(void)
 
         /* we need to loop through all the flows in the queue */
         while (f != NULL) {
+            PacketPoolWaitForN(3);
+
             FLOWLOCK_WRLOCK(f);
 
             /* Get the tcp session for the flow */
diff --git a/src/tmqh-packetpool.c b/src/tmqh-packetpool.c
index 79103a4a01..4c4bf40691 100644
--- a/src/tmqh-packetpool.c
+++ b/src/tmqh-packetpool.c
@@ -157,6 +157,57 @@ void PacketPoolWait(void)
         cc_barrier();
 }
 
+/** \brief Wait until we have the requested ammount of packets in the pool
+ *
+ *  In some cases waiting for packets is undesirable. Especially when
+ *  a wait would happen under a lock of some kind, other parts of the
+ *  engine could have to wait.
+ *
+ *  This function only returns when at least N packets are in our pool.
+ *
+ *  \param n number of packets needed
+ */
+void PacketPoolWaitForN(int n)
+{
+    PktPool *my_pool = GetThreadPacketPool();
+    Packet *p = NULL;
+
+    while (1) {
+        int i = 0;
+        PacketPoolWait();
+
+        /* count packets in our stack */
+        p = my_pool->head;
+        while (p != NULL) {
+            if (++i == n)
+                return;
+
+            p = p->next;
+        }
+
+        /* continue counting in the return stack */
+        if (my_pool->return_stack.head != NULL) {
+            SCMutexLock(&my_pool->return_stack.mutex);
+            p = my_pool->return_stack.head;
+            while (p != NULL) {
+                if (++i == n) {
+                    SCMutexUnlock(&my_pool->return_stack.mutex);
+                    return;
+                }
+                p = p->next;
+            }
+            SCMutexUnlock(&my_pool->return_stack.mutex);
+
+        /* or signal that we need packets and wait */
+        } else {
+            SCMutexLock(&my_pool->return_stack.mutex);
+            SC_ATOMIC_ADD(my_pool->return_stack.sync_now, 1);
+            SCCondWait(&my_pool->return_stack.cond, &my_pool->return_stack.mutex);
+            SCMutexUnlock(&my_pool->return_stack.mutex);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /** \brief a initialized packet
  *
  *  \warning Use *only* at init, not at packet runtime
diff --git a/src/tmqh-packetpool.h b/src/tmqh-packetpool.h
index 6da6fc6aa8..12a3f5cabd 100644
--- a/src/tmqh-packetpool.h
+++ b/src/tmqh-packetpool.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ void TmqhReleasePacketsToPacketPool(PacketQueue *);
 void TmqhPacketpoolRegister(void);
 Packet *PacketPoolGetPacket(void);
 void PacketPoolWait(void);
+void PacketPoolWaitForN(int n);
 void PacketPoolReturnPacket(Packet *p);
 void PacketPoolInit(void);
 void PacketPoolInitEmpty(void);