diff --git a/core/src/mercury/sender.rs b/core/src/mercury/sender.rs
index 383d449d..268554d9 100644
--- a/core/src/mercury/sender.rs
+++ b/core/src/mercury/sender.rs
@@ -6,20 +6,21 @@ pub struct MercurySender {
     mercury: MercuryManager,
     uri: String,
     pending: VecDeque<MercuryFuture<MercuryResponse>>,
+    buffered_future: Option<MercuryFuture<MercuryResponse>>,
 }
 
 impl MercurySender {
-    // TODO: pub(super) when stable
     pub(crate) fn new(mercury: MercuryManager, uri: String) -> MercurySender {
         MercurySender {
             mercury,
             uri,
             pending: VecDeque::new(),
+            buffered_future: None,
         }
     }
 
     pub fn is_flushed(&self) -> bool {
-        self.pending.is_empty()
+        self.buffered_future.is_none() && self.pending.is_empty()
     }
 
     pub fn send(&mut self, item: Vec<u8>) {
@@ -28,8 +29,13 @@ impl MercurySender {
     }
 
     pub async fn flush(&mut self) -> Result<(), MercuryError> {
-        for fut in self.pending.drain(..) {
+        if self.buffered_future.is_none() {
+            self.buffered_future = self.pending.pop_front();
+        }
+
+        while let Some(fut) = self.buffered_future.as_mut() {
             fut.await?;
+            self.buffered_future = self.pending.pop_front();
         }
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -41,6 +47,7 @@ impl Clone for MercurySender {
             mercury: self.mercury.clone(),
             uri: self.uri.clone(),
             pending: VecDeque::new(),
+            buffered_future: None,
         }
     }
 }