diff --git a/pkg/s3select/message.go b/pkg/s3select/message.go
index 9b4b202f4..60ce9238e 100644
--- a/pkg/s3select/message.go
+++ b/pkg/s3select/message.go
@@ -226,12 +226,12 @@ type messageWriter struct {
 
 	payloadBuffer      []byte
 	payloadBufferIndex int
+	payloadCh          chan []byte
 
-	dataCh  chan []byte
-	doneCh  chan struct{}
-	closeCh chan struct{}
-	stopped uint32
-	closed  uint32
+	finBytesScanned, finBytesProcessed int64
+
+	errCh  chan []byte
+	doneCh chan struct{}
 }
 
 func (writer *messageWriter) write(data []byte) bool {
@@ -246,80 +246,89 @@ func (writer *messageWriter) write(data []byte) bool {
 func (writer *messageWriter) start() {
 	keepAliveTicker := time.NewTicker(1 * time.Second)
 	var progressTicker *time.Ticker
+	var progressTickerC <-chan time.Time
 	if writer.getProgressFunc != nil {
 		progressTicker = time.NewTicker(1 * time.Minute)
+		progressTickerC = progressTicker.C
 	}
+	recordStagingTicker := time.NewTicker(500 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Exit conditions:
+	//
+	// 1. If a writer.write() returns false, select loop below exits and
+	// closes `doneCh` to indicate to caller to also exit.
+	//
+	// 2. If caller (Evaluate()) has an error, it sends an error
+	// message and waits for this go-routine to quit in
+	// FinishWithError()
+	//
+	// 3. If caller is done, it waits for this go-routine to exit
+	// in Finish()
+
+	quitFlag := false
+	for !quitFlag {
+		select {
+		case data := <-writer.errCh:
+			quitFlag = true
+			// Flush collected records before sending error message
+			if !writer.flushRecords() {
+				break
+			}
+			writer.write(data)
 
-	go func() {
-		quitFlag := 0
-		for quitFlag == 0 {
-			if progressTicker == nil {
-				select {
-				case data, ok := <-writer.dataCh:
-					if !ok {
-						quitFlag = 1
-						break
-					}
-					if !writer.write(data) {
-						quitFlag = 1
-					}
-				case <-writer.doneCh:
-					quitFlag = 2
-				case <-keepAliveTicker.C:
-					if !writer.write(continuationMessage) {
-						quitFlag = 1
-					}
+		case payload, ok := <-writer.payloadCh:
+			if !ok {
+				// payloadCh is closed by caller to
+				// indicate finish with success
+				quitFlag = true
+
+				if !writer.flushRecords() {
+					break
+				}
+				// Write Stats message, then End message
+				bytesReturned := atomic.LoadInt64(&writer.bytesReturned)
+				if !writer.write(newStatsMessage(writer.finBytesScanned, writer.finBytesProcessed, bytesReturned)) {
+					break
 				}
+				writer.write(endMessage)
 			} else {
-				select {
-				case data, ok := <-writer.dataCh:
-					if !ok {
-						quitFlag = 1
+				// Write record payload to staging buffer
+				freeSpace := bufLength - writer.payloadBufferIndex
+				if len(payload) > freeSpace {
+					if !writer.flushRecords() {
+						quitFlag = true
 						break
 					}
-					if !writer.write(data) {
-						quitFlag = 1
-					}
-				case <-writer.doneCh:
-					quitFlag = 2
-				case <-keepAliveTicker.C:
-					if !writer.write(continuationMessage) {
-						quitFlag = 1
-					}
-				case <-progressTicker.C:
-					bytesScanned, bytesProcessed := writer.getProgressFunc()
-					bytesReturned := atomic.LoadInt64(&writer.bytesReturned)
-					if !writer.write(newProgressMessage(bytesScanned, bytesProcessed, bytesReturned)) {
-						quitFlag = 1
-					}
 				}
+				copy(writer.payloadBuffer[writer.payloadBufferIndex:], payload)
+				writer.payloadBufferIndex += len(payload)
 			}
-		}
 
-		atomic.StoreUint32(&writer.stopped, 1)
-		close(writer.closeCh)
+		case <-recordStagingTicker.C:
+			if !writer.flushRecords() {
+				quitFlag = true
+				break
+			}
 
-		keepAliveTicker.Stop()
-		if progressTicker != nil {
-			progressTicker.Stop()
-		}
+		case <-keepAliveTicker.C:
+			if !writer.write(continuationMessage) {
+				quitFlag = true
+			}
 
-		if quitFlag == 2 {
-			for data := range writer.dataCh {
-				if _, err := writer.writer.Write(data); err != nil {
-					break
-				}
+		case <-progressTickerC:
+			bytesScanned, bytesProcessed := writer.getProgressFunc()
+			bytesReturned := atomic.LoadInt64(&writer.bytesReturned)
+			if !writer.write(newProgressMessage(bytesScanned, bytesProcessed, bytesReturned)) {
+				quitFlag = true
 			}
 		}
-	}()
-}
+	}
+	close(writer.doneCh)
 
-func (writer *messageWriter) close() {
-	if atomic.SwapUint32(&writer.closed, 1) == 0 {
-		close(writer.doneCh)
-		for range writer.closeCh {
-			close(writer.dataCh)
-		}
+	recordStagingTicker.Stop()
+	keepAliveTicker.Stop()
+	if progressTicker != nil {
+		progressTicker.Stop()
 	}
 }
 
@@ -327,88 +336,69 @@ const (
 	bufLength = maxRecordSize
 )
 
-// collectRecord - collects records into a buffer, and when it is
-// full, sends a message with the collected payload.
-func (writer *messageWriter) collectRecord(data []byte) (err error) {
-	freeSpace := bufLength - writer.payloadBufferIndex
-	if len(data) > freeSpace {
-		err = writer.FlushRecords()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	copy(writer.payloadBuffer[writer.payloadBufferIndex:], data)
-	writer.payloadBufferIndex += len(data)
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (writer *messageWriter) send(data []byte) error {
-	err := func() error {
-		if atomic.LoadUint32(&writer.stopped) == 1 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("writer already closed")
-		}
-
-		select {
-		case writer.dataCh <- data:
-		case <-writer.doneCh:
-			return fmt.Errorf("closed writer")
-		}
-
+// Sends a single whole record.
+func (writer *messageWriter) SendRecord(payload []byte) error {
+	select {
+	case writer.payloadCh <- payload:
 		return nil
-	}()
-
-	if err != nil {
-		writer.close()
+	case <-writer.doneCh:
+		return fmt.Errorf("messageWriter is done")
 	}
-
-	return err
-}
-
-func (writer *messageWriter) SendRecords(payload []byte) error {
-	return writer.collectRecord(payload)
 }
 
-func (writer *messageWriter) FlushRecords() (err error) {
-	err = writer.send(newRecordsMessage(writer.payloadBuffer[0:writer.payloadBufferIndex]))
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+func (writer *messageWriter) flushRecords() bool {
+	if writer.payloadBufferIndex == 0 {
+		return true
+	}
+	result := writer.write(newRecordsMessage(writer.payloadBuffer[0:writer.payloadBufferIndex]))
+	if result {
+		atomic.AddInt64(&writer.bytesReturned, int64(writer.payloadBufferIndex))
+		writer.payloadBufferIndex = 0
 	}
-	atomic.AddInt64(&writer.bytesReturned, int64(writer.payloadBufferIndex))
-	writer.payloadBufferIndex = 0
-	return nil
+	return result
 }
 
-func (writer *messageWriter) SendStats(bytesScanned, bytesProcessed int64) error {
-	bytesReturned := atomic.LoadInt64(&writer.bytesReturned)
-	err := writer.send(newStatsMessage(bytesScanned, bytesProcessed, bytesReturned))
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+// Finish is the last call to the message writer - it sends any
+// remaining record payload, then sends statistics and finally the end
+// message.
+func (writer *messageWriter) Finish(bytesScanned, bytesProcessed int64) error {
+	select {
+	case <-writer.doneCh:
+		return fmt.Errorf("messageWriter is done")
+	default:
+		writer.finBytesScanned = bytesScanned
+		writer.finBytesProcessed = bytesProcessed
+		close(writer.payloadCh)
+		// Wait until the `start` go-routine is done.
+		<-writer.doneCh
+		return nil
 	}
-
-	err = writer.send(endMessage)
-	writer.close()
-	return err
 }
 
-func (writer *messageWriter) SendError(errorCode, errorMessage string) error {
-	err := writer.send(newErrorMessage([]byte(errorCode), []byte(errorMessage)))
-	if err == nil {
-		writer.close()
+func (writer *messageWriter) FinishWithError(errorCode, errorMessage string) error {
+	select {
+	case <-writer.doneCh:
+		return fmt.Errorf("messageWriter is done")
+	case writer.errCh <- newErrorMessage([]byte(errorCode), []byte(errorMessage)):
+		// Wait until the `start` go-routine is done.
+		<-writer.doneCh
+		return nil
 	}
-	return err
 }
 
+// newMessageWriter creates a message writer that writes to the HTTP
+// response writer
 func newMessageWriter(w http.ResponseWriter, getProgressFunc func() (bytesScanned, bytesProcessed int64)) *messageWriter {
 	writer := &messageWriter{
 		writer:          w,
 		getProgressFunc: getProgressFunc,
 
 		payloadBuffer: make([]byte, bufLength),
+		payloadCh:     make(chan []byte),
 
-		dataCh:  make(chan []byte),
-		doneCh:  make(chan struct{}),
-		closeCh: make(chan struct{}),
+		errCh:  make(chan []byte),
+		doneCh: make(chan struct{}),
 	}
-	writer.start()
+	go writer.start()
 	return writer
 }
diff --git a/pkg/s3select/select.go b/pkg/s3select/select.go
index b378b4485..8f6b46c04 100644
--- a/pkg/s3select/select.go
+++ b/pkg/s3select/select.go
@@ -329,11 +329,11 @@ func (s3Select *S3Select) Evaluate(w http.ResponseWriter) {
 		}
 
 		if len(data) > maxRecordSize {
-			writer.SendError("OverMaxRecordSize", "The length of a record in the input or result is greater than maxCharsPerRecord of 1 MB.")
+			writer.FinishWithError("OverMaxRecordSize", "The length of a record in the input or result is greater than maxCharsPerRecord of 1 MB.")
 			return false
 		}
 
-		if err = writer.SendRecords(data); err != nil {
+		if err = writer.SendRecord(data); err != nil {
 			// FIXME: log this error.
 			err = nil
 			return false
@@ -344,13 +344,7 @@ func (s3Select *S3Select) Evaluate(w http.ResponseWriter) {
 
 	for {
 		if s3Select.statement.LimitReached() {
-			if err = writer.FlushRecords(); err != nil {
-				// FIXME: log this error
-				err = nil
-				break
-			}
-
-			if err = writer.SendStats(s3Select.getProgress()); err != nil {
+			if err = writer.Finish(s3Select.getProgress()); err != nil {
 				// FIXME: log this error.
 				err = nil
 			}
@@ -373,17 +367,10 @@ func (s3Select *S3Select) Evaluate(w http.ResponseWriter) {
 				}
 			}
 
-			if err = writer.FlushRecords(); err != nil {
-				// FIXME: log this error
-				err = nil
-				break
-			}
-
-			if err = writer.SendStats(s3Select.getProgress()); err != nil {
+			if err = writer.Finish(s3Select.getProgress()); err != nil {
 				// FIXME: log this error.
 				err = nil
 			}
-
 			break
 		}
 
@@ -404,8 +391,7 @@ func (s3Select *S3Select) Evaluate(w http.ResponseWriter) {
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("SQL Err: %#v\n", err)
-		if serr := writer.SendError("InternalError", err.Error()); serr != nil {
+		if serr := writer.FinishWithError("InternalError", err.Error()); serr != nil {
 			// FIXME: log errors.
 		}
 	}