diff --git a/async-nats/src/lib.rs b/async-nats/src/lib.rs
index 3288e2a1a..5d2a77212 100644
--- a/async-nats/src/lib.rs
+++ b/async-nats/src/lib.rs
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ use std::slice;
 use std::str::{self, FromStr};
 use std::task::{Context, Poll};
 use tokio::io::ErrorKind;
+use tokio::time::sleep;
 use tokio::time::{interval, Duration, Interval, MissedTickBehavior};
 use url::{Host, Url};
 
@@ -322,7 +323,7 @@ pub(crate) struct ConnectionHandler {
     pending_pings: usize,
     info_sender: tokio::sync::watch::Sender<ServerInfo>,
     ping_interval: Interval,
-    flush_interval: Interval,
+    flush_period: Duration,
 }
 
 impl ConnectionHandler {
@@ -336,9 +337,6 @@ impl ConnectionHandler {
         let mut ping_interval = interval(ping_period);
         ping_interval.set_missed_tick_behavior(MissedTickBehavior::Delay);
 
-        let mut flush_interval = interval(flush_period);
-        flush_interval.set_missed_tick_behavior(MissedTickBehavior::Skip);
-
         ConnectionHandler {
             connection,
             connector,
@@ -346,7 +344,7 @@ impl ConnectionHandler {
             pending_pings: 0,
             info_sender,
             ping_interval,
-            flush_interval,
+            flush_period,
         }
     }
 
@@ -354,6 +352,9 @@ impl ConnectionHandler {
         &mut self,
         mut receiver: mpsc::Receiver<Command>,
     ) -> Result<(), io::Error> {
+        let flush_timeout = sleep(self.flush_period).fuse();
+        futures::pin_mut!(flush_timeout);
+
         loop {
             select! {
                 _ = self.ping_interval.tick().fuse() => {
@@ -374,21 +375,23 @@ impl ConnectionHandler {
                     self.handle_flush().await?;
 
                 },
-                _ = self.flush_interval.tick().fuse() => {
+                _ = flush_timeout => {
                     if let Err(_err) = self.handle_flush().await {
                         self.handle_disconnect().await?;
                     }
                 },
-                maybe_command = receiver.recv().fuse() => {
-                    match maybe_command {
-                        Some(command) => if let Err(err) = self.handle_command(command).await {
+                maybe_command = receiver.recv().fuse() => match maybe_command {
+                    Some(command) => {
+                        flush_timeout.set(sleep(self.flush_period).fuse());
+
+                        if let Err(err) = self.handle_command(command).await {
                             error!("error handling command {}", err);
                         }
-                        None => {
-                            break;
-                        }
                     }
-                }
+                    None => {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                },
 
                 maybe_op_result = self.connection.read_op().fuse() => {
                     match maybe_op_result {
@@ -506,7 +509,6 @@ impl ConnectionHandler {
 
     async fn handle_flush(&mut self) -> Result<(), io::Error> {
         self.connection.flush().await?;
-        self.flush_interval.reset();
 
         Ok(())
     }