diff --git a/changes/bug3814 b/changes/bug3814
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3db0e3ef75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug3814
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+  o Major bugfixes (bufferevents):
+    - Fix a bug where server-side tunneled bufferevent-based directory
+      streams would get closed prematurely. Fixes 3814, bugfix on
+      0.2.3.1-alpha.
diff --git a/src/or/directory.c b/src/or/directory.c
index 744bc120fb..c3865eda85 100644
--- a/src/or/directory.c
+++ b/src/or/directory.c
@@ -3545,8 +3545,21 @@ connection_dir_finished_flushing(dir_connection_t *conn)
       conn->_base.state = DIR_CONN_STATE_CLIENT_READING;
       return 0;
     case DIR_CONN_STATE_SERVER_WRITING:
-      log_debug(LD_DIRSERV,"Finished writing server response. Closing.");
-      connection_mark_for_close(TO_CONN(conn));
+      if (conn->dir_spool_src != DIR_SPOOL_NONE) {
+#ifdef USE_BUFFEREVENTS
+        /* This can happen with paired bufferevents, since a paired connection
+         * can flush immediately when you write to it, making the subsequent
+         * check in connection_handle_write_cb() decide that the connection
+         * is flushed. */
+        log_debug(LD_DIRSERV, "Emptied a dirserv buffer, but still spooling.");
+#else
+        log_warn(LD_BUG, "Emptied a dirserv buffer, but it's still spooling!");
+        connection_mark_for_close(TO_CONN(conn));
+#endif
+      } else {
+        log_debug(LD_DIRSERV, "Finished writing server response. Closing.");
+        connection_mark_for_close(TO_CONN(conn));
+      }
       return 0;
     default:
       log_warn(LD_BUG,"called in unexpected state %d.",