diff --git a/includes/backend.inc b/includes/backend.inc
index 1800bea..f747e64 100644
--- a/includes/backend.inc
+++ b/includes/backend.inc
@@ -414,37 +414,53 @@ function _drush_backend_proc_open($cmds, $process_limit, $context = NULL) {
         $info = stream_get_meta_data($current_process['pipes'][1]);
 
         if (!feof($current_process['pipes'][1]) && !$info['timed_out']) {
+          // Read the next 4096 characters from the pipe.
           $string = fread($current_process['pipes'][1], 4096);
+          // Does this $string include the start of the end output.
           $output_end_pos = strpos($string, 'DRUSH_BACKEND_OUTPUT_START>>>');
           if ($output_end_pos !== FALSE) {
+            // Find everything up to the start of the end output.
             $trailing_string = substr($string, 0, $output_end_pos);
+            $bucket[$site]['output'] .= $trailing_string;
+            // And if that's not empty, process it for drush_packets.
             if (!empty($trailing_string)) {
-              drush_backend_parse_packets($trailing_string, $bucket[$site]['backend-options']);
-              _drush_backend_print_output($trailing_string, $bucket[$site]['backend-options']);
-              $bucket[$site]['outputted'] = TRUE;
+              drush_backend_parse_packets($bucket[$site]['output'], $bucket[$site]['backend-options']);
+              _drush_backend_print_output($bucket[$site]['output'], $bucket[$site]['backend-options']);
+              if (!empty($trailing_string)) {
+                $bucket[$site]['outputted'] = TRUE;
+              }
             }
+            // Append the start of the output to the output bucket.
+            $bucket[$site]['output'] .= substr($string, $output_end_pos);
+            $string = '';
+            // Flag this pipe as being at the end of command output, though we
+            // may still have more of the output to read.
             $bucket[$site]['end_of_output'] = TRUE;
           }
-          if (!$bucket[$site]['end_of_output']) {
-            drush_backend_parse_packets($string, $bucket[$site]['backend-options']);
-            // Pass output through.
-            _drush_backend_print_output($string, $bucket[$site]['backend-options']);
-            if (!empty($string)) {
-              $bucket[$site]['outputted'] = TRUE;
-            }
-          }
           $bucket[$site][1] .= $string;
           $bucket[$site]['output'] .= $string;
           $info = stream_get_meta_data($current_process['pipes'][1]);
+          if (!$bucket[$site]['end_of_output']) {
+            drush_backend_parse_packets($bucket[$site]['output'], $bucket[$site]['backend-options']);
+          }
+
           flush();
 
           // Reset the $nap_time variable as there might be output to process
           // next time around:
-          if (!empty($string)) {
+          if (!empty($bucket[$site]['output'])) {
             $nap_time = 0;
           }
         }
         else {
+          // Pass output through.
+          if (!$bucket[$site]['end_of_output']) {
+            _drush_backend_print_output($bucket[$site]['output'], $bucket[$site]['backend-options']);
+            if (!empty($bucket[$site]['output'])) {
+              $bucket[$site]['outputted'] = TRUE;
+            }
+            flush();
+          }
           fclose($current_process['pipes'][1]);
           unset($current_process['pipes'][1]);
           // close the pipe , set a marker