diff --git a/sys/src/9/bitsy/devether.c b/sys/src/9/bitsy/devether.c
index 457c09e22..fe117f8a6 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/bitsy/devether.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/bitsy/devether.c
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ etheriq(Ether* ether, Block* bp, int fromwire)
 static int
 etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 {
-	int len, loopback, s;
+	int len, loopback;
 	Etherpkt *pkt;
 
 	ether->outpackets++;
@@ -431,18 +431,13 @@ etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 	pkt = (Etherpkt*)bp->rp;
 	len = BLEN(bp);
 	loopback = memcmp(pkt->d, ether->ea, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0;
-	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom){
-		s = splhi();
-		etheriq(ether, bp, 0);
-		splx(s);
-	}
+	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom)
+		if(etheriq(ether, bp, loopback) == 0)
+			return len;
 
-	if(!loopback){
-		qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
+	qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
+	if(ether->transmit != nil)
 		ether->transmit(ether);
-	} else
-		freeb(bp);
-
 	return len;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/9/kw/devether.c b/sys/src/9/kw/devether.c
index 63d06f62c..df59c22b1 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/kw/devether.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/kw/devether.c
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ etheriq(Ether* ether, Block* bp, int fromwire)
 static int
 etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 {
-	int len, loopback, s;
+	int len, loopback;
 	Etherpkt *pkt;
 
 	ether->outpackets++;
@@ -230,19 +230,13 @@ etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 	pkt = (Etherpkt*)bp->rp;
 	len = BLEN(bp);
 	loopback = memcmp(pkt->d, ether->ea, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0;
-	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom){
-		s = splhi();
-		etheriq(ether, bp, 0);
-		splx(s);
-	}
-
-	if(!loopback){
-		qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
-		if(ether->transmit != nil)
-			ether->transmit(ether);
-	} else
-		freeb(bp);
+	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom)
+		if(etheriq(ether, bp, loopback) == 0)
+			return len;
 
+	qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
+	if(ether->transmit != nil)
+		ether->transmit(ether);
 	return len;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/9/mtx/devether.c b/sys/src/9/mtx/devether.c
index 8a5457954..51c63857d 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/mtx/devether.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/mtx/devether.c
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ etheriq(Ether* ether, Block* bp, int fromwire)
 static int
 etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 {
-	int len, loopback, s;
+	int len, loopback;
 	Etherpkt *pkt;
 
 	ether->outpackets++;
@@ -221,18 +221,13 @@ etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 	pkt = (Etherpkt*)bp->rp;
 	len = BLEN(bp);
 	loopback = memcmp(pkt->d, ether->ea, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0;
-	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom){
-		s = splhi();
-		etheriq(ether, bp, 0);
-		splx(s);
-	}
+	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom)
+		if(etheriq(ether, bp, loopback) == 0)
+			return len;
 
-	if(!loopback){
-		qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
+	qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
+	if(ether->transmit != nil)
 		ether->transmit(ether);
-	} else
-		freeb(bp);
-
 	return len;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/9/omap/devether.c b/sys/src/9/omap/devether.c
index 0fd506792..de03504d9 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/omap/devether.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/omap/devether.c
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ etheriq(Ether* ether, Block* bp, int fromwire)
 static int
 etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 {
-	int len, loopback, s;
+	int len, loopback;
 	Etherpkt *pkt;
 
 	ether->outpackets++;
@@ -228,19 +228,13 @@ etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 	pkt = (Etherpkt*)bp->rp;
 	len = BLEN(bp);
 	loopback = memcmp(pkt->d, ether->ea, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0;
-	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom){
-		s = splhi();
-		etheriq(ether, bp, 0);
-		splx(s);
-	}
-
-	if(!loopback){
-		qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
-		if(ether->transmit != nil)
-			ether->transmit(ether);
-	} else
-		freeb(bp);
+	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom)
+		if(etheriq(ether, bp, loopback) == 0)
+			return len;
 
+	qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
+	if(ether->transmit != nil)
+		ether->transmit(ether);
 	return len;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/9/pc/devether.c b/sys/src/9/pc/devether.c
index 91d1c8574..3fe9d9645 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/pc/devether.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/pc/devether.c
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ etheriq(Ether* ether, Block* bp, int fromwire)
 static int
 etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 {
-	int len, loopback, s;
+	int len, loopback;
 	Etherpkt *pkt;
 
 	ether->outpackets++;
@@ -234,21 +234,13 @@ etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 	pkt = (Etherpkt*)bp->rp;
 	len = BLEN(bp);
 	loopback = memcmp(pkt->d, ether->ea, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0;
-	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom){
-		s = splhi();
-		etheriq(ether, bp, 0);
-		splx(s);
-	}
-
-	if(!loopback){
-		if(qfull(ether->oq))
-			print("etheroq: WARNING: ether->oq full!\n");
-		qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
-		if(ether->transmit != nil)
-			ether->transmit(ether);
-	} else
-		freeb(bp);
+	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom)
+		if(etheriq(ether, bp, loopback) == 0)
+			return len;
 
+	qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
+	if(ether->transmit != nil)
+		ether->transmit(ether);
 	return len;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/9/ppc/devether.c b/sys/src/9/ppc/devether.c
index 2f8553932..112a581b4 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/ppc/devether.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/ppc/devether.c
@@ -205,10 +205,11 @@ etheriq(Ether* ether, Block* bp, int fromwire)
 static int
 etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 {
-	int len, loopback, s;
+	int len, loopback;
 	Etherpkt *pkt;
 
 	ether->outpackets++;
+
 	/*
 	 * Check if the packet has to be placed back onto the input queue,
 	 * i.e. if it's a loopback or broadcast packet or the interface is
@@ -221,18 +222,13 @@ etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 	pkt = (Etherpkt*)bp->rp;
 	len = BLEN(bp);
 	loopback = memcmp(pkt->d, ether->ea, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0;
-	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom){
-		s = splhi();
-		etheriq(ether, bp, 0);
-		splx(s);
-	}
+	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom)
+		if(etheriq(ether, bp, loopback) == 0)
+			return len;
 
-	if(!loopback){
-		qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
+	qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
+	if(ether->transmit != nil)
 		ether->transmit(ether);
-	} else
-		freeb(bp);
-
 	return len;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/9/teg2/devether.c b/sys/src/9/teg2/devether.c
index 04bce26a9..eb0ae1b21 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/teg2/devether.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/teg2/devether.c
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ etheriq(Ether* ether, Block* bp, int fromwire)
 static int
 etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 {
-	int len, loopback, s;
+	int len, loopback;
 	Etherpkt *pkt;
 
 	ether->outpackets++;
@@ -226,19 +226,13 @@ etheroq(Ether* ether, Block* bp)
 	pkt = (Etherpkt*)bp->rp;
 	len = BLEN(bp);
 	loopback = memcmp(pkt->d, ether->ea, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0;
-	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom){
-		s = splhi();
-		etheriq(ether, bp, 0);
-		splx(s);
-	}
-
-	if(!loopback){
-		qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
-		if(ether->transmit != nil)
-			ether->transmit(ether);
-	} else
-		freeb(bp);
+	if(loopback || memcmp(pkt->d, ether->bcast, sizeof(pkt->d)) == 0 || ether->prom)
+		if(etheriq(ether, bp, loopback) == 0)
+			return len;
 
+	qbwrite(ether->oq, bp);
+	if(ether->transmit != nil)
+		ether->transmit(ether);
 	return len;
 }