diff --git a/sleekxmpp/util/__init__.py b/sleekxmpp/util/__init__.py
index 05286d33..47a935af 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/util/__init__.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/util/__init__.py
@@ -32,12 +32,17 @@ def _gevent_threads_enabled():
 
 if _gevent_threads_enabled():
     import gevent.queue as queue
-    Queue = queue.JoinableQueue
+    _queue = queue.JoinableQueue
 else:
     try:
         import queue
     except ImportError:
         import Queue as queue
-    Queue = queue.Queue
+    _queue = queue.Queue
+class Queue(_queue):
+    def put(self, item, block=True, timeout=None):
+        if _queue.full(self):
+            _queue.get(self)
+        return _queue.put(self, item, block, timeout)
 
 QueueEmpty = queue.Empty
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/xmlstream.py b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/xmlstream.py
index 16705c16..0d602b52 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/xmlstream.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/xmlstream.py
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ class XMLStream(object):
         self.event_queue = Queue()
 
         #: A queue of string data to be sent over the stream.
-        self.send_queue = Queue()
+        self.send_queue = Queue(maxsize=256)
         self.send_queue_lock = threading.Lock()
         self.send_lock = threading.RLock()