diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/fhandler.h b/winsup/cygwin/fhandler.h
index b5bfdd0b3..221c856e6 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/fhandler.h
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/fhandler.h
@@ -1298,7 +1298,8 @@ struct fifo_client_handler
 {
   HANDLE h;
   fifo_client_connect_state state;
-  fifo_client_handler () : h (NULL), state (fc_unknown) {}
+  bool last_read;  /* true if our last successful read was from this client. */
+  fifo_client_handler () : h (NULL), state (fc_unknown), last_read (false) {}
   void close () { NtClose (h); }
   fifo_client_connect_state set_state ();
 };
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_fifo.cc b/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_fifo.cc
index 3685cc0c2..afe21a468 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_fifo.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_fifo.cc
@@ -404,6 +404,7 @@ fhandler_fifo::update_my_handlers ()
 	  goto out;
 	}
       fc.state = shared_fc_handler[i].state;
+      fc.last_read = shared_fc_handler[i].last_read;
     }
 out:
   set_prev_owner (null_fr_id);
@@ -1200,15 +1201,56 @@ fhandler_fifo::raw_read (void *in_ptr, size_t& len)
       /* No one else can take ownership while we hold the reading_lock. */
       reading_lock ();
       take_ownership ();
-      /* Poll the connected clients for input. */
-      int nconnected = 0;
+      /* Poll the connected clients for input.  Make two passes.  On
+	 the first pass, just try to read from the client from which
+	 we last read successfully.  This should minimize
+	 interleaving of writes from different clients. */
       fifo_client_lock ();
+      /* First pass. */
+      int j;
+      for (j = 0; j < nhandlers; j++)
+	if (fc_handler[j].last_read)
+	  break;
+      if (j < nhandlers && fc_handler[j].state >= fc_closing)
+	{
+	  NTSTATUS status;
+	  IO_STATUS_BLOCK io;
+
+	  status = NtReadFile (fc_handler[j].h, NULL, NULL, NULL,
+			       &io, in_ptr, len, NULL, NULL);
+	  switch (status)
+	    {
+	    case STATUS_SUCCESS:
+	    case STATUS_BUFFER_OVERFLOW:
+	      /* io.Information is supposedly valid in latter case. */
+	      if (io.Information > 0)
+		{
+		  len = io.Information;
+		  fifo_client_unlock ();
+		  reading_unlock ();
+		  return;
+		}
+	      break;
+	    case STATUS_PIPE_EMPTY:
+	      break;
+	    case STATUS_PIPE_BROKEN:
+	      fc_handler[j].state = fc_disconnected;
+	      break;
+	    default:
+	      debug_printf ("NtReadFile status %y", status);
+	      fc_handler[j].state = fc_error;
+	      break;
+	    }
+	  fc_handler[j].last_read = false;
+	}
+
+      /* Second pass. */
+      int nconnected = 0;
       for (int i = 0; i < nhandlers; i++)
 	if (fc_handler[i].state >= fc_closing)
 	  {
 	    NTSTATUS status;
 	    IO_STATUS_BLOCK io;
-	    size_t nbytes = 0;
 
 	    nconnected++;
 	    status = NtReadFile (fc_handler[i].h, NULL, NULL, NULL,
@@ -1217,11 +1259,10 @@ fhandler_fifo::raw_read (void *in_ptr, size_t& len)
 	      {
 	      case STATUS_SUCCESS:
 	      case STATUS_BUFFER_OVERFLOW:
-		/* io.Information is supposedly valid. */
-		nbytes = io.Information;
-		if (nbytes > 0)
+		if (io.Information > 0)
 		  {
-		    len = nbytes;
+		    len = io.Information;
+		    fc_handler[i].last_read = true;
 		    fifo_client_unlock ();
 		    reading_unlock ();
 		    return;