diff --git a/sys/net/ifq.h b/sys/net/ifq.h
--- a/sys/net/ifq.h
+++ b/sys/net/ifq.h
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@
 #define	IFQ_HANDOFF(ifp, m, err)					\
 	IFQ_HANDOFF_ADJ(ifp, m, 0, err)
 
-#define	IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE(ifq, m)						\
+#define IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE_INTERNAL(ifq, m)				\
 do {									\
 	(m) = (ifq)->ifq_drv_head;					\
 	if (m) {							\
@@ -270,22 +270,41 @@
 			(ifq)->ifq_drv_tail = NULL;			\
 		(m)->m_nextpkt = NULL;					\
 		(ifq)->ifq_drv_len--;					\
-	} else {							\
+	}								\
+} while (0)
+
+#define IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE_BATCH(ifq, m)					\
+do {									\
+	IFQ_DEQUEUE_NOLOCK(ifq, m);					\
+	while ((ifq)->ifq_drv_len < (ifq)->ifq_drv_maxlen) {		\
+		struct mbuf *m0;					\
+		IFQ_DEQUEUE_NOLOCK(ifq, m0);				\
+		if (m0 == NULL)						\
+			break;						\
+		m0->m_nextpkt = NULL;					\
+		if ((ifq)->ifq_drv_tail == NULL)			\
+			(ifq)->ifq_drv_head = m0;			\
+		else							\
+			(ifq)->ifq_drv_tail->m_nextpkt = m0;		\
+		(ifq)->ifq_drv_tail = m0;				\
+		(ifq)->ifq_drv_len++;					\
+	}								\
+} while (0)
+	
+#define	IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE_NOLOCK(ifq, m)					\
+do {									\
+	IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE_INTERNAL(ifq, m);				\
+	if (!m) {							\
+		IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE_BATCH(ifq, m);				\
+	}								\
+} while (0)
+
+#define	IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE(ifq, m)						\
+do {									\
+	IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE_INTERNAL(ifq, m);				\
+	if (!m) {							\
 		IFQ_LOCK(ifq);						\
-		IFQ_DEQUEUE_NOLOCK(ifq, m);				\
-		while ((ifq)->ifq_drv_len < (ifq)->ifq_drv_maxlen) {	\
-			struct mbuf *m0;				\
-			IFQ_DEQUEUE_NOLOCK(ifq, m0);			\
-			if (m0 == NULL)					\
-				break;					\
-			m0->m_nextpkt = NULL;				\
-			if ((ifq)->ifq_drv_tail == NULL)		\
-				(ifq)->ifq_drv_head = m0;		\
-			else						\
-				(ifq)->ifq_drv_tail->m_nextpkt = m0;	\
-			(ifq)->ifq_drv_tail = m0;			\
-			(ifq)->ifq_drv_len++;				\
-		}							\
+		IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE_BATCH(ifq, m);				\
 		IFQ_UNLOCK(ifq);					\
 	}								\
 } while (0)
diff --git a/sys/net/ifq.c b/sys/net/ifq.c
--- a/sys/net/ifq.c
+++ b/sys/net/ifq.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
 		 * for altq and drbr_putback() will
 		 * use the old prepend function.
 		 */
-		IFQ_DEQUEUE(&ifp->if_snd, m);
+		IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE(&ifp->if_snd, m);
 		return (m);
 	}
 	return ((struct mbuf *)buf_ring_peek_clear_sc(br));
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@
 	struct mbuf *m;
 
 	if (ifp != NULL && ALTQ_IS_ENABLED(&ifp->if_snd))
-		IFQ_PURGE(&ifp->if_snd);
+		IFQ_DRV_PURGE(&ifp->if_snd);
 	while ((m = (struct mbuf *)buf_ring_dequeue_sc(br)) != NULL)
 		m_freem(m);
 }
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
 	struct mbuf *m;
 
 	if (ifp != NULL && ALTQ_IS_ENABLED(&ifp->if_snd)) {
-		IFQ_DEQUEUE(&ifp->if_snd, m);
+		IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE(&ifp->if_snd, m);
 		return (m);
 	}
 	return ((struct mbuf *)buf_ring_dequeue_sc(br));
@@ -135,12 +135,12 @@
 	struct mbuf *m;
 	if (ALTQ_IS_ENABLED(&ifp->if_snd)) {
 		IFQ_LOCK(&ifp->if_snd);
-		IFQ_POLL_NOLOCK(&ifp->if_snd, m);
+		IFQ_DRV_DEQUEUE_NOLOCK(&ifp->if_snd, m);
 		if (m != NULL && func(m, arg) == 0) {
+			IFQ_DRV_PREPEND(&ifp->if_snd, m);
 			IFQ_UNLOCK(&ifp->if_snd);
 			return (NULL);
 		}
-		IFQ_DEQUEUE_NOLOCK(&ifp->if_snd, m);
 		IFQ_UNLOCK(&ifp->if_snd);
 		return (m);
 	}
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@
 drbr_empty(struct ifnet *ifp, struct buf_ring *br)
 {
 	if (ALTQ_IS_ENABLED(&ifp->if_snd))
-		return (IFQ_IS_EMPTY(&ifp->if_snd));
+		return (IFQ_DRV_IS_EMPTY(&ifp->if_snd));
 	return (buf_ring_empty(br));
 }