diff --git a/src/libparodus_queues.c b/src/libparodus_queues.c
index bc981bf..bed7515 100644
--- a/src/libparodus_queues.c
+++ b/src/libparodus_queues.c
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ typedef struct queue {
 	unsigned max_msgs;
 	int msg_count;
 	pthread_mutex_t mutex;
-	pthread_cond_t not_empty_cond;
-	pthread_cond_t not_full_cond;
 	void **msg_array;
 	int head_index;
 	int tail_index;
@@ -75,34 +73,11 @@ int libpd_qcreate (libpd_mq_t *mq, const char *queue_name,
 		return LIBPD_QERR_CREATE_MUTEX;
 	}
 
-	err = pthread_cond_init (&newq->not_empty_cond, NULL);
-	if (err != 0) {
-		*exterr = err;
-		libpd_log_err (LEVEL_ERROR, err, ("Error creating not_empty_cond for queue %s\n",
-			queue_name));
-		pthread_mutex_destroy (&newq->mutex);
-		free (newq);
-		return LIBPD_QERR_CREATE_NECOND;
-	}
-
-	err = pthread_cond_init (&newq->not_full_cond, NULL);
-	if (err != 0) {
-		*exterr = err;
-		libpd_log_err (LEVEL_ERROR, err, ("Error creating not_full_cond for queue %s\n",
-			queue_name));
-		pthread_mutex_destroy (&newq->mutex);
-		pthread_cond_destroy (&newq->not_empty_cond);
-		free (newq);
-		return LIBPD_QERR_CREATE_NFCOND;
-	}
-
 	newq->msg_array = malloc (array_size);
 	if (NULL == newq->msg_array) {
 		libpd_log (LEVEL_ERROR, ("Unable to allocate memory(2) for queue %s\n",
 			queue_name));
 		pthread_mutex_destroy (&newq->mutex);
-		pthread_cond_destroy (&newq->not_empty_cond);
-		pthread_cond_destroy (&newq->not_full_cond);
 		free (newq);
 		return LIBPD_QERR_CREATE_ALLOC_2;
 	}
@@ -160,8 +135,6 @@ int libpd_qdestroy (libpd_mq_t *mq, free_msg_func_t *free_msg_func)
 		}
 	}
 	free (q->msg_array);
-	pthread_cond_destroy (&q->not_empty_cond);
-	pthread_cond_destroy (&q->not_full_cond);
 	pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
 	pthread_mutex_destroy (&q->mutex);
 	free (q);
@@ -169,42 +142,44 @@ int libpd_qdestroy (libpd_mq_t *mq, free_msg_func_t *free_msg_func)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void backoff (unsigned *current_wait)
+{
+  unsigned current = *current_wait;
+  if (current == 0)
+    current = 10;
+  else if (current == 10)
+    current = 20;
+  else if (current == 20)
+    current = 50;
+  else if (current == 50)
+    current = 100;
+  else if (current == 100)
+    current = 200;
+  else
+    current = 500;
+  delay_ms (current);
+  *current_wait = current;
+}
+
 int libpd_qsend (libpd_mq_t mq, void *msg, unsigned timeout_ms, int *exterr)
 {
 	queue_t *q = (queue_t*) mq;
-	struct timespec ts;
-	int rtn;
+	unsigned current_wait = 0;
+        unsigned total_wait = 0;
 
 	*exterr = 0;
 	if (NULL == mq)
 		return LIBPD_QERR_SEND_NULL;
-	pthread_mutex_lock (&q->mutex);
 	while (true) {
+		pthread_mutex_lock (&q->mutex);
 		if (enqueue_msg (q, msg))
 			break;
-		rtn = get_expire_time (timeout_ms, &ts);
-		if (rtn != 0) {
-			*exterr = rtn;
-			libpd_log_err (LEVEL_ERROR, rtn, 
-				("gettimeofday error waiting to send queue\n"));
-			pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
-			return LIBPD_QERR_SEND_EXPTIME;
-		}
-		rtn = pthread_cond_timedwait (&q->not_full_cond, &q->mutex, &ts);
-		if (rtn != 0) {
-			if (rtn == ETIMEDOUT) {
-				pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
-				return 1;
-			}
-			*exterr = rtn;
-			libpd_log_err (LEVEL_ERROR, rtn, 
-				("pthread_cond_timedwait error waiting for not_full_cond\n"));
-			pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
-			return LIBPD_QERR_SEND_CONDWAIT;
-		}
+		pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
+		if (total_wait >= timeout_ms)
+			return 1;
+		backoff (&current_wait);
+		total_wait += current_wait;
 	}
-	if (q->msg_count == 1)
-		pthread_cond_signal (&q->not_empty_cond);
 	pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -212,43 +187,25 @@ int libpd_qsend (libpd_mq_t mq, void *msg, unsigned timeout_ms, int *exterr)
 int libpd_qreceive (libpd_mq_t mq, void **msg, unsigned timeout_ms, int *exterr)
 {
 	queue_t *q = (queue_t*) mq;
-	struct timespec ts;
+	unsigned current_wait = 0;
+        unsigned total_wait = 0;
 	void *msg__;
-	int rtn;
 
 	*exterr = 0;
 	if (NULL == mq)
 		return LIBPD_QERR_RCV_NULL;
-	pthread_mutex_lock (&q->mutex);
 	while (true) {
+		pthread_mutex_lock (&q->mutex);
 		msg__ = dequeue_msg (q);
+		pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
 		if (NULL != msg__)
 			break;
-		rtn = get_expire_time (timeout_ms, &ts);
-		if (rtn != 0) {
-			*exterr = rtn;
-			libpd_log_err (LEVEL_ERROR, rtn, 
-				("gettimeofday error waiting to receive on queue\n"));
-			pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
-			return LIBPD_QERR_RCV_EXPTIME;
-		}
-		rtn = pthread_cond_timedwait (&q->not_empty_cond, &q->mutex, &ts);
-		if (rtn != 0) {
-			if (rtn == ETIMEDOUT) {
-				pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
-				return 1;
-			}
-			*exterr = rtn;
-			libpd_log_err (LEVEL_ERROR, rtn, 
-				("pthread_cond_timedwait error waiting for not_empty_cond\n"));
-			pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
-			return LIBPD_QERR_RCV_CONDWAIT;
-		}
+		if (total_wait >= timeout_ms)
+			return 1;
+		backoff (&current_wait);
+		total_wait += current_wait;
 	}
 	*msg = msg__;
-	if ((q->msg_count+1) == (int)q->max_msgs)
-		pthread_cond_signal (&q->not_full_cond);
-	pthread_mutex_unlock (&q->mutex);
 	return 0;
 }