diff --git a/.cell/cell.toml b/.cell/cell.toml
index 3634fb56..1fbc5e4a 100644
--- a/.cell/cell.toml
+++ b/.cell/cell.toml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ ar_timer = 60
 actor_memory = 0
 net_service = 0.1
 reply_timeout = 60
-actor_max = "10_000"
+actor_max = 10_000
 stack_max = 0
 [actors]
 [actors.prosperon/sdl_video]
diff --git a/source/cell.c b/source/cell.c
index a445062d..b76ac3f6 100644
--- a/source/cell.c
+++ b/source/cell.c
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ static unsigned char *zip_buffer_global = NULL;
 static char *prosperon = NULL;
 cell_rt *root_cell = NULL;
 
+SDL_AtomicInt waiting_threads;
+
 static SDL_Thread **runners = NULL;
 
 static inline uint64_t now_ns()
@@ -488,12 +490,16 @@ void actor_turn(cell_rt *actor)
   if (tracy_profiling_enabled)
     TracyCFiberEnter(actor->name);
 #endif
+
+  TAKETURN:
+  actor->state = ACTOR_RUNNING;  
   
   SDL_LockMutex(actor->msg_mutex);
-  actor->state = ACTOR_RUNNING;
-  
   JSValue result;
-  
+  if (!arrlen(actor->letters)) {
+    SDL_UnlockMutex(actor->msg_mutex);
+    goto ENDTURN;
+  }
   letter l = actor->letters[0];
   arrdel(actor->letters, 0);
   SDL_UnlockMutex(actor->msg_mutex);
@@ -505,13 +511,18 @@ void actor_turn(cell_rt *actor)
     uncaught_exception(actor->context, result);
     JS_FreeValue(actor->context, arg);
   } else if (l.type == LETTER_CALLBACK) {
-    printf("running a callback\n");
     result = JS_Call(actor->context, l.callback, JS_UNDEFINED, 0, NULL);
-    printf("turn is over for %s\n", actor->id);    
     uncaught_exception(actor->context, result);
     JS_FreeValue(actor->context, l.callback);
   }
 
+  // If there are no waiting threads, bail. otherwise, try for another turn
+  if (SDL_GetAtomicInt(&waiting_threads) == 0)
+    goto ENDTURN;
+  else  
+    goto TAKETURN;
+  
+  ENDTURN:
   actor->state = ACTOR_IDLE;  
   
 #ifdef TRACY_ENABLE
@@ -724,7 +735,9 @@ static int actor_runner(void *data)
       actor = ready_queue[0];
       arrdel(ready_queue, 0);
     } else {
+      SDL_AddAtomicInt(&waiting_threads, 1);
       SDL_WaitCondition(queue_cond, queue_mutex);
+      SDL_AddAtomicInt(&waiting_threads, -1);
       SDL_UnlockMutex(queue_mutex);
       continue;
     }
@@ -769,11 +782,12 @@ static void loop()
 queue_mutex = SDL_CreateMutex();
 queue_cond = SDL_CreateCondition();
 actors_mutex = SDL_CreateMutex();
+SDL_SetAtomicInt(&waiting_threads, 0);
+
 timer_init();
 
 add_runners(SDL_GetNumLogicalCPUCores()-1);
 
-
   while (1) {
     process_due_timers();
   
diff --git a/tests/cat.ce b/tests/cat.ce
index 40e92c58..cc2346b1 100644
--- a/tests/cat.ce
+++ b/tests/cat.ce
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@ var f = fd.open(arg[0], 'r')
 var stat = fd.fstat(f)
 var data = fd.read(f,stat.size);
 fd.close(f)
-log.console(text(data))
+log.console(`cat took ${time.number()-st}`)
 
 $_.stop()
diff --git a/tests/chunkread.ce b/tests/chunkread.ce
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5e978937
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/chunkread.ce
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+var fd = use('fd')
+var time = use('time')
+var blob = use('blob')
+
+var data = new blob
+var st = time.number()
+var f = fd.open(arg[0], 'r')
+var chunksize = 4096
+
+function getchunk()
+{
+  var chunk = fd.read(f,chunksize);
+  data.write_blob(chunk);
+  if (chunk.length < chunksize*8) {
+    // we're done
+    fd.close(f)
+    log.console(`read took ${time.number()-st}`)
+    $_.stop()
+  } else
+    $_.clock(getchunk)
+}
+
+getchunk()