diff --git a/libexec/telnetd/ext.h b/libexec/telnetd/ext.h
index eea1f03c5e36..406fe903d3a2 100644
--- a/libexec/telnetd/ext.h
+++ b/libexec/telnetd/ext.h
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ extern void
 	wontoption P((int));
 
 int	output_data __P((const char *, ...)) __printflike(1, 2);
-int	output_datalen __P((const char *, size_t));
+void	output_datalen __P((const char *, int));
 
 
 
diff --git a/libexec/telnetd/slc.c b/libexec/telnetd/slc.c
index 8a02c81a0f9a..7fd7536e8cc8 100644
--- a/libexec/telnetd/slc.c
+++ b/libexec/telnetd/slc.c
@@ -176,7 +176,6 @@ end_slc(bufp)
 	register unsigned char **bufp;
 {
 	register int len;
-	void netflush();
 
 	/*
 	 * If a change has occured, store the new terminal control
diff --git a/libexec/telnetd/state.c b/libexec/telnetd/state.c
index de9f515b25c9..bad22ea97824 100644
--- a/libexec/telnetd/state.c
+++ b/libexec/telnetd/state.c
@@ -1546,40 +1546,46 @@ send_status()
 
 /*
  * This function appends data to nfrontp and advances nfrontp.
+ * Returns the number of characters written altogether (the
+ * buffer may have been flushed in the process).
  */
 
 int
 output_data(const char *format, ...)
 {
 	va_list args;
-	size_t remaining, ret;
+	int len;
+	char *buf;
 
 	va_start(args, format);
-	remaining = BUFSIZ - (nfrontp - netobuf);
-	/* try a netflush() if the room is too low */
-	if (strlen(format) > remaining || BUFSIZ / 4 > remaining) {
-		netflush();
-		remaining = BUFSIZ - (nfrontp - netobuf);
-	}
-	ret = vsnprintf(nfrontp, remaining, format, args);
-	nfrontp += (ret < remaining) ? ret : remaining;
+	if ((len = vasprintf(&buf, format, args)) == -1)
+		return -1;
+	output_datalen(buf, len);
 	va_end(args);
-	return ret;
-}
-
-int
-output_datalen(const char *buf, size_t len)
-{
-	size_t remaining;
-
-	remaining = BUFSIZ - (nfrontp - netobuf);
-	if (remaining < len) {
-		netflush();
-		remaining = BUFSIZ - (nfrontp - netobuf);
-		if (remaining < len)
-			return -1;
-	}
-	memmove(nfrontp, buf, len);
-	nfrontp += len;
+	free(buf);
 	return (len);
 }
+
+void
+output_datalen(const char *buf, int len)
+{
+	int remaining, copied;
+	
+	remaining = BUFSIZ - (nfrontp - netobuf);
+	while (len > 0) {
+		/* Free up enough space if the room is too low*/
+		if ((len > BUFSIZ ? BUFSIZ : len) > remaining) {
+			netflush();
+			remaining = BUFSIZ - (nfrontp - netobuf);
+		}
+
+		/* Copy out as much as will fit */
+		copied = remaining > len ? len : remaining;
+		memmove(nfrontp, buf, copied);
+		nfrontp += copied;
+		len -= copied;
+		remaining -= copied;
+		buf += copied;
+	}
+	return;
+}
diff --git a/libexec/telnetd/telnetd.c b/libexec/telnetd/telnetd.c
index e04097781224..011c0bc76db5 100644
--- a/libexec/telnetd/telnetd.c
+++ b/libexec/telnetd/telnetd.c
@@ -909,8 +909,6 @@ telnet(f, p, host)
 	int if_fd;
 	struct stat statbuf;
 
-	void netflush();
-
 	/*
 	 * Initialize the slc mapping table.
 	 */
diff --git a/libexec/telnetd/termstat.c b/libexec/telnetd/termstat.c
index 83116c763a1c..2a5c74cdceb0 100644
--- a/libexec/telnetd/termstat.c
+++ b/libexec/telnetd/termstat.c
@@ -136,7 +136,6 @@ int	newmap = 1;	/* nonzero if \n maps to ^M^J */
 	void
 localstat()
 {
-	void netflush();
 	int need_will_echo = 0;
 
 #if	defined(CRAY2) && defined(UNICOS5)
@@ -381,7 +380,6 @@ flowstat()
 clientstat(code, parm1, parm2)
 	register int code, parm1, parm2;
 {
-	void netflush();
 
 	/*
 	 * Get a copy of terminal characteristics.
diff --git a/libexec/telnetd/utility.c b/libexec/telnetd/utility.c
index 69a61b3b88c1..677dadbdae68 100644
--- a/libexec/telnetd/utility.c
+++ b/libexec/telnetd/utility.c
@@ -62,10 +62,9 @@ static const char rcsid[] =
     void
 ttloop()
 {
-    void netflush();
 
     DIAG(TD_REPORT, output_data("td: ttloop\r\n"));
-    if (nfrontp-nbackp) {
+    if (nfrontp - nbackp > 0) {
 	netflush();
     }
     ncc = read(net, netibuf, sizeof netibuf);
@@ -242,10 +241,13 @@ netflush()
     int n;
     extern int not42;
 
-    if ((n = nfrontp - nbackp) > 0) {
+    while ((n = nfrontp - nbackp) > 0) {
+#if 0
+	/* XXX This causes output_data() to recurse and die */
 	DIAG(TD_REPORT, {
 	    n += output_data("td: netflush %d chars\r\n", n);
 	});
+#endif
 	/*
 	 * if no urgent data, or if the other side appears to be an
 	 * old 4.2 client (and thus unable to survive TCP urgent data),
@@ -269,18 +271,19 @@ netflush()
 		n = send(net, nbackp, n, MSG_OOB);	/* URGENT data */
 	    }
 	}
-    }
-    if (n < 0) {
-	if (errno == EWOULDBLOCK || errno == EINTR)
-		return;
-	cleanup(0);
-    }
-    nbackp += n;
-    if (nbackp >= neturg) {
-	neturg = 0;
-    }
-    if (nbackp == nfrontp) {
-	nbackp = nfrontp = netobuf;
+	if (n == -1) {
+	    if (errno == EWOULDBLOCK || errno == EINTR)
+		continue;
+	    cleanup(0);
+	    /* NOTREACHED */
+	}
+	nbackp += n;
+	if (nbackp >= neturg) {
+	    neturg = 0;
+	}
+	if (nbackp == nfrontp) {
+	    nbackp = nfrontp = netobuf;
+	}
     }
     return;
 }  /* end of netflush */