diff --git a/test/sequential/test-http-pipeline-flood.js b/test/sequential/test-http-pipeline-flood.js
index cb9fc97a865b70..f8de38c7a84a3a 100644
--- a/test/sequential/test-http-pipeline-flood.js
+++ b/test/sequential/test-http-pipeline-flood.js
@@ -2,6 +2,16 @@
 var common = require('../common');
 var assert = require('assert');
 
+// Here we are testing the HTTP server module's flood prevention mechanism.
+// When writeable.write returns false (ie the underlying send() indicated the
+// native buffer is full), the HTTP server cork()s the readable part of the
+// stream. This means that new requests will not be read (however request which
+// have already been read, but are awaiting processing will still be
+// processed).
+
+// Normally when the writable stream emits a 'drain' event, the server then
+// uncorks the readable stream, although we arent testing that part here.
+
 switch (process.argv[2]) {
   case undefined:
     return parent();
@@ -18,22 +28,31 @@ function parent() {
   var childClosed = false;
   var requests = 0;
   var connections = 0;
+  var backloggedReqs = 0;
 
   var server = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
     requests++;
     res.setHeader('content-length', bigResponse.length);
-    res.end(bigResponse);
+    if (!res.write(bigResponse)) {
+      if (backloggedReqs == 0) {
+        // Once the native buffer fills (ie write() returns false), the flood
+        // prevention should kick in.
+        // This means the stream should emit no more 'data' events. However we
+        // may still be asked to process more requests if they were read before
+        // mechanism activated.
+        req.socket.on('data', function() { assert(false); });
+      }
+      backloggedReqs++;
+    }
+    res.end();
   });
 
   server.on('connection', function(conn) {
     connections++;
   });
 
-  // kill the connection after a bit, verifying that the
-  // flood of requests was eventually halted.
   server.setTimeout(200, function(conn) {
     gotTimeout = true;
-    conn.destroy();
   });
 
   server.listen(common.PORT, function() {
@@ -53,9 +72,9 @@ function parent() {
     assert.equal(connections, 1);
     // The number of requests we end up processing before the outgoing
     // connection backs up and requires a drain is implementation-dependent.
-    // We can safely assume is more than 250.
     console.log('server got %d requests', requests);
-    assert(requests >= 250);
+    console.log('server sent %d backlogged requests', backloggedReqs);
+
     console.log('ok');
   });
 }
@@ -63,7 +82,6 @@ function parent() {
 function child() {
   var net = require('net');
 
-  var gotEpipe = false;
   var conn = net.connect({ port: common.PORT });
 
   var req = 'GET / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: localhost:' +
@@ -72,17 +90,14 @@ function child() {
   req = new Array(10241).join(req);
 
   conn.on('connect', function() {
+    //kill child after 1s of flooding
+    setTimeout(function() { conn.destroy(); }, 1000);
     write();
   });
 
   conn.on('drain', write);
 
-  conn.on('error', function(er) {
-    gotEpipe = true;
-  });
-
   process.on('exit', function() {
-    assert(gotEpipe);
     console.log('ok - child');
   });