diff --git a/router/handler_link/ack.go b/router/handler_link/ack.go
index e6957443f9..5de7d32e8e 100644
--- a/router/handler_link/ack.go
+++ b/router/handler_link/ack.go
@@ -17,43 +17,23 @@
 package handler_link
 
 import (
-	"github.com/ef-ds/deque"
 	"github.com/michaelquigley/pfxlog"
 	"github.com/openziti/channel/v2"
 	"github.com/openziti/ziti/router/forwarder"
 	"github.com/openziti/ziti/router/xgress"
 	"github.com/openziti/ziti/router/xlink"
-	"sync/atomic"
 )
 
 type ackHandler struct {
-	link          xlink.Xlink
-	forwarder     *forwarder.Forwarder
-	acks          *deque.Deque
-	ackIngest     chan *xgress.Acknowledgement
-	ackForward    chan *xgress.Acknowledgement
-	acksQueueSize int64
-	closeNotify   <-chan struct{}
+	link      xlink.Xlink
+	forwarder *forwarder.Forwarder
 }
 
-func newAckHandler(link xlink.Xlink, forwarder *forwarder.Forwarder, closeNotify <-chan struct{}) *ackHandler {
-	result := &ackHandler{
-		link:        link,
-		forwarder:   forwarder,
-		acks:        deque.New(),
-		ackIngest:   make(chan *xgress.Acknowledgement, 16),
-		ackForward:  make(chan *xgress.Acknowledgement, 1),
-		closeNotify: closeNotify,
+func newAckHandler(link xlink.Xlink, forwarder *forwarder.Forwarder) *ackHandler {
+	return &ackHandler{
+		link:      link,
+		forwarder: forwarder,
 	}
-
-	go result.ackIngester()
-	go result.ackForwarder()
-
-	forwarder.MetricsRegistry().FuncGauge("xgress.acks.queue_size", func() int64 {
-		return atomic.LoadInt64(&result.acksQueueSize)
-	})
-
-	return result
 }
 
 func (self *ackHandler) ContentType() int32 {
@@ -61,63 +41,19 @@ func (self *ackHandler) ContentType() int32 {
 }
 
 func (self *ackHandler) HandleReceive(msg *channel.Message, ch channel.Channel) {
-	if ack, err := xgress.UnmarshallAcknowledgement(msg); err == nil {
-		select {
-		case self.ackIngest <- ack:
-		case <-self.closeNotify:
-		}
-	} else {
+	ack, err := xgress.UnmarshallAcknowledgement(msg)
+	if err != nil {
 		pfxlog.ContextLogger(ch.Label()).
 			WithField("linkId", self.link.Id()).
 			WithField("routerId", self.link.DestinationId()).
-			WithError(err).
-			Error("error unmarshalling ack")
+			WithError(err).Error("error unmarshalling ack", err)
+		return
 	}
-}
-
-func (self *ackHandler) ackIngester() {
-	var next *xgress.Acknowledgement
-	for {
-		if next == nil {
-			if val, _ := self.acks.PopFront(); val != nil {
-				next = val.(*xgress.Acknowledgement)
-			}
-		}
 
-		if next == nil {
-			select {
-			case ack := <-self.ackIngest:
-				self.acks.PushBack(ack)
-			case <-self.closeNotify:
-				return
-			}
-		} else {
-			select {
-			case ack := <-self.ackIngest:
-				self.acks.PushBack(ack)
-			case self.ackForward <- next:
-				next = nil
-			case <-self.closeNotify:
-				return
-			}
-		}
-		atomic.StoreInt64(&self.acksQueueSize, int64(self.acks.Len()))
-	}
-}
-
-func (self *ackHandler) ackForwarder() {
-	logger := pfxlog.Logger()
-	for {
-		select {
-		case ack := <-self.ackForward:
-			if err := self.forwarder.ForwardAcknowledgement(xgress.Address(self.link.Id()), ack); err != nil {
-				logger.WithField("linkId", self.link.Id()).
-					WithField("routerId", self.link.DestinationId()).
-					WithError(err).
-					Debug("unable to forward acknowledgement")
-			}
-		case <-self.closeNotify:
-			return
-		}
+	if err = self.forwarder.ForwardAcknowledgement(xgress.Address(self.link.Id()), ack); err != nil {
+		pfxlog.ContextLogger(ch.Label()).
+			WithField("linkId", self.link.Id()).
+			WithField("routerId", self.link.DestinationId()).
+			WithError(err).Debug("unable to forward acknowledgement")
 	}
 }
diff --git a/router/handler_link/ack_test.go b/router/handler_link/ack_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index cb6fe58ee1..0000000000
--- a/router/handler_link/ack_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-/*
-	Copyright NetFoundry Inc.
-
-	Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-	you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-	You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-	https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-	Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-	distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-	WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-	See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-	limitations under the License.
-*/
-
-package handler_link
-
-import (
-	"sync/atomic"
-	"testing"
-)
-
-// A simple test to check for failure of alignment on atomic operations for 64 bit variables in a struct
-func Test64BitAlignment(t *testing.T) {
-	defer func() {
-		if r := recover(); r != nil {
-			t.Errorf("One of the variables that was tested is not properly 64-bit aligned.")
-		}
-	}()
-
-	ah := ackHandler{}
-
-	atomic.LoadInt64(&ah.acksQueueSize)
-}
diff --git a/router/handler_link/bind.go b/router/handler_link/bind.go
index c3dd7563d6..236a5dfa05 100644
--- a/router/handler_link/bind.go
+++ b/router/handler_link/bind.go
@@ -5,15 +5,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/openziti/channel/v2"
 	"github.com/openziti/channel/v2/latency"
 	"github.com/openziti/channel/v2/protobufs"
+	"github.com/openziti/foundation/v2/concurrenz"
+	nfpem "github.com/openziti/foundation/v2/pem"
+	"github.com/openziti/metrics"
 	"github.com/openziti/ziti/common/pb/ctrl_pb"
 	"github.com/openziti/ziti/common/trace"
 	"github.com/openziti/ziti/router/env"
 	"github.com/openziti/ziti/router/forwarder"
 	metrics2 "github.com/openziti/ziti/router/metrics"
 	"github.com/openziti/ziti/router/xlink"
-	"github.com/openziti/foundation/v2/concurrenz"
-	nfpem "github.com/openziti/foundation/v2/pem"
-	"github.com/openziti/metrics"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"time"
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (self *bindHandler) BindChannel(binding channel.Binding) error {
 	binding.AddCloseHandler(newCloseHandler(self.xlink, self.ctrl, self.forwarder, closeNotify, self.xlinkRegistry))
 	binding.AddErrorHandler(newErrorHandler(self.xlink, self.ctrl))
 	binding.AddTypedReceiveHandler(newPayloadHandler(self.xlink, self.forwarder))
-	binding.AddTypedReceiveHandler(newAckHandler(self.xlink, self.forwarder, closeNotify))
+	binding.AddTypedReceiveHandler(newAckHandler(self.xlink, self.forwarder))
 	binding.AddTypedReceiveHandler(&latency.LatencyHandler{})
 	binding.AddTypedReceiveHandler(newControlHandler(self.xlink, self.forwarder))
 	binding.AddPeekHandler(metrics2.NewChannelPeekHandler(self.xlink.Id(), self.forwarder.MetricsRegistry()))
diff --git a/router/xgress/link_send_buffer.go b/router/xgress/link_send_buffer.go
index 75052bfb3a..9f7c751ab5 100644
--- a/router/xgress/link_send_buffer.go
+++ b/router/xgress/link_send_buffer.go
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ package xgress
 
 import (
 	"github.com/michaelquigley/pfxlog"
-	"github.com/openziti/ziti/common/inspect"
 	"github.com/openziti/foundation/v2/info"
+	"github.com/openziti/ziti/common/inspect"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"math"
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func NewLinkSendBuffer(x *Xgress) *LinkSendBuffer {
 		x:                 x,
 		buffer:            make(map[int32]*txPayload),
 		newlyBuffered:     make(chan *txPayload, x.Options.TxQueueSize),
-		newlyReceivedAcks: make(chan *Acknowledgement),
+		newlyReceivedAcks: make(chan *Acknowledgement, 2),
 		closeNotify:       make(chan struct{}),
 		windowsSize:       x.Options.TxPortalStartSize,
 		retxThreshold:     x.Options.RetxStartMs,