diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/DatagramSequencer.cpp b/libraries/metavoxels/src/DatagramSequencer.cpp
index bb3e8723ac..0097c0fd1d 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/DatagramSequencer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/DatagramSequencer.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ const int MAX_DATAGRAM_SIZE = MAX_PACKET_SIZE;
 
 const int DEFAULT_MAX_PACKET_SIZE = 3000;
 
+// the default slow-start threshold, which will be lowered quickly when we first encounter packet loss
+const float DEFAULT_SLOW_START_THRESHOLD = 1000.0f;
+
 DatagramSequencer::DatagramSequencer(const QByteArray& datagramHeader, QObject* parent) :
     QObject(parent),
     _outgoingPacketStream(&_outgoingPacketData, QIODevice::WriteOnly),
@@ -37,7 +40,12 @@ DatagramSequencer::DatagramSequencer(const QByteArray& datagramHeader, QObject*
     _incomingPacketStream(&_incomingPacketData, QIODevice::ReadOnly),
     _inputStream(_incomingPacketStream),
     _receivedHighPriorityMessages(0),
-    _maxPacketSize(DEFAULT_MAX_PACKET_SIZE) {
+    _maxPacketSize(DEFAULT_MAX_PACKET_SIZE),
+    _packetsPerGroup(1.0f),
+    _packetsToWrite(0.0f),
+    _slowStartThreshold(DEFAULT_SLOW_START_THRESHOLD),
+    _packetRateIncreasePacketNumber(0),
+    _packetRateDecreasePacketNumber(0) {
 
     _outgoingPacketStream.setByteOrder(QDataStream::LittleEndian);
     _incomingDatagramStream.setByteOrder(QDataStream::LittleEndian);
@@ -71,6 +79,14 @@ ReliableChannel* DatagramSequencer::getReliableInputChannel(int index) {
     return channel;
 }
 
+int DatagramSequencer::startPacketGroup() {
+    // increment our packet counter and subtract/return the integer portion
+    _packetsToWrite += _packetsPerGroup;
+    int wholePackets = (int)_packetsToWrite;
+    _packetsToWrite -= wholePackets;
+    return wholePackets;
+}
+
 Bitstream& DatagramSequencer::startPacket() {
     // start with the list of acknowledgements
     _outgoingPacketStream << (quint32)_receiveRecords.size();
@@ -256,6 +272,14 @@ void DatagramSequencer::sendRecordAcknowledged(const SendRecord& record) {
     foreach (const ChannelSpan& span, record.spans) {
         getReliableOutputChannel(span.channel)->spanAcknowledged(span);
     }
+    
+    // increase the packet rate with every ack until we pass the slow start threshold; then, every round trip
+    if (record.packetNumber >= _packetRateIncreasePacketNumber) {
+        if (_packetsPerGroup >= _slowStartThreshold) {
+            _packetRateIncreasePacketNumber = _outgoingPacketNumber + 1;
+        }
+        _packetsPerGroup += 1.0f;
+    }
 }
 
 void DatagramSequencer::sendRecordLost(const SendRecord& record) {
@@ -263,6 +287,13 @@ void DatagramSequencer::sendRecordLost(const SendRecord& record) {
     foreach (const ChannelSpan& span, record.spans) {
         getReliableOutputChannel(span.channel)->spanLost(record.packetNumber, _outgoingPacketNumber + 1);
     }
+    
+    // halve the rate and remember as threshold
+    if (record.packetNumber >= _packetRateDecreasePacketNumber) {
+        _packetsPerGroup = qMax(_packetsPerGroup * 0.5f, 1.0f);
+        _slowStartThreshold = _packetsPerGroup;
+        _packetRateDecreasePacketNumber = _outgoingPacketNumber + 1;
+    }
 }
 
 void DatagramSequencer::appendReliableData(int bytes, QVector<ChannelSpan>& spans) {
diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/DatagramSequencer.h b/libraries/metavoxels/src/DatagramSequencer.h
index 4ab9f7667b..e2ea9d00af 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/DatagramSequencer.h
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/DatagramSequencer.h
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ public:
     /// Returns the intput channel at the specified index, creating it if necessary.
     ReliableChannel* getReliableInputChannel(int index = 0);
     
+    /// Starts a packet group.
+    /// \return the number of packets to write in the group
+    int startPacketGroup();
+    
     /// Starts a new packet for transmission.
     /// \return a reference to the Bitstream to use for writing to the packet
     Bitstream& startPacket();
@@ -203,6 +207,12 @@ private:
     
     int _maxPacketSize;
     
+    float _packetsPerGroup;
+    float _packetsToWrite;
+    float _slowStartThreshold;
+    int _packetRateIncreasePacketNumber;
+    int _packetRateDecreasePacketNumber;
+    
     QHash<int, ReliableChannel*> _reliableOutputChannels;
     QHash<int, ReliableChannel*> _reliableInputChannels;
 };
diff --git a/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.cpp b/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.cpp
index 688749f39b..9cb21faf06 100644
--- a/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.cpp
+++ b/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.cpp
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@ Endpoint::Endpoint(const QByteArray& datagramHeader, Mode mode) :
     output->setMessagesEnabled(false);
     QByteArray bytes;
     if (mode == CONGESTION_MODE) {
-        const int HUGE_STREAM_BYTES = 50 * 1024 * 1024;
+        const int HUGE_STREAM_BYTES = 60 * 1024 * 1024;
         bytes = createRandomBytes(HUGE_STREAM_BYTES, HUGE_STREAM_BYTES);
         
         // initialize the pipeline
@@ -820,14 +820,23 @@ bool Endpoint::simulate(int iterationNumber) {
             bytesReceived += datagram.size();
             _remainingPipelineCapacity += datagram.size();
         }
-    
-        Bitstream& out = _sequencer->startPacket();
-        out << QVariant();
-        _sequencer->endPacket();    
-        
-        // record the send
-        SendRecord record = { _sequencer->getOutgoingPacketNumber() };
-        _sendRecords.append(record);
+        int packetCount = _sequencer->startPacketGroup();
+        for (int i = 0; i < packetCount; i++) {
+            oldDatagramsSent = datagramsSent;
+            oldBytesSent = bytesSent;
+            
+            Bitstream& out = _sequencer->startPacket();
+            out << QVariant();
+            _sequencer->endPacket();
+            
+            maxDatagramsPerPacket = qMax(maxDatagramsPerPacket, datagramsSent - oldDatagramsSent);
+            maxBytesPerPacket = qMax(maxBytesPerPacket, bytesSent - oldBytesSent);
+            
+            // record the send
+            SendRecord record = { _sequencer->getOutgoingPacketNumber() };
+            _sendRecords.append(record);
+        }
+        return false;
         
     } else if (_mode == METAVOXEL_CLIENT_MODE) {
         Bitstream& out = _sequencer->startPacket();