*     Locking: callers must hold output_lock
  */
 
-static void __process_echoes(struct tty_struct *tty)
+static size_t __process_echoes(struct tty_struct *tty)
 {
        struct n_tty_data *ldata = tty->disc_data;
-       int     space, nr;
+       int     space, old_space;
        size_t tail;
        unsigned char c;
 
-       space = tty_write_room(tty);
+       old_space = space = tty_write_room(tty);
 
        tail = ldata->echo_tail;
        nr = ldata->echo_commit - ldata->echo_tail;
        }
 
        ldata->echo_tail = tail;
+       return old_space - space;
 }
 
 static void commit_echoes(struct tty_struct *tty)
 {
        struct n_tty_data *ldata = tty->disc_data;
-       size_t nr, old;
+       size_t nr, old, echoed;
        size_t head;
 
        head = ldata->echo_head;
 
        mutex_lock(&ldata->output_lock);
        ldata->echo_commit = head;
-       __process_echoes(tty);
+       echoed = __process_echoes(tty);
        mutex_unlock(&ldata->output_lock);
 
-       if (tty->ops->flush_chars)
+       if (echoed && tty->ops->flush_chars)
                tty->ops->flush_chars(tty);
 }
 
 static void process_echoes(struct tty_struct *tty)
 {
        struct n_tty_data *ldata = tty->disc_data;
+       size_t echoed;
 
        if (!L_ECHO(tty) || ldata->echo_commit == ldata->echo_tail)
                return;
 
        mutex_lock(&ldata->output_lock);
-       __process_echoes(tty);
+       echoed = __process_echoes(tty);
        mutex_unlock(&ldata->output_lock);
 
-       if (tty->ops->flush_chars)
+       if (echoed && tty->ops->flush_chars)
                tty->ops->flush_chars(tty);
 }