diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/connection.rs b/sqlx-core/src/connection.rs
index 51fdad9923..e6eed54fbf 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/connection.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/connection.rs
@@ -64,10 +64,12 @@ pub trait Connection: Send {
         })
     }
 
-    /// Flush any pending commands to the database.
     #[doc(hidden)]
     fn flush(&mut self) -> BoxFuture<'_, Result<(), Error>>;
 
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    fn should_flush(&self) -> bool;
+
     #[doc(hidden)]
     fn get_ref(&self) -> &<Self::Database as Database>::Connection;
 
diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/mssql/connection/mod.rs b/sqlx-core/src/mssql/connection/mod.rs
index c81d32beaf..1f4166b822 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/mssql/connection/mod.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/mssql/connection/mod.rs
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ impl Connection for MssqlConnection {
         self.stream.wait_until_ready().boxed()
     }
 
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    fn should_flush(&self) -> bool {
+        !self.stream.wbuf.is_empty()
+    }
+
     #[doc(hidden)]
     fn get_ref(&self) -> &MssqlConnection {
         self
diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/mysql/connection/mod.rs b/sqlx-core/src/mysql/connection/mod.rs
index 11cd08c517..a3d1d35f6d 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/mysql/connection/mod.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/mysql/connection/mod.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,11 @@ impl Connection for MySqlConnection {
         self.stream.wait_until_ready().boxed()
     }
 
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    fn should_flush(&self) -> bool {
+        !self.stream.wbuf.is_empty()
+    }
+
     #[doc(hidden)]
     fn get_ref(&self) -> &Self {
         self
diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/pool/connection.rs b/sqlx-core/src/pool/connection.rs
index 1bef8ceb3e..e6a12e84ff 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/pool/connection.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/pool/connection.rs
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ impl<DB: Database> Connection for PoolConnection<DB> {
         self.get_mut().flush()
     }
 
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    fn should_flush(&self) -> bool {
+        self.get_ref().should_flush()
+    }
+
     #[doc(hidden)]
     fn get_ref(&self) -> &DB::Connection {
         self.deref().get_ref()
@@ -94,19 +99,26 @@ impl<DB: Database> Drop for PoolConnection<DB> {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
         if let Some(mut live) = self.live.take() {
             let pool = self.pool.clone();
-            spawn(async move {
-                // flush the connection (will immediately return if not needed) before
-                // we fully release to the pool
-                if let Err(e) = live.raw.flush().await {
-                    log::error!("error occurred while flushing the connection: {}", e);
-
-                    // we now consider the connection to be broken
-                    // close the connection and drop from the pool
-                    let _ = live.float(&pool).into_idle().close().await;
-                } else {
-                    pool.release(live.float(&pool));
-                }
-            });
+
+            if live.raw.should_flush() {
+                spawn(async move {
+                    // flush the connection (will immediately return if not needed) before
+                    // we fully release to the pool
+                    if let Err(e) = live.raw.flush().await {
+                        log::error!("error occurred while flushing the connection: {}", e);
+
+                        // we now consider the connection to be broken
+                        // close the connection and drop from the pool
+                        let _ = live.float(&pool).into_idle().close().await;
+                    } else {
+                        // after we have flushed successfully, release to the pool
+                        pool.release(live.float(&pool));
+                    }
+                });
+            } else {
+                // nothing to flush, release immediately outside of a spawn
+                pool.release(live.float(&pool));
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/postgres/connection/mod.rs b/sqlx-core/src/postgres/connection/mod.rs
index 0944c9098f..e3d1e22066 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/postgres/connection/mod.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/postgres/connection/mod.rs
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ impl Connection for PgConnection {
         self.wait_until_ready().boxed()
     }
 
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    fn should_flush(&self) -> bool {
+        !self.stream.wbuf.is_empty()
+    }
+
     #[doc(hidden)]
     fn get_ref(&self) -> &Self {
         self
diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/sqlite/connection/mod.rs b/sqlx-core/src/sqlite/connection/mod.rs
index 0e6d5fcb4f..47fa54618d 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/sqlite/connection/mod.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/sqlite/connection/mod.rs
@@ -52,11 +52,17 @@ impl Connection for SqliteConnection {
         Box::pin(future::ok(()))
     }
 
+    #[doc(hidden)]
     fn flush(&mut self) -> BoxFuture<'_, Result<(), Error>> {
         // For SQLite, FLUSH does effectively nothing
         Box::pin(future::ok(()))
     }
 
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    fn should_flush(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
     #[doc(hidden)]
     fn get_ref(&self) -> &Self {
         self
diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/transaction.rs b/sqlx-core/src/transaction.rs
index 61a0d55b6e..3c90dc1fcd 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/transaction.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/transaction.rs
@@ -127,6 +127,11 @@ where
         self.get_mut().flush()
     }
 
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    fn should_flush(&self) -> bool {
+        self.get_ref().should_flush()
+    }
+
     #[doc(hidden)]
     fn get_ref(&self) -> &<Self::Database as Database>::Connection {
         self.connection.get_ref()