diff --git a/samply/src/linux/perf_event.rs b/samply/src/linux/perf_event.rs
index 3ee375e2e..51fa7a0da 100644
--- a/samply/src/linux/perf_event.rs
+++ b/samply/src/linux/perf_event.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use std::cmp::max;
-use std::fmt;
+use std::collections::BinaryHeap;
 use std::io;
 use std::mem;
 use std::ops::Range;
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use std::slice;
 use std::sync::atomic::fence;
 use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::{cmp, fmt};
 
 use libc::{self, c_void, pid_t};
 use linux_perf_data::linux_perf_event_reader;
@@ -69,6 +70,13 @@ unsafe fn read_head(pointer: *const u8) -> u64 {
     head
 }
 
+unsafe fn read_tail(pointer: *const u8) -> u64 {
+    let page = &*(pointer as *const PerfEventMmapPage);
+    // No memory fence required because we're just reading a value previously
+    // written by us.
+    ptr::read_volatile(&page.data_tail)
+}
+
 unsafe fn write_tail(pointer: *mut u8, value: u64) {
     let page = &mut *(pointer as *mut PerfEventMmapPage);
     fence(Ordering::AcqRel);
@@ -462,8 +470,7 @@ impl Perf {
 struct EventRefState {
     buffer: *mut u8,
     size: u64,
-    done: u32,
-    positions: [u64; 32],
+    pending_commits: BinaryHeap<cmp::Reverse<(u64, u64)>>,
 }
 
 impl EventRefState {
@@ -471,8 +478,28 @@ impl EventRefState {
         EventRefState {
             buffer,
             size,
-            done: !0,
-            positions: [0; 32],
+            pending_commits: BinaryHeap::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Mark the read of [from, to) as complete.
+    /// If reads are completed in-order, then this will advance the tail pointer to `to` immediately.
+    /// Otherwise, it will remain in the "pending commit" queue, and committed once all previous
+    /// reads are also committed.
+    fn try_commit(&mut self, from: u64, to: u64) {
+        self.pending_commits.push(cmp::Reverse((from, to)));
+
+        let mut position = unsafe { read_tail(self.buffer) };
+        while let Some(&cmp::Reverse((from, to))) = self.pending_commits.peek() {
+            if from == position {
+                unsafe {
+                    write_tail(self.buffer, to);
+                }
+                position = to;
+                self.pending_commits.pop();
+            } else {
+                break;
+            }
         }
     }
 }
@@ -485,13 +512,21 @@ impl Drop for EventRefState {
     }
 }
 
+/// Handle to a single event in the perf ring buffer.
+///
+/// On Drop, the event will be "consumed" and the read pointer will be advanced.
+///
+/// If events are dropped out of order, then it will be added to a list of pending commits and
+/// committed when all prior events are also dropped. For this reason, events should be dropped
+/// in-order to achieve the lowest overhead.
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct EventRef {
     buffer: *mut u8,
     buffer_size: usize,
-    event_location: RawRecordLocation,
-    mask: u32,
     state: Arc<Mutex<EventRefState>>,
+    event_location: RawRecordLocation,
+    prev_position: u64,
+    position: u64,
     parse_info: RecordParseInfo,
 }
 
@@ -499,7 +534,8 @@ impl fmt::Debug for EventRef {
     fn fmt(&self, fmt: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> Result<(), fmt::Error> {
         fmt.debug_map()
             .entry(&"location", &self.event_location)
-            .entry(&"mask", &format!("{:032b}", self.mask))
+            .entry(&"prev_position", &self.prev_position)
+            .entry(&"position", &self.position)
             .finish()
     }
 }
@@ -507,18 +543,9 @@ impl fmt::Debug for EventRef {
 impl Drop for EventRef {
     #[inline]
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        let mut state = self.state.lock();
-        let last_empty_spaces = state.done.leading_zeros();
-        state.done &= self.mask;
-        let empty_spaces = state.done.leading_zeros();
-
-        debug_assert!(empty_spaces >= last_empty_spaces);
-        if empty_spaces != last_empty_spaces {
-            let position = state.positions[empty_spaces as usize];
-            unsafe {
-                write_tail(self.buffer, position);
-            }
-        }
+        self.state
+            .lock()
+            .try_commit(self.prev_position, self.position);
     }
 }
 
@@ -532,45 +559,12 @@ impl EventRef {
 
 pub struct EventIter<'a> {
     perf: &'a mut Perf,
-    index: usize,
-    locations: Vec<RawRecordLocation>,
-    state: Arc<Mutex<EventRefState>>,
 }
 
 impl<'a> EventIter<'a> {
     #[inline]
     fn new(perf: &'a mut Perf) -> Self {
-        let mut locations = Vec::with_capacity(32);
-
-        {
-            let state = Arc::get_mut(&mut perf.event_ref_state)
-                .expect("Perf::iter called while the previous iterator hasn't finished processing");
-            let state = state.get_mut();
-
-            for _ in 0..31 {
-                state.positions[locations.len()] = perf.position;
-                let raw_event_location =
-                    match next_raw_event(perf.buffer, perf.size, &mut perf.position) {
-                        Some(location) => location,
-                        None => break,
-                    };
-
-                locations.push(raw_event_location);
-            }
-
-            state.positions[locations.len()] = perf.position;
-            state.done = !0;
-        }
-
-        // trace!("Batched {} events for PID {}", count, perf.pid);
-
-        let state = perf.event_ref_state.clone();
-        EventIter {
-            perf,
-            index: 0,
-            locations,
-            state,
-        }
+        EventIter { perf }
     }
 }
 
@@ -579,21 +573,17 @@ impl<'a> Iterator for EventIter<'a> {
 
     #[inline]
     fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
-        if self.index == self.locations.len() {
-            return None;
-        }
-
-        let event_location = self.locations[self.index].clone();
-        let event = EventRef {
-            buffer: self.perf.buffer,
-            buffer_size: self.perf.size as usize,
+        let perf = &mut self.perf;
+        let prev_position = perf.position;
+        let event_location = next_raw_event(perf.buffer, perf.size, &mut perf.position)?;
+        Some(EventRef {
+            buffer: perf.buffer,
+            buffer_size: perf.size as usize,
+            state: perf.event_ref_state.clone(),
             event_location,
-            mask: !(1 << (31 - self.index)),
-            state: self.state.clone(),
+            prev_position,
+            position: perf.position,
             parse_info: self.perf.parse_info,
-        };
-
-        self.index += 1;
-        Some(event)
+        })
     }
 }