diff --git a/src/xpra/net/bytestreams.py b/src/xpra/net/bytestreams.py
index 6fbd3ccfde..fc8f11e468 100644
--- a/src/xpra/net/bytestreams.py
+++ b/src/xpra/net/bytestreams.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 from xpra.platform.features import TCP_OPTIONS, IP_OPTIONS, SOCKET_OPTIONS
 
 
-SOCKET_NODELAY = envbool("XPRA_SOCKET_NODELAY", True)
+SOCKET_NODELAY = envbool("XPRA_SOCKET_NODELAY", None)
 VSOCK_TIMEOUT = envint("XPRA_VSOCK_TIMEOUT", 5)
 SOCKET_TIMEOUT = envint("XPRA_SOCKET_TIMEOUT", 20)
 SSL_PEEK = PYTHON2 and envbool("XPRA_SSL_PEEK", True)
@@ -278,9 +278,15 @@ def __init__(self, socket, local, remote, target, socktype, info={}):
         self.nodelay = None
         if type(remote)==str:
             self.filename = remote
+        if SOCKET_NODELAY is not None:
+            self.do_set_nodelay(SOCKET_NODELAY)
 
     def set_nodelay(self, nodelay):
-        if self.socktype in ("tcp", "ssl") and self.nodelay!=nodelay:
+        if SOCKET_NODELAY is None and self.socktype in ("tcp", "ssl") and self.nodelay!=nodelay:
+            self.do_set_nodelay(nodelay)
+
+    def do_set_nodelay(self, nodelay):
+        if SOCKET_NODELAY is None and self.socktype in ("tcp", "ssl") and self.nodelay!=nodelay:
             self._socket.setsockopt(socket.IPPROTO_TCP, socket.TCP_NODELAY, nodelay)
             self.nodelay = nodelay
             log("changed %s socket to nodelay=%s", self.socktype, nodelay)
diff --git a/src/xpra/net/net_util.py b/src/xpra/net/net_util.py
index 0de027c38d..a9b91dc346 100755
--- a/src/xpra/net/net_util.py
+++ b/src/xpra/net/net_util.py
@@ -303,15 +303,19 @@ def parsenums(v):
     return net_sys_config
 
 def get_net_config():
+    config = {}
     try:
         from xpra.net.bytestreams import VSOCK_TIMEOUT, SOCKET_TIMEOUT, SOCKET_NODELAY
-        return {
+        config = {
                 "vsocket.timeout"    : VSOCK_TIMEOUT,
                 "socket.timeout"     : SOCKET_TIMEOUT,
-                "socket.nodelay"     : SOCKET_NODELAY,
                 }
-    except:
-        return {}
+        if SOCKET_NODELAY is not None:
+            config["socket.nodelay"] = SOCKET_NODELAY
+    except Exception:
+        log("get_net_config()", exc_info=True)
+    return config
+
 
 def get_ssl_info():
     try: