diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vsock/unix/muxer.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vsock/unix/muxer.rs
index 2eca46fc2..0768beae9 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vsock/unix/muxer.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vsock/unix/muxer.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
 use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::fs::File;
-use std::io::{self, Read};
+use std::io::{self, ErrorKind, Read};
 use std::os::unix::io::{AsRawFd, FromRawFd, RawFd};
 use std::os::unix::net::{UnixListener, UnixStream};
 
@@ -92,6 +92,15 @@ enum EpollListener {
     LocalStream(UnixStream),
 }
 
+/// A partially read "CONNECT" command.
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct PartiallyReadCommand {
+    /// The bytes of the command that have been read so far.
+    buf: [u8; 32],
+    /// How much of `buf` has been used.
+    len: usize,
+}
+
 /// The vsock connection multiplexer.
 ///
 pub struct VsockMuxer {
@@ -101,6 +110,8 @@ pub struct VsockMuxer {
     conn_map: HashMap<ConnMapKey, MuxerConnection>,
     /// A hash map used to store epoll event listeners / handlers.
     listener_map: HashMap<RawFd, EpollListener>,
+    /// A hash map used to store partially read "connect" commands.
+    partial_command_map: HashMap<RawFd, PartiallyReadCommand>,
     /// The RX queue. Items in this queue are consumed by `VsockMuxer::recv_pkt()`, and
     /// produced
     /// - by `VsockMuxer::send_pkt()` (e.g. RST in response to a connection request packet);
@@ -358,6 +369,7 @@ impl VsockMuxer {
             rxq: MuxerRxQ::new(),
             conn_map: HashMap::with_capacity(defs::MAX_CONNECTIONS),
             listener_map: HashMap::with_capacity(defs::MAX_CONNECTIONS + 1),
+            partial_command_map: Default::default(),
             killq: MuxerKillQ::new(),
             local_port_last: (1u32 << 30) - 1,
             local_port_set: HashSet::with_capacity(defs::MAX_CONNECTIONS),
@@ -424,27 +436,40 @@ impl VsockMuxer {
             // Data is ready to be read from a host-initiated connection. That would be the
             // "connect" command that we're expecting.
             Some(EpollListener::LocalStream(_)) => {
-                if let Some(EpollListener::LocalStream(mut stream)) = self.remove_listener(fd) {
-                    Self::read_local_stream_port(&mut stream)
-                        .map(|peer_port| (self.allocate_local_port(), peer_port))
-                        .and_then(|(local_port, peer_port)| {
-                            self.add_connection(
-                                ConnMapKey {
-                                    local_port,
-                                    peer_port,
-                                },
-                                MuxerConnection::new_local_init(
-                                    stream,
-                                    uapi::VSOCK_HOST_CID,
-                                    self.cid,
-                                    local_port,
-                                    peer_port,
-                                ),
-                            )
-                        })
-                        .unwrap_or_else(|err| {
-                            info!("vsock: error adding local-init connection: {:?}", err);
-                        })
+                if let Some(EpollListener::LocalStream(stream)) = self.listener_map.get_mut(&fd) {
+                    let port = Self::read_local_stream_port(&mut self.partial_command_map, stream);
+
+                    if let Err(Error::UnixRead(ref e)) = port {
+                        if e.kind() == ErrorKind::WouldBlock {
+                            return;
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    let stream = match self.remove_listener(fd) {
+                        Some(EpollListener::LocalStream(s)) => s,
+                        _ => unreachable!(),
+                    };
+
+                    port.and_then(|peer_port| {
+                        let local_port = self.allocate_local_port();
+
+                        self.add_connection(
+                            ConnMapKey {
+                                local_port,
+                                peer_port,
+                            },
+                            MuxerConnection::new_local_init(
+                                stream,
+                                uapi::VSOCK_HOST_CID,
+                                self.cid,
+                                local_port,
+                                peer_port,
+                            ),
+                        )
+                    })
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|err| {
+                        info!("vsock: error adding local-init connection: {:?}", err);
+                    })
                 }
             }
 
@@ -459,30 +484,36 @@ impl VsockMuxer {
 
     /// Parse a host "connect" command, and extract the destination vsock port.
     ///
-    fn read_local_stream_port(stream: &mut UnixStream) -> Result<u32> {
-        let mut buf = [0u8; 32];
+    fn read_local_stream_port(
+        partial_command_map: &mut HashMap<RawFd, PartiallyReadCommand>,
+        stream: &mut UnixStream,
+    ) -> Result<u32> {
+        let command = partial_command_map.entry(stream.as_raw_fd()).or_default();
 
         // This is the minimum number of bytes that we should be able to read, when parsing a
         // valid connection request. I.e. `b"connect 0\n".len()`.
-        const MIN_READ_LEN: usize = 10;
+        const MIN_COMMAND_LEN: usize = 10;
 
         // Bring in the minimum number of bytes that we should be able to read.
-        stream
-            .read_exact(&mut buf[..MIN_READ_LEN])
-            .map_err(Error::UnixRead)?;
+        if command.len < MIN_COMMAND_LEN {
+            command.len += stream
+                .read(&mut command.buf[command.len..MIN_COMMAND_LEN])
+                .map_err(Error::UnixRead)?;
+        }
 
         // Now, finish reading the destination port number, by bringing in one byte at a time,
         // until we reach an EOL terminator (or our buffer space runs out).  Yeah, not
         // particularly proud of this approach, but it will have to do for now.
-        let mut blen = MIN_READ_LEN;
-        while buf[blen - 1] != b'\n' && blen < buf.len() {
-            stream
-                .read_exact(&mut buf[blen..=blen])
+        while command.buf[command.len - 1] != b'\n' && command.len < command.buf.len() {
+            command.len += stream
+                .read(&mut command.buf[command.len..=command.len])
                 .map_err(Error::UnixRead)?;
-            blen += 1;
         }
 
-        let mut word_iter = std::str::from_utf8(&buf[..blen])
+        let _ = command;
+        let command = partial_command_map.remove(&stream.as_raw_fd()).unwrap();
+
+        let mut word_iter = std::str::from_utf8(&command.buf[..command.len])
             .map_err(Error::ConvertFromUtf8)?
             .split_whitespace();