diff --git a/apns.py b/apns.py
index 3f39438..654e96a 100644
--- a/apns.py
+++ b/apns.py
@@ -85,10 +85,28 @@
 WAIT_WRITE_TIMEOUT_SEC = 10
 WAIT_READ_TIMEOUT_SEC = 10
 WRITE_RETRY = 3
+WAIT_READ = 1
+WAIT_WRITE = 2
 
 ER_STATUS = 'status'
 ER_IDENTIFER = 'identifier'
 
+
+def _wait_for_socket(sock, direction, timeout=None):
+    try:
+        poll = select.poll()
+        poll.register(sock, select.POLLIN if direction == WAIT_READ else select.POLLOUT)
+        if timeout:
+            timeout *= 1000
+        events = poll.poll(timeout)
+        return bool(events)
+    except AttributeError:  # fallback for systems not supporting poll()
+        rlist = [sock] if direction == WAIT_READ else []
+        wlist = [sock] if direction == WAIT_WRITE else []
+        rlist, wlist, _ = select.select(rlist, wlist, [], timeout)
+        return bool(rlist or wlist)
+
+
 class APNs(object):
     """A class representing an Apple Push Notification service connection"""
 
@@ -211,9 +229,9 @@ def _connect(self):
                     break
                 except ssl.SSLError as err:
                     if ssl.SSL_ERROR_WANT_READ == err.args[0]:
-                        select.select([self._ssl], [], [])
+                        _wait_for_socket(self._ssl, WAIT_READ)
                     elif ssl.SSL_ERROR_WANT_WRITE == err.args[0]:
-                        select.select([], [self._ssl], [])
+                        _wait_for_socket(self._ssl, WAIT_WRITE)
                     else:
                         raise
 
@@ -254,9 +272,9 @@ def read(self, n=None):
     def write(self, string):
         if self.enhanced: # nonblocking socket
             self._last_activity_time = time.time()
-            _, wlist, _ = select.select([], [self._connection()], [], WAIT_WRITE_TIMEOUT_SEC)
-            
-            if len(wlist) > 0:
+            writeable = _wait_for_socket(self._connection(), WAIT_WRITE, WAIT_WRITE_TIMEOUT_SEC)
+
+            if writeable:
                 length = self._connection().sendall(string)
                 if length == 0:
                     _logger.debug("sent length: %d" % length) #DEBUG
@@ -594,9 +612,8 @@ def run(self):
                     continue
                 
                 try:
-                    rlist, _, _ = select.select([self._apns_connection._connection()], [], [], WAIT_READ_TIMEOUT_SEC)
-                    
-                    if len(rlist) > 0: # there's some data from APNs
+                    readable = _wait_for_socket(self._apns_connection._connection(), WAIT_READ, WAIT_READ_TIMEOUT_SEC)
+                    if readable: # there's some data from APNs
                         with self._apns_connection._send_lock:
                             buff = self._apns_connection.read(ERROR_RESPONSE_LENGTH)
                             if len(buff) == ERROR_RESPONSE_LENGTH:
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index fb17a54..3b15235 100644
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # coding: utf-8
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+
 from apns import *
+from apns import _wait_for_socket
 from binascii import a2b_hex
 from random import random
+import socket
 
 import hashlib
 import os
@@ -209,5 +213,56 @@ def testPayloadTooLargeError(self):
         self.assertRaises(PayloadTooLargeError, Payload,
             u'\u0100' * (int(max_raw_payload_bytes / 2) + 1))
 
+    def testWaitForSocket(self):
+        @contextmanager
+        def assert_timing(expected, delta):
+            start = time.time()
+            yield
+            end = time.time()
+            took = end - start
+            self.assertTrue(expected > took - delta / 2)
+            self.assertTrue(expected < took + delta / 2)
+
+        socket1, socket2 = socket.socketpair()
+        socket1.setblocking(False)
+        socket2.setblocking(False)
+
+        # Nothing was written, therefore waiting for reading should time out
+        with assert_timing(1, 0.1):
+            result = _wait_for_socket(socket1, WAIT_READ, 1)
+        self.assertFalse(result)
+
+        # Send-buffer is empty, waiting for write shouldn't block
+        with assert_timing(0, 0.1):
+            result = _wait_for_socket(socket1, WAIT_WRITE, 5)
+        self.assertTrue(result)
+        socket2.send('test')
+
+        # We just sent something, reading on the other ending shouldn't block now
+        with assert_timing(0, 0.1):
+            result = _wait_for_socket(socket1, WAIT_READ, 5)
+        self.assertTrue(result)
+        self.assertEquals(socket1.recv(1024), 'test')
+
+        # Fill up the write-buffer
+        try:
+            while socket1.send(1024 * 'a') == 1024:
+                continue
+        except socket.error:
+            pass
+
+        # Waiting for write should block now
+        with assert_timing(1, 0.1):
+            result = _wait_for_socket(socket1, WAIT_WRITE, 1)
+        self.assertFalse(result)
+
+        # Closed socket returns being readable
+        socket2.close()
+        with assert_timing(0, 0.1):
+            result = _wait_for_socket(socket1, WAIT_READ)
+        self.assertTrue(result)
+
+        socket1.close()
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()