diff --git a/derp/derp_server.go b/derp/derp_server.go
index 96d5ae3fc..861a41dc8 100644
--- a/derp/derp_server.go
+++ b/derp/derp_server.go
@@ -478,20 +478,21 @@ func (s *Server) accept(nc Conn, brw *bufio.ReadWriter, remoteAddr string, connN
 	remoteIPPort, _ := netaddr.ParseIPPort(remoteAddr)
 
 	c := &sclient{
-		connNum:      connNum,
-		s:            s,
-		key:          clientKey,
-		nc:           nc,
-		br:           br,
-		bw:           bw,
-		logf:         logger.WithPrefix(s.logf, fmt.Sprintf("derp client %v/%x: ", remoteAddr, clientKey)),
-		done:         ctx.Done(),
-		remoteAddr:   remoteAddr,
-		remoteIPPort: remoteIPPort,
-		connectedAt:  time.Now(),
-		sendQueue:    make(chan pkt, perClientSendQueueDepth),
-		peerGone:     make(chan key.Public),
-		canMesh:      clientInfo.MeshKey != "" && clientInfo.MeshKey == s.meshKey,
+		connNum:        connNum,
+		s:              s,
+		key:            clientKey,
+		nc:             nc,
+		br:             br,
+		bw:             bw,
+		logf:           logger.WithPrefix(s.logf, fmt.Sprintf("derp client %v/%x: ", remoteAddr, clientKey)),
+		done:           ctx.Done(),
+		remoteAddr:     remoteAddr,
+		remoteIPPort:   remoteIPPort,
+		connectedAt:    time.Now(),
+		sendQueue:      make(chan pkt, perClientSendQueueDepth),
+		discoSendQueue: make(chan pkt, perClientSendQueueDepth),
+		peerGone:       make(chan key.Public),
+		canMesh:        clientInfo.MeshKey != "" && clientInfo.MeshKey == s.meshKey,
 	}
 	if c.canMesh {
 		c.meshUpdate = make(chan struct{})
@@ -739,6 +740,10 @@ func (c *sclient) sendPkt(dst *sclient, p pkt) error {
 	// Attempt to queue for sending up to 3 times. On each attempt, if
 	// the queue is full, try to drop from queue head to prioritize
 	// fresher packets.
+	sendQueue := dst.sendQueue
+	if disco.LooksLikeDiscoWrapper(p.bs) {
+		sendQueue = dst.discoSendQueue
+	}
 	for attempt := 0; attempt < 3; attempt++ {
 		select {
 		case <-dst.done:
@@ -747,13 +752,13 @@ func (c *sclient) sendPkt(dst *sclient, p pkt) error {
 		default:
 		}
 		select {
-		case dst.sendQueue <- p:
+		case sendQueue <- p:
 			return nil
 		default:
 		}
 
 		select {
-		case pkt := <-dst.sendQueue:
+		case pkt := <-sendQueue:
 			s.recordDrop(pkt.bs, c.key, dstKey, dropReasonQueueHead)
 			c.recordQueueTime(pkt.enqueuedAt)
 		default:
@@ -932,19 +937,20 @@ func (s *Server) recvForwardPacket(br *bufio.Reader, frameLen uint32) (srcKey, d
 // (The "s" prefix is to more explicitly distinguish it from Client in derp_client.go)
 type sclient struct {
 	// Static after construction.
-	connNum      int64 // process-wide unique counter, incremented each Accept
-	s            *Server
-	nc           Conn
-	key          key.Public
-	info         clientInfo
-	logf         logger.Logf
-	done         <-chan struct{} // closed when connection closes
-	remoteAddr   string          // usually ip:port from net.Conn.RemoteAddr().String()
-	remoteIPPort netaddr.IPPort  // zero if remoteAddr is not ip:port.
-	sendQueue    chan pkt        // packets queued to this client; never closed
-	peerGone     chan key.Public // write request that a previous sender has disconnected (not used by mesh peers)
-	meshUpdate   chan struct{}   // write request to write peerStateChange
-	canMesh      bool            // clientInfo had correct mesh token for inter-region routing
+	connNum        int64 // process-wide unique counter, incremented each Accept
+	s              *Server
+	nc             Conn
+	key            key.Public
+	info           clientInfo
+	logf           logger.Logf
+	done           <-chan struct{} // closed when connection closes
+	remoteAddr     string          // usually ip:port from net.Conn.RemoteAddr().String()
+	remoteIPPort   netaddr.IPPort  // zero if remoteAddr is not ip:port.
+	sendQueue      chan pkt        // packets queued to this client; never closed
+	discoSendQueue chan pkt        // important packets queued to this client; never closed
+	peerGone       chan key.Public // write request that a previous sender has disconnected (not used by mesh peers)
+	meshUpdate     chan struct{}   // write request to write peerStateChange
+	canMesh        bool            // clientInfo had correct mesh token for inter-region routing
 
 	// Owned by run, not thread-safe.
 	br          *bufio.Reader
@@ -1039,6 +1045,8 @@ func (c *sclient) sendLoop(ctx context.Context) error {
 			select {
 			case pkt := <-c.sendQueue:
 				c.s.recordDrop(pkt.bs, pkt.src, c.key, dropReasonGone)
+			case pkt := <-c.discoSendQueue:
+				c.s.recordDrop(pkt.bs, pkt.src, c.key, dropReasonGone)
 			default:
 				return
 			}
@@ -1069,6 +1077,10 @@ func (c *sclient) sendLoop(ctx context.Context) error {
 			werr = c.sendPacket(msg.src, msg.bs)
 			c.recordQueueTime(msg.enqueuedAt)
 			continue
+		case msg := <-c.discoSendQueue:
+			werr = c.sendPacket(msg.src, msg.bs)
+			c.recordQueueTime(msg.enqueuedAt)
+			continue
 		case <-keepAliveTick.C:
 			werr = c.sendKeepAlive()
 			continue
@@ -1092,6 +1104,9 @@ func (c *sclient) sendLoop(ctx context.Context) error {
 		case msg := <-c.sendQueue:
 			werr = c.sendPacket(msg.src, msg.bs)
 			c.recordQueueTime(msg.enqueuedAt)
+		case msg := <-c.discoSendQueue:
+			werr = c.sendPacket(msg.src, msg.bs)
+			c.recordQueueTime(msg.enqueuedAt)
 		case <-keepAliveTick.C:
 			werr = c.sendKeepAlive()
 		}