diff --git a/include/common/defaults.h b/include/common/defaults.h
index d1ce0214c..96e0f61b4 100644
--- a/include/common/defaults.h
+++ b/include/common/defaults.h
@@ -97,6 +97,12 @@
 #define MIN_RET_FOR_READ_LOOP 1460
 #endif
 
+// The minimum number of bytes to be forwarded that is worth trying to splice.
+// Below 4kB, it's not worth allocating pipes nor pretending to zero-copy.
+#ifndef MIN_SPLICE_FORWARD
+#define MIN_SPLICE_FORWARD 4096
+#endif
+
 // the max number of events returned in one call to poll/epoll. Too small a
 // value will cause lots of calls, and too high a value may cause high latency.
 #ifndef MAX_POLL_EVENTS
diff --git a/src/stream_sock.c b/src/stream_sock.c
index 5539cd205..d4752845d 100644
--- a/src/stream_sock.c
+++ b/src/stream_sock.c
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ int stream_sock_read(int fd) {
 		goto out_wakeup;
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_HAP_LINUX_SPLICE)
-	if (b->to_forward && b->flags & BF_KERN_SPLICING) {
+	if (b->to_forward >= MIN_SPLICE_FORWARD && b->flags & BF_KERN_SPLICING) {
 
 		/* Under Linux, if FD_POLL_HUP is set, we have reached the end.
 		 * Since older splice() implementations were buggy and returned