diff --git a/docs/sanic/streaming.md b/docs/sanic/streaming.md
index a785322a..bf3ca664 100644
--- a/docs/sanic/streaming.md
+++ b/docs/sanic/streaming.md
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ async def handler(request):
             if body is None:
                 break
             body = body.decode('utf-8').replace('1', 'A')
-            response.write(body)
+            await response.write(body)
     return stream(streaming)
 
 
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ app = Sanic(__name__)
 @app.route("/")
 async def test(request):
     async def sample_streaming_fn(response):
-        response.write('foo,')
-        response.write('bar')
+        await response.write('foo,')
+        await response.write('bar')
 
     return stream(sample_streaming_fn, content_type='text/csv')
 ```
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ async def index(request):
         conn = await asyncpg.connect(database='test')
         async with conn.transaction():
             async for record in conn.cursor('SELECT generate_series(0, 10)'):
-                response.write(record[0])
+                await response.write(record[0])
 
     return stream(stream_from_db)
 ```
diff --git a/examples/request_stream/server.py b/examples/request_stream/server.py
index e53a224c..d3d35aef 100644
--- a/examples/request_stream/server.py
+++ b/examples/request_stream/server.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ async def handler(request):
             if body is None:
                 break
             body = body.decode('utf-8').replace('1', 'A')
-            response.write(body)
+            await response.write(body)
     return stream(streaming)
 
 
diff --git a/sanic/response.py b/sanic/response.py
index 2d2f5b96..f169b4f2 100644
--- a/sanic/response.py
+++ b/sanic/response.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class BaseHTTPResponse:
 
 class StreamingHTTPResponse(BaseHTTPResponse):
     __slots__ = (
-        'transport', 'streaming_fn', 'status',
+        'protocol', 'streaming_fn', 'status',
         'content_type', 'headers', '_cookies'
     )
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class StreamingHTTPResponse(BaseHTTPResponse):
         self.headers = CIMultiDict(headers or {})
         self._cookies = None
 
-    def write(self, data):
+    async def write(self, data):
         """Writes a chunk of data to the streaming response.
 
         :param data: bytes-ish data to be written.
@@ -66,8 +66,9 @@ class StreamingHTTPResponse(BaseHTTPResponse):
         if type(data) != bytes:
             data = self._encode_body(data)
 
-        self.transport.write(
+        self.protocol.push_data(
             b"%x\r\n%b\r\n" % (len(data), data))
+        await self.protocol.drain()
 
     async def stream(
             self, version="1.1", keep_alive=False, keep_alive_timeout=None):
@@ -77,10 +78,12 @@ class StreamingHTTPResponse(BaseHTTPResponse):
         headers = self.get_headers(
             version, keep_alive=keep_alive,
             keep_alive_timeout=keep_alive_timeout)
-        self.transport.write(headers)
-
+        self.protocol.push_data(headers)
+        await self.protocol.drain()
         await self.streaming_fn(self)
-        self.transport.write(b'0\r\n\r\n')
+        self.protocol.push_data(b'0\r\n\r\n')
+        # no need to await drain here after this write, because it is the
+        # very last thing we write and nothing needs to wait for it.
 
     def get_headers(
             self, version="1.1", keep_alive=False, keep_alive_timeout=None):
@@ -298,13 +301,13 @@ async def file_stream(location, status=200, chunk_size=4096, mime_type=None,
                     if len(content) < 1:
                         break
                     to_send -= len(content)
-                    response.write(content)
+                    await response.write(content)
             else:
                 while True:
                     content = await _file.read(chunk_size)
                     if len(content) < 1:
                         break
-                    response.write(content)
+                    await response.write(content)
         finally:
             await _file.close()
         return  # Returning from this fn closes the stream
diff --git a/sanic/server.py b/sanic/server.py
index 11e54edc..d5a8f211 100644
--- a/sanic/server.py
+++ b/sanic/server.py
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
         # connection management
         '_total_request_size', '_request_timeout_handler',
         '_response_timeout_handler', '_keep_alive_timeout_handler',
-        '_last_request_time', '_last_response_time', '_is_stream_handler')
+        '_last_request_time', '_last_response_time', '_is_stream_handler',
+        '_not_paused')
 
     def __init__(self, *, loop, request_handler, error_handler,
                  signal=Signal(), connections=set(), request_timeout=60,
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
         self.request_class = request_class or Request
         self.is_request_stream = is_request_stream
         self._is_stream_handler = False
+        self._not_paused = asyncio.Event(loop=loop)
         self._total_request_size = 0
         self._request_timeout_handler = None
         self._response_timeout_handler = None
@@ -96,6 +98,7 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
         if 'requests_count' not in self.state:
             self.state['requests_count'] = 0
         self._debug = debug
+        self._not_paused.set()
 
     @property
     def keep_alive(self):
@@ -124,6 +127,12 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
         if self._keep_alive_timeout_handler:
             self._keep_alive_timeout_handler.cancel()
 
+    def pause_writing(self):
+        self._not_paused.clear()
+
+    def resume_writing(self):
+        self._not_paused.set()
+
     def request_timeout_callback(self):
         # See the docstring in the RequestTimeout exception, to see
         # exactly what this timeout is checking for.
@@ -351,6 +360,12 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
                 self._last_response_time = current_time
                 self.cleanup()
 
+    async def drain(self):
+        await self._not_paused.wait()
+
+    def push_data(self, data):
+        self.transport.write(data)
+
     async def stream_response(self, response):
         """
         Streams a response to the client asynchronously. Attaches
@@ -360,9 +375,10 @@ class HttpProtocol(asyncio.Protocol):
         if self._response_timeout_handler:
             self._response_timeout_handler.cancel()
             self._response_timeout_handler = None
+
         try:
             keep_alive = self.keep_alive
-            response.transport = self.transport
+            response.protocol = self
             await response.stream(
                 self.request.version, keep_alive, self.keep_alive_timeout)
             self.log_response(response)
diff --git a/tests/test_request_stream.py b/tests/test_request_stream.py
index 4ca4e44e..b14aa519 100644
--- a/tests/test_request_stream.py
+++ b/tests/test_request_stream.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def test_request_stream_app():
                 body = await request.stream.get()
                 if body is None:
                     break
-                response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
+                await response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
         return stream(streaming)
 
     @app.put('/_put')
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def test_request_stream_app():
                 body = await request.stream.get()
                 if body is None:
                     break
-                response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
+                await response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
         return stream(streaming)
 
     @app.patch('/_patch')
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def test_request_stream_app():
                 body = await request.stream.get()
                 if body is None:
                     break
-                response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
+                await response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
         return stream(streaming)
 
     assert app.is_request_stream is True
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ def test_request_stream_handle_exception():
                 body = await request.stream.get()
                 if body is None:
                     break
-                response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
+                await response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
         return stream(streaming)
 
     # 404
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ def test_request_stream_blueprint():
                 body = await request.stream.get()
                 if body is None:
                     break
-                response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
+                await response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
         return stream(streaming)
 
     @bp.put('/_put')
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ def test_request_stream_blueprint():
                 body = await request.stream.get()
                 if body is None:
                     break
-                response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
+                await response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
         return stream(streaming)
 
     @bp.patch('/_patch')
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ def test_request_stream_blueprint():
                 body = await request.stream.get()
                 if body is None:
                     break
-                response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
+                await response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
         return stream(streaming)
 
     app.blueprint(bp)
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ def test_request_stream():
                 body = await request.stream.get()
                 if body is None:
                     break
-                response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
+                await response.write(body.decode('utf-8'))
         return stream(streaming)
 
     @app.get('/get')
diff --git a/tests/test_response.py b/tests/test_response.py
index 96c06ce6..6dcd2ea6 100644
--- a/tests/test_response.py
+++ b/tests/test_response.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from random import choice
 
 from sanic import Sanic
 from sanic.response import HTTPResponse, stream, StreamingHTTPResponse, file, file_stream, json
+from sanic.server import HttpProtocol
 from sanic.testing import HOST, PORT
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 
@@ -30,9 +31,10 @@ def test_response_body_not_a_string():
 
 
 async def sample_streaming_fn(response):
-    response.write('foo,')
+    await response.write('foo,')
     await asyncio.sleep(.001)
-    response.write('bar')
+    await response.write('bar')
+
 
 
 def test_method_not_allowed():
@@ -189,20 +191,30 @@ def test_stream_response_includes_chunked_header():
 
 def test_stream_response_writes_correct_content_to_transport(streaming_app):
     response = StreamingHTTPResponse(sample_streaming_fn)
-    response.transport = MagicMock(asyncio.Transport)
+    response.protocol = MagicMock(HttpProtocol)
+    response.protocol.transport = MagicMock(asyncio.Transport)
+
+    async def mock_drain():
+        pass
+
+    def mock_push_data(data):
+        response.protocol.transport.write(data)
+
+    response.protocol.push_data = mock_push_data
+    response.protocol.drain = mock_drain
 
     @streaming_app.listener('after_server_start')
     async def run_stream(app, loop):
         await response.stream()
-        assert response.transport.write.call_args_list[1][0][0] == (
+        assert response.protocol.transport.write.call_args_list[1][0][0] == (
             b'4\r\nfoo,\r\n'
         )
 
-        assert response.transport.write.call_args_list[2][0][0] == (
+        assert response.protocol.transport.write.call_args_list[2][0][0] == (
             b'3\r\nbar\r\n'
         )
 
-        assert response.transport.write.call_args_list[3][0][0] == (
+        assert response.protocol.transport.write.call_args_list[3][0][0] == (
             b'0\r\n\r\n'
         )