diff --git a/revid/Revid.go b/revid/Revid.go
index 9a44c916..a43b46de 100644
--- a/revid/Revid.go
+++ b/revid/Revid.go
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ func (r *revid) packClips() {
 			_, err := r.ringBuffer.Write(frame)
 			if err != nil {
 				r.Log(Error, err.Error())
-				if err == ring.ErrTimeout {
+				if err == ring.ErrDropped {
 					r.Log(Warning, fmt.Sprintf("dropped %d byte frame", len(frame)))
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/ring/ring.go b/ring/ring.go
index b2d8b68c..265360ad 100644
--- a/ring/ring.go
+++ b/ring/ring.go
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	ErrTimeout = errors.New("ring: buffer cycle timeout")
+	ErrDropped = errors.New("ring: dropped old write")
+	ErrStall   = errors.New("ring: unable to dump old write")
 	ErrTooLong = errors.New("ring: write to long for buffer element")
 )
 
@@ -76,17 +78,26 @@ func (b *Buffer) Len() int {
 
 // Write writes the bytes in b to the next current or next available element of the ring buffer
 // it returns the number of bytes written and any error.
-// If no element can be gained within the timeout, ErrTimeout is returned and if the len(p) is
-// greater than the buffer's element size, ErrTooLong is returned.
+// If no element can be gained within the timeout or stolen from the queue, ErrStall is returned
+// and if the len(p) is greater than the buffer's element size, ErrTooLong is returned. If a
+// write was successful but a previous write was dropped, ErrDropped is returned.
 //
 // Write is safe to use concurrently with Read, but may not be used concurrently with another
 // write operation.
 func (b *Buffer) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	var dropped bool
 	if b.head == nil {
 		timer := time.NewTimer(b.timeout)
 		select {
 		case <-timer.C:
-			return 0, ErrTimeout
+			select {
+			case b.head = <-b.full:
+				b.head.Reset()
+				dropped = true
+			default:
+				// This should never happen.
+				return 0, ErrStall
+			}
 		case b.head = <-b.empty:
 			timer.Stop()
 		}
@@ -104,6 +115,9 @@ func (b *Buffer) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
 		b.full <- b.head
 		b.head = nil
 	}
+	if dropped && err == nil {
+		err = ErrDropped
+	}
 	return n, err
 }
 
diff --git a/ring/ring_test.go b/ring/ring_test.go
index 86f110da..b607351b 100644
--- a/ring/ring_test.go
+++ b/ring/ring_test.go
@@ -110,19 +110,19 @@ func TestRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
 			for _, c := range test.data {
-				var timeouts int
+				var dropped int
 				for _, f := range c {
 					time.Sleep(test.writeDelay) // Simulate slow data capture.
 					_, err := b.Write([]byte(f))
 					switch err {
 					case nil:
-						timeouts = 0
-					case ErrTimeout:
-						if timeouts > maxTimeouts {
-							t.Errorf("too many write timeouts for %q", test.name)
+						dropped = 0
+					case ErrDropped:
+						if dropped > maxTimeouts {
+							t.Errorf("too many write drops for %q", test.name)
 							return
 						}
-						timeouts++
+						dropped++
 					default:
 						t.Errorf("unexpected write error for %q: %v", test.name, err)
 						return