diff --git a/src/db.cpp b/src/db.cpp
index b3d355b1a..6a23848ff 100644
--- a/src/db.cpp
+++ b/src/db.cpp
@@ -219,12 +219,16 @@ robj_roptr lookupKeyRead(redisDb *db, robj *key, uint64_t mvccCheckpoint) {
         if (serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb] == nullptr || serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb]->mvccCheckpoint() < mvccCheckpoint) {
             AeLocker locker;
             locker.arm(serverTL->current_client);
-            if (serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb] != nullptr)
+            if (serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb] != nullptr) {
                 db->endSnapshot(serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb]);
-            serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb] = db->createSnapshot(mvccCheckpoint, true);
+                serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb] = nullptr;
+            } else {
+                serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb] = db->createSnapshot(mvccCheckpoint, true);
+            }
             if (serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb] == nullptr) {
                 // We still need to service the read
                 o = lookupKeyReadWithFlags(db,key,LOOKUP_NONE);
+                serverTL->disable_async_commands = true; // don't try this again
             }
         }
         if (serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb] != nullptr) {
@@ -3159,6 +3163,8 @@ void redisDbPersistentData::prefetchKeysAsync(client *c, parsed_command &command
         if (command.argc >= 2) {
             const char *cmd = szFromObj(command.argv[0]);
             if (!strcasecmp(cmd, "set") || !strcasecmp(cmd, "get")) {
+                if (c->db->m_spdbSnapshotHOLDER != nullptr)
+                    return; // this is dangerous enough without a snapshot around
                 auto h = dictSdsHash(szFromObj(command.argv[1]));
                 for (int iht = 0; iht < 2; ++iht) {
                     auto hT = h & c->db->m_pdict->ht[iht].sizemask;
diff --git a/src/networking.cpp b/src/networking.cpp
index 7ec72e60c..6b40d24f0 100644
--- a/src/networking.cpp
+++ b/src/networking.cpp
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ client *createClient(connection *conn, int iel) {
     c->paused_list_node = NULL;
     c->client_tracking_redirection = 0;
     c->casyncOpsPending = 0;
-    c->mvccCheckpoint = 0;
+    c->mvccCheckpoint = getMvccTstamp();
     c->master_error = 0;
     memset(c->uuid, 0, UUID_BINARY_LEN);
 
@@ -2712,8 +2712,17 @@ void readQueryFromClient(connection *conn) {
 
     if (cserver.cthreads > 1) {
         parseClientCommandBuffer(c);
-        if (g_pserver->enable_async_commands && listLength(g_pserver->monitors) == 0 && (aeLockContention() || g_fTestMode))
-            processInputBuffer(c, false, CMD_CALL_SLOWLOG | CMD_CALL_STATS | CMD_CALL_ASYNC);
+        if (g_pserver->enable_async_commands && !serverTL->disable_async_commands && listLength(g_pserver->monitors) == 0 && (aeLockContention() || serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[c->db->id] || g_fTestMode)) {
+            // Frequent writers aren't good candidates for this optimization, they cause us to renew the snapshot too often
+            //  so we exclude them unless the snapshot we need already exists
+            bool fSnapshotExists = c->db->mvccLastSnapshot >= c->mvccCheckpoint;
+            bool fWriteTooRecent = (((getMvccTstamp() - c->mvccCheckpoint) >> MVCC_MS_SHIFT) < redisDbPersistentDataSnapshot::msStaleThreshold/2);
+
+            // The check below avoids running async commands if this is a frequent writer unless a snapshot is already there to service it
+            if (!fWriteTooRecent || fSnapshotExists) {
+                processInputBuffer(c, false, CMD_CALL_SLOWLOG | CMD_CALL_STATS | CMD_CALL_ASYNC);
+            }
+        }
         if (!c->vecqueuedcmd.empty())
             serverTL->vecclientsProcess.push_back(c);
     } else {
diff --git a/src/server.cpp b/src/server.cpp
index 3abbec816..3de23c0bb 100644
--- a/src/server.cpp
+++ b/src/server.cpp
@@ -2070,6 +2070,7 @@ int hash_spin_worker() {
  * rehashing. */
 void databasesCron(bool fMainThread) {
     serverAssert(GlobalLocksAcquired());
+
     if (fMainThread) {
         /* Expire keys by random sampling. Not required for slaves
         * as master will synthesize DELs for us. */
@@ -2783,6 +2784,7 @@ void beforeSleep(struct aeEventLoop *eventLoop) {
 
     locker.arm();
 
+    /* end any snapshots created by fast async commands */
     for (int idb = 0; idb < cserver.dbnum; ++idb) {
         if (serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb] != nullptr) {
             g_pserver->db[idb]->endSnapshot(serverTL->rgdbSnapshot[idb]);
@@ -2991,6 +2993,8 @@ void afterSleep(struct aeEventLoop *eventLoop) {
         serverTL->gcEpoch = g_pserver->garbageCollector.startEpoch();
         for (int idb = 0; idb < cserver.dbnum; ++idb)
             g_pserver->db[idb]->trackChanges(false);
+
+        serverTL->disable_async_commands = false;
     }
 }
 
@@ -4402,7 +4406,10 @@ void call(client *c, int flags) {
     serverTL->commandsExecuted++;
     const long duration = elapsedUs(call_timer);
     c->duration = duration;
-    dirty = g_pserver->dirty-dirty;
+    if (flags & CMD_CALL_ASYNC)
+        dirty = 0;  // dirty is bogus in this case as there's no synchronization
+    else
+        dirty = g_pserver->dirty-dirty;
     if (dirty < 0) dirty = 0;
 
     if (dirty)
diff --git a/src/server.h b/src/server.h
index 421aed87f..f83756d95 100644
--- a/src/server.h
+++ b/src/server.h
@@ -1263,6 +1263,8 @@ public:
     // These need to be fixed
     using redisDbPersistentData::size;
     using redisDbPersistentData::expireSize;
+
+    static const uint64_t msStaleThreshold = 500;
 };
 
 /* Redis database representation. There are multiple databases identified
@@ -1331,7 +1333,6 @@ struct redisDb : public redisDbPersistentDataSnapshot
     using redisDbPersistentData::commitChanges;
     using redisDbPersistentData::setexpireUnsafe;
     using redisDbPersistentData::setexpire;
-    using redisDbPersistentData::createSnapshot;
     using redisDbPersistentData::endSnapshot;
     using redisDbPersistentData::restoreSnapshot;
     using redisDbPersistentData::removeAllCachedValues;
@@ -1342,6 +1343,13 @@ struct redisDb : public redisDbPersistentDataSnapshot
     using redisDbPersistentData::FRehashing;
 
 public:
+    const redisDbPersistentDataSnapshot *createSnapshot(uint64_t mvccCheckpoint, bool fOptional) {
+        auto psnapshot = redisDbPersistentData::createSnapshot(mvccCheckpoint, fOptional);
+        if (psnapshot != nullptr)
+            mvccLastSnapshot = psnapshot->mvccCheckpoint();
+        return psnapshot;
+    }
+
     expireset::setiter expireitr;
     dict *blocking_keys;        /* Keys with clients waiting for data (BLPOP)*/
     dict *ready_keys;           /* Blocked keys that received a PUSH */
@@ -1350,6 +1358,7 @@ public:
     long long last_expire_set;  /* when the last expire was set */
     double avg_ttl;             /* Average TTL, just for stats */
     list *defrag_later;         /* List of key names to attempt to defrag one by one, gradually. */
+    uint64_t mvccLastSnapshot = 0;
 };
 
 /* Declare database backup that include redis main DBs and slots to keys map.
@@ -2024,6 +2033,7 @@ struct redisServerThreadVars {
     bool fRetrySetAofEvent = false;
     bool modulesEnabledThisAeLoop = false; /* In this loop of aeMain, were modules enabled before 
                                               the thread went to sleep? */
+    bool disable_async_commands = false; /* this is only valid for one cycle of the AE loop and is reset in afterSleep */
     std::vector<client*> vecclientsProcess;
     dictAsyncRehashCtl *rehashCtl = nullptr;
 
diff --git a/src/snapshot.cpp b/src/snapshot.cpp
index 795df287d..a13f5d9f5 100644
--- a/src/snapshot.cpp
+++ b/src/snapshot.cpp
@@ -654,9 +654,7 @@ int redisDbPersistentDataSnapshot::snapshot_depth() const
 
 bool redisDbPersistentDataSnapshot::FStale() const
 {
-    // 0.5 seconds considered stale;
-    static const uint64_t msStale = 500;
-    return ((getMvccTstamp() - m_mvccCheckpoint) >> MVCC_MS_SHIFT) >= msStale;
+    return ((getMvccTstamp() - m_mvccCheckpoint) >> MVCC_MS_SHIFT) >= redisDbPersistentDataSnapshot::msStaleThreshold;
 }
 
 void dictGCAsyncFree(dictAsyncRehashCtl *async) {