diff --git a/libdc/include/dc/gateway.h b/libdc/include/dc/gateway.h
index 8869d7f..a061c60 100644
--- a/libdc/include/dc/gateway.h
+++ b/libdc/include/dc/gateway.h
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ void dc_gateway_set_login(dc_gateway_t gw, dc_account_t login);
 void dc_gateway_set_callback(dc_gateway_t gw, dc_gateway_event_callback_t c,
                              void *userdata);
 
+/**
+ * Returns the socket of the current gateway handle.
+ */
+int dc_gateway_socket(dc_gateway_t gw);
+
 /**
  * Connect the given gateway. Does nothing if the gateway is already
  * connected.
@@ -80,12 +85,20 @@ void dc_gateway_disconnect(dc_gateway_t gw);
 bool dc_gateway_connected(dc_gateway_t gw);
 
 /**
- * Process the queue of data that came from the websocket. Since the
- * gateway handle is not part of whole event_base_loop() shebang, this
- * must be called individually. dc_loop_once() will do this for you, if
- * you opt to use dc_loop() (which you should).
+ * This method should be called whenever data is available on the socket of
+ * the gateway that should be read and processed. This function returns false
+ * if a disconnect happened, and no more calls to this function should be made
+ * in the feature. This method is useful if you are using an event loop (or
+ * select) and wish to notify the gateway that data is ready.
  */
-void dc_gateway_process(dc_gateway_t gw);
+bool dc_gateway_process_read(dc_gateway_t gw);
+
+/**
+ * This method should be called whenever the socket is ready to send data. The
+ * method will check internal queues for messages that require sending, and will
+ * also handle the heartbeat. If the gateway closed this function returns false.
+ */
+bool dc_gateway_process_write(dc_gateway_t gw);
 
 /**
  * utility function to make a websocket frame
diff --git a/libdc/src/gateway.c b/libdc/src/gateway.c
index 5005063..a9cd4d7 100644
--- a/libdc/src/gateway.c
+++ b/libdc/src/gateway.c
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ static bool dc_gateway_handle_op(dc_gateway_t gw, json_t *j)
     return true;
 }
 
-static void dc_gateway_process_read(dc_gateway_t gw)
+static void dc_gateway_read(dc_gateway_t gw)
 {
     int ret = 0;
     char buf[100] = {0};
@@ -412,12 +412,21 @@ cleanup:
     return r;
 }
 
-void dc_gateway_process(dc_gateway_t gw)
+int dc_gateway_socket(dc_gateway_t gw)
+{
+    curl_socket_t sock = -1;
+    return_if_true(gw->easy == NULL, -1);
+
+    curl_easy_getinfo(gw->easy, CURLINFO_ACTIVESOCKET, &sock);
+    return (int)sock;
+}
+
+bool dc_gateway_process_write(dc_gateway_t gw)
 {
     time_t diff = 0;
 
     if (!dc_gateway_connected(gw)) {
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     if (gw->heartbeat_interval > 0) {
@@ -427,12 +436,27 @@ void dc_gateway_process(dc_gateway_t gw)
         }
     }
 
-    dc_gateway_process_read(gw);
+    while (gw->out->len > 0) {
+        json_t *j = g_ptr_array_index(gw->out, 0);
+        dc_gateway_process_out(gw, j);
+        g_ptr_array_remove_index(gw->out, 0);
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool dc_gateway_process_read(dc_gateway_t gw)
+{
+    if (!dc_gateway_connected(gw)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    dc_gateway_read(gw);
 
     if (gw->buffer->len > 0) {
         dc_gateway_process_frame(gw);
         if (!dc_gateway_connected(gw)) {
-            return;
+            return false;
         }
     }
 
@@ -440,9 +464,5 @@ void dc_gateway_process(dc_gateway_t gw)
         dc_gateway_process_in(gw);
     }
 
-    while (gw->out->len > 0) {
-        json_t *j = g_ptr_array_index(gw->out, 0);
-        dc_gateway_process_out(gw, j);
-        g_ptr_array_remove_index(gw->out, 0);
-    }
+    return true;
 }
diff --git a/libdc/src/loop.c b/libdc/src/loop.c
index b37859c..383c2ed 100644
--- a/libdc/src/loop.c
+++ b/libdc/src/loop.c
@@ -69,6 +69,39 @@ static void dc_loop_free(dc_loop_t p)
     free(p);
 }
 
+static void gateway_handler(int sock, short what, void *data)
+{
+    dc_loop_t l = (dc_loop_t)data;
+    bool again;
+    int i = 0;
+    dc_gateway_t gw = NULL;
+
+    for (; i < l->gateways->len; i++) {
+        if (dc_gateway_socket(g_ptr_array_index(l->gateways, i)) == sock) {
+            gw = g_ptr_array_index(l->gateways, i);
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (gw == NULL) {
+        /* no longer in the list
+         */
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if ((what & EV_READ) == EV_READ) {
+        again = dc_gateway_process_read(gw);
+    } else if ((what & EV_WRITE) == EV_WRITE) {
+        again = dc_gateway_process_write(gw);
+    }
+
+    if (again) {
+        struct event *ev = NULL;
+        ev = event_new(l->base, sock, EV_READ|EV_WRITE, gateway_handler, l);
+        event_add(ev, NULL);
+    }
+}
+
 static void socket_handler(int sock, short what, void *data)
 {
     int unused = 0;
@@ -232,6 +265,16 @@ void dc_loop_remove_api(dc_loop_t loop, dc_api_t api)
 void dc_loop_add_gateway(dc_loop_t l, dc_gateway_t gw)
 {
     return_if_true(l == NULL || gw == NULL,);
+
+    int sock = 0;
+    struct event *ev = NULL;
+
+    sock = dc_gateway_socket(gw);
+    return_if_true(sock == -1,);
+
+    ev = event_new(l->base, sock, EV_READ|EV_WRITE, gateway_handler, l);
+    event_add(ev, NULL);
+
     g_ptr_array_add(l->gateways, dc_ref(gw));
 }
 
@@ -275,17 +318,5 @@ bool dc_loop_once(dc_loop_t l)
         }
     }
 
-    for (i = 0; i < l->gateways->len; i++) {
-        dc_gateway_t gw = g_ptr_array_index(l->gateways, i);
-
-        if (!dc_gateway_connected(gw)) {
-            if (!dc_gateway_connect(gw)) {
-                continue;
-            }
-        }
-
-        dc_gateway_process(gw);
-    }
-
     return true;
 }
diff --git a/libdc/src/session.c b/libdc/src/session.c
index 71aa63d..776c74d 100644
--- a/libdc/src/session.c
+++ b/libdc/src/session.c
@@ -275,6 +275,7 @@ bool dc_session_logout(dc_session_t s)
     }
 
     if (s->gateway != NULL) {
+        dc_gateway_disconnect(s->gateway);
         dc_loop_remove_gateway(s->loop, s->gateway);
         dc_unref(s->gateway);
         s->gateway = NULL;
@@ -323,6 +324,12 @@ bool dc_session_login(dc_session_t s, dc_account_t login)
 
         dc_gateway_set_callback(s->gateway, dc_session_handler, s);
         dc_gateway_set_login(s->gateway, s->login);
+
+        if (!dc_gateway_connect(s->gateway)) {
+            dc_session_logout(s);
+            return false;
+        }
+
         dc_loop_add_gateway(s->loop, s->gateway);
     }