diff --git a/src/dbus_fast/aio/message_bus.py b/src/dbus_fast/aio/message_bus.py
index 9c9a0d3..d9e7614 100644
--- a/src/dbus_fast/aio/message_bus.py
+++ b/src/dbus_fast/aio/message_bus.py
@@ -45,15 +45,16 @@ class _MessageWriter:
         self.fd = bus._fd
         self.offset = 0
         self.unix_fds = None
-        self.fut = None
+        self.fut: Optional[asyncio.Future] = None
 
-    def write_callback(self):
+    def write_callback(self, remove_writer: bool = True) -> None:
         try:
             while True:
                 if self.buf is None:
                     if self.messages.qsize() == 0:
                         # nothing more to write
-                        self.loop.remove_writer(self.fd)
+                        if remove_writer:
+                            self.loop.remove_writer(self.fd)
                         return
                     buf, unix_fds, fut = self.messages.get_nowait()
                     self.unix_fds = unix_fds
@@ -97,12 +98,28 @@ class _MessageWriter:
             )
         )
 
+    def _write_without_remove_writer(self):
+        """Call the write callback without removing the writer."""
+        self.write_callback(remove_writer=False)
+
     def schedule_write(self, msg: Message = None, future=None):
+        queue_is_empty = self.messages.qsize() == 0
         if msg is not None:
             self.buffer_message(msg, future)
         if self.bus.unique_name:
-            # don't run the writer until the bus is ready to send messages
-            self.loop.add_writer(self.fd, self.write_callback)
+            # Optimization: try to send now if the queue
+            # is empty. With bleak this usually means we
+            # can send right away 99% of the time which
+            # is a huge improvement in latency.
+            if queue_is_empty:
+                self._write_without_remove_writer()
+            if (
+                self.buf is not None
+                or self.messages.qsize() != 0
+                or not self.fut
+                or not self.fut.done()
+            ):
+                self.loop.add_writer(self.fd, self.write_callback)
 
 
 class MessageBus(BaseMessageBus):
diff --git a/src/dbus_fast/message_bus.py b/src/dbus_fast/message_bus.py
index 287d0ba..a81ece7 100644
--- a/src/dbus_fast/message_bus.py
+++ b/src/dbus_fast/message_bus.py
@@ -646,12 +646,19 @@ class BaseMessageBus:
                 self._name_owners[msg.destination] = reply.sender
             callback(reply, err)
 
+        no_reply_expected = msg.flags & MessageFlag.NO_REPLY_EXPECTED
+
+        # Make sure the return reply handler is installed
+        # before sending the message to avoid a race condition
+        # where the reply is lost in case the backend can
+        # send it right away.
+        if not no_reply_expected:
+            self._method_return_handlers[msg.serial] = reply_notify
+
         self.send(msg)
 
-        if msg.flags & MessageFlag.NO_REPLY_EXPECTED:
+        if no_reply_expected:
             callback(None, None)
-        else:
-            self._method_return_handlers[msg.serial] = reply_notify
 
     @staticmethod
     def _check_callback_type(callback):
diff --git a/tests/test_disconnect.py b/tests/test_disconnect.py
index 80f92a0..5f32f6b 100644
--- a/tests/test_disconnect.py
+++ b/tests/test_disconnect.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import functools
 import os
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -16,19 +17,20 @@ async def test_bus_disconnect_before_reply(event_loop):
     await bus.connect()
     assert bus.connected
 
-    ping = bus.call(
-        Message(
-            destination="org.freedesktop.DBus",
-            path="/org/freedesktop/DBus",
-            interface="org.freedesktop.DBus",
-            member="Ping",
+    with patch.object(bus._writer, "_write_without_remove_writer"):
+        ping = bus.call(
+            Message(
+                destination="org.freedesktop.DBus",
+                path="/org/freedesktop/DBus",
+                interface="org.freedesktop.DBus",
+                member="Ping",
+            )
         )
-    )
 
-    event_loop.call_soon(bus.disconnect)
+        event_loop.call_soon(bus.disconnect)
 
-    with pytest.raises((EOFError, BrokenPipeError)):
-        await ping
+        with pytest.raises((EOFError, BrokenPipeError)):
+            await ping
 
     assert bus._disconnected
     assert not bus.connected
@@ -42,22 +44,23 @@ async def test_unexpected_disconnect(event_loop):
     await bus.connect()
     assert bus.connected
 
-    ping = bus.call(
-        Message(
-            destination="org.freedesktop.DBus",
-            path="/org/freedesktop/DBus",
-            interface="org.freedesktop.DBus",
-            member="Ping",
+    with patch.object(bus._writer, "_write_without_remove_writer"):
+        ping = bus.call(
+            Message(
+                destination="org.freedesktop.DBus",
+                path="/org/freedesktop/DBus",
+                interface="org.freedesktop.DBus",
+                member="Ping",
+            )
         )
-    )
 
-    event_loop.call_soon(functools.partial(os.close, bus._fd))
+        event_loop.call_soon(functools.partial(os.close, bus._fd))
 
-    with pytest.raises(OSError):
-        await ping
+        with pytest.raises(OSError):
+            await ping
 
-    assert bus._disconnected
-    assert not bus.connected
+        assert bus._disconnected
+        assert not bus.connected
 
     with pytest.raises(OSError):
         await bus.wait_for_disconnect()