diff --git a/src/proxy.cpp b/src/proxy.cpp
index 7161acea..8c626af8 100644
--- a/src/proxy.cpp
+++ b/src/proxy.cpp
@@ -130,15 +130,6 @@ int zmq::proxy (
         { backend_, 0, ZMQ_POLLOUT, 0 }
     };
 
-    int control_idx = 2;
-    if (frontend_ == backend_) {
-        // when frontend & backend are the same,
-        // avoid duplicate poll entries
-        qt_poll_items -= 1;
-        items[1] = items[2];
-        control_idx = 1;
-    }
-
     //  Proxy can be in these three states
     enum {
         active,
@@ -163,7 +154,7 @@ int zmq::proxy (
         }
 
         //  Process a control command if any
-        if (control_ && items [control_idx].revents & ZMQ_POLLIN) {
+        if (control_ && items [2].revents & ZMQ_POLLIN) {
             rc = control_->recv (&msg, 0);
             if (unlikely (rc < 0))
                 return -1;
diff --git a/src/zmq.cpp b/src/zmq.cpp
index bb79f5df..8d479413 100644
--- a/src/zmq.cpp
+++ b/src/zmq.cpp
@@ -753,12 +753,28 @@ inline int zmq_poller_poll (zmq_pollitem_t *items_, int nitems_, long timeout_)
     void *poller = zmq_poller_new ();
     alloc_assert(poller);
 
+    bool repeat_items = false;
     //  Register sockets with poller
     for (int i = 0; i < nitems_; i++) {
         items_[i].revents = 0;
+
+        bool modify = false;
+        short e = items_[i].events;
         if (items_[i].socket) {
             //  Poll item is a 0MQ socket.
-            rc = zmq_poller_add (poller, items_[i].socket, NULL, items_[i].events);
+            for (int j = 0; j < i; ++j) {
+                // Check for repeat entries
+                if (items_[j].socket == items_[i].socket) {
+                    repeat_items = true;
+                    modify = true;
+                    e |= items_[j].events;
+                }
+            }
+            if (modify) {
+                rc = zmq_poller_modify (poller, items_[i].socket, e);
+            } else {
+                rc = zmq_poller_add (poller, items_[i].socket, NULL, e);
+            }
             if (rc < 0) {
                 zmq_poller_destroy (&poller);
                 delete [] events;
@@ -766,7 +782,19 @@ inline int zmq_poller_poll (zmq_pollitem_t *items_, int nitems_, long timeout_)
             }
         } else {
             //  Poll item is a raw file descriptor.
-            rc = zmq_poller_add_fd (poller, items_[i].fd, NULL, items_[i].events);
+            for (int j = 0; j < i; ++j) {
+                // Check for repeat entries
+                if (items_[j].fd == items_[i].fd) {
+                    repeat_items = true;
+                    modify = true;
+                    e |= items_[j].events;
+                }
+            }
+            if (modify) {
+                rc = zmq_poller_modify_fd (poller, items_[i].fd, e);
+            } else {
+                rc = zmq_poller_add_fd (poller, items_[i].fd, NULL, e);
+            }
             if (rc < 0) {
                 zmq_poller_destroy (&poller);
                 delete [] events;
@@ -786,18 +814,30 @@ inline int zmq_poller_poll (zmq_pollitem_t *items_, int nitems_, long timeout_)
         return rc;
     }
 
-    //  Transform poller events into zmq_pollitem events
+    //  Transform poller events into zmq_pollitem events.
     //  items_ contains all items, while events only contains fired events.
-    //  The two are still co-ordered, so the step through items
-    //  Checking for matches only on the first event
-    int found_events = rc;
-    for (int i = 0, j = 0; i < nitems_ && j < found_events; i++) {
-        if (
-            (items_[i].socket && items_[i].socket == events[j].socket) ||
-            (items_[i].fd && items_[i].fd == events[j].fd)
-        ) {
-            items_[i].revents = events[j].events;
-            j++;
+    //  If no sockets are repeated (likely), the two are still co-ordered, so the step through items
+    //  Checking for matches only on the first event.
+    //  If there are repeat items, they cannot be assumed to be co-ordered,
+    //  so each pollitem must check fired events from the beginning.
+    int j_start = 0, found_events = rc;
+    for (int i = 0; i < nitems_; i++) {
+        for (int j = j_start; j < found_events; ++j) {
+            if (
+                (items_[i].socket && items_[i].socket == events[j].socket) ||
+                (items_[i].fd && items_[i].fd == events[j].fd)
+            ) {
+                items_[i].revents = events[j].events & items_[i].events;
+                if (!repeat_items) {
+                    // no repeats, we can ignore events we've already seen
+                    j_start++;
+                }
+                break;
+            }
+            if (!repeat_items) {
+                // no repeats, never have to look at j > j_start
+                break;
+            }
         }
     }