diff --git a/probe/appclient/app_client.go b/probe/appclient/app_client.go
index e207daabc..ac3fee515 100644
--- a/probe/appclient/app_client.go
+++ b/probe/appclient/app_client.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ type AppClient interface {
 	ControlConnection()
 	PipeConnection(string, xfer.Pipe)
 	PipeClose(string) error
-	Publish(r io.Reader) error
+	Publish(io.Reader, bool) error
 	Target() url.URL
 	ReTarget(url.URL)
 	Stop()
@@ -311,13 +311,25 @@ func (c *appClient) startPublishing() {
 }
 
 // Publish implements Publisher
-func (c *appClient) Publish(r io.Reader) error {
+func (c *appClient) Publish(r io.Reader, shortcut bool) error {
 	// Lazily start the background publishing loop.
 	c.publishLoop.Do(c.startPublishing)
+	// enqueue report
 	select {
 	case c.readers <- r:
 	default:
 		log.Errorf("Dropping report to %s", c.hostname)
+		if shortcut {
+			return nil
+		}
+		// drop an old report to make way for new one
+		c.mtx.Lock()
+		defer c.mtx.Unlock()
+		select {
+		case <-c.readers:
+		default:
+		}
+		c.readers <- r
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/probe/appclient/multi_client.go b/probe/appclient/multi_client.go
index 2eb7bf556..c8187a5ed 100644
--- a/probe/appclient/multi_client.go
+++ b/probe/appclient/multi_client.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ type clientTuple struct {
 // Publisher is something which can send a stream of data somewhere, probably
 // to a remote collector.
 type Publisher interface {
-	Publish(io.Reader) error
+	Publish(io.Reader, bool) error
 	Stop()
 }
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ type MultiAppClient interface {
 	PipeConnection(appID, pipeID string, pipe xfer.Pipe) error
 	PipeClose(appID, pipeID string) error
 	Stop()
-	Publish(io.Reader) error
+	Publish(io.Reader, bool) error
 }
 
 // NewMultiAppClient creates a new MultiAppClient.
@@ -165,13 +165,13 @@ func (c *multiClient) Stop() {
 // underlying publishers sequentially. To do that, it needs to drain the
 // reader, and recreate new readers for each publisher. Note that it will
 // publish to one endpoint for each unique ID. Failed publishes don't count.
-func (c *multiClient) Publish(r io.Reader) error {
+func (c *multiClient) Publish(r io.Reader, shortcut bool) error {
 	c.mtx.Lock()
 	defer c.mtx.Unlock()
 
 	if len(c.clients) <= 1 { // optimisation
 		for _, c := range c.clients {
-			return c.Publish(r)
+			return c.Publish(r, shortcut)
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ func (c *multiClient) Publish(r io.Reader) error {
 
 	errs := []string{}
 	for _, c := range c.clients {
-		if err := c.Publish(bytes.NewReader(buf)); err != nil {
+		if err := c.Publish(bytes.NewReader(buf), shortcut); err != nil {
 			errs = append(errs, err.Error())
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/probe/appclient/multi_client_test.go b/probe/appclient/multi_client_test.go
index 744a9d05a..e1789a710 100644
--- a/probe/appclient/multi_client_test.go
+++ b/probe/appclient/multi_client_test.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func (c *mockClient) Stop() {
 	c.stopped++
 }
 
-func (c *mockClient) Publish(io.Reader) error {
+func (c *mockClient) Publish(io.Reader, bool) error {
 	c.publish++
 	return nil
 }
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func TestMultiClientPublish(t *testing.T) {
 	mp.Set("b", []url.URL{{Host: "b2"}, {Host: "b3"}})
 
 	for i := 1; i < 10; i++ {
-		if err := mp.Publish(&bytes.Buffer{}); err != nil {
+		if err := mp.Publish(&bytes.Buffer{}, false); err != nil {
 			t.Error(err)
 		}
 		if want, have := 3*i, sum(); want != have {
diff --git a/probe/appclient/report_publisher.go b/probe/appclient/report_publisher.go
index 64777e251..2f7bdd0b8 100644
--- a/probe/appclient/report_publisher.go
+++ b/probe/appclient/report_publisher.go
@@ -30,5 +30,5 @@ func (p *ReportPublisher) Publish(r report.Report) error {
 	}
 	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
 	r.WriteBinary(buf, gzip.DefaultCompression)
-	return p.publisher.Publish(buf)
+	return p.publisher.Publish(buf, r.Shortcut)
 }
diff --git a/probe/probe_internal_test.go b/probe/probe_internal_test.go
index 42b7cbd58..af6404af6 100644
--- a/probe/probe_internal_test.go
+++ b/probe/probe_internal_test.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ type mockPublisher struct {
 	have chan report.Report
 }
 
-func (m mockPublisher) Publish(in io.Reader) error {
+func (m mockPublisher) Publish(in io.Reader, shortcut bool) error {
 	var r report.Report
 	if reader, err := gzip.NewReader(in); err != nil {
 		return err