diff --git a/pkg/pipeline/sink/segments.go b/pkg/pipeline/sink/segments.go
index e27fc723..e6dcde9b 100644
--- a/pkg/pipeline/sink/segments.go
+++ b/pkg/pipeline/sink/segments.go
@@ -103,16 +103,16 @@ func (s *SegmentSink) Start() error {
 		}()
 
 		for update := range s.endedSegments {
-			var size int64
-			s.SegmentsInfo.SegmentCount++
-
 			segmentLocalPath := path.Join(s.LocalDir, update.filename)
 			segmentStoragePath := path.Join(s.StorageDir, update.filename)
+
+			var size int64
 			_, size, err = s.Upload(segmentLocalPath, segmentStoragePath, s.getSegmentOutputType(), true)
 			if err != nil {
 				return
 			}
 
+			s.SegmentsInfo.SegmentCount++
 			s.SegmentsInfo.Size += size
 
 			err = s.endSegment(update.filename, update.endTime)
@@ -121,18 +121,28 @@ func (s *SegmentSink) Start() error {
 				return
 			}
 
-			playlistLocalPath := path.Join(s.LocalDir, s.PlaylistFilename)
-			playlistStoragePath := path.Join(s.StorageDir, s.PlaylistFilename)
-			s.SegmentsInfo.PlaylistLocation, _, err = s.Upload(playlistLocalPath, playlistStoragePath, s.OutputType, false)
+			count := s.SegmentsInfo.SegmentCount
+			pending := len(s.endedSegments)
+			if pending > 50 {
+				if count%10 == 0 {
+					logger.Warnw("segment queue growing", nil, "pending", pending, "total", count)
+					err = s.uploadPlaylist()
+				}
+			} else if pending > 25 {
+				if count%5 > 0 {
+					err = s.uploadPlaylist()
+				}
+			} else if pending > 10 {
+				if count%2 > 0 {
+					err = s.uploadPlaylist()
+				}
+			}
 			if err != nil {
 				return
 			}
 
-			if s.LivePlaylistFilename != "" {
-				playlistLocalPath = path.Join(s.LocalDir, s.LivePlaylistFilename)
-				playlistStoragePath = path.Join(s.StorageDir, s.LivePlaylistFilename)
-				s.SegmentsInfo.LivePlaylistLocation, _, err = s.Upload(playlistLocalPath, playlistStoragePath, s.OutputType, false)
-				if err != nil {
+			if s.livePlaylist != nil {
+				if err = s.uploadLivePlaylist(); err != nil {
 					return
 				}
 			}
@@ -225,6 +235,22 @@ func (s *SegmentSink) endSegment(filename string, endTime uint64) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (s *SegmentSink) uploadPlaylist() error {
+	var err error
+	playlistLocalPath := path.Join(s.LocalDir, s.PlaylistFilename)
+	playlistStoragePath := path.Join(s.StorageDir, s.PlaylistFilename)
+	s.SegmentsInfo.PlaylistLocation, _, err = s.Upload(playlistLocalPath, playlistStoragePath, s.OutputType, false)
+	return err
+}
+
+func (s *SegmentSink) uploadLivePlaylist() error {
+	var err error
+	liveLocalPath := path.Join(s.LocalDir, s.LivePlaylistFilename)
+	liveStoragePath := path.Join(s.StorageDir, s.LivePlaylistFilename)
+	s.SegmentsInfo.LivePlaylistLocation, _, err = s.Upload(liveLocalPath, liveStoragePath, s.OutputType, false)
+	return err
+}
+
 func (s *SegmentSink) Close() error {
 	// wait for all pending upload jobs to finish
 	close(s.endedSegments)
@@ -233,24 +259,22 @@ func (s *SegmentSink) Close() error {
 	if err := s.playlist.Close(); err != nil {
 		logger.Errorw("failed to send EOS to playlist writer", err)
 	}
-
-	// upload the finalized playlist
-	playlistLocalPath := path.Join(s.LocalDir, s.PlaylistFilename)
-	playlistStoragePath := path.Join(s.StorageDir, s.PlaylistFilename)
-	s.SegmentsInfo.PlaylistLocation, _, _ = s.Upload(playlistLocalPath, playlistStoragePath, s.OutputType, false)
+	if err := s.uploadPlaylist(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	if s.livePlaylist != nil {
 		if err := s.livePlaylist.Close(); err != nil {
 			logger.Errorw("failed to send EOS to live playlist writer", err)
 		}
-
-		// upload the finalized live playlist
-		liveLocalPath := path.Join(s.LocalDir, s.LivePlaylistFilename)
-		liveStoragePath := path.Join(s.StorageDir, s.LivePlaylistFilename)
-		s.SegmentsInfo.LivePlaylistLocation, _, _ = s.Upload(liveLocalPath, liveStoragePath, s.OutputType, false)
+		if err := s.uploadLivePlaylist(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	if !s.DisableManifest {
+		playlistLocalPath := path.Join(s.LocalDir, s.PlaylistFilename)
+		playlistStoragePath := path.Join(s.StorageDir, s.PlaylistFilename)
 		manifestLocalPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s.json", playlistLocalPath)
 		manifestStoragePath := fmt.Sprintf("%s.json", playlistStoragePath)
 		if err := uploadManifest(s.conf, s.Uploader, manifestLocalPath, manifestStoragePath); err != nil {