diff --git a/src/main/java/com/bealetech/metrics/reporting/StatsdReporter.java b/src/main/java/com/bealetech/metrics/reporting/StatsdReporter.java
index 6d4cdb2..abe1dbd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/bealetech/metrics/reporting/StatsdReporter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/bealetech/metrics/reporting/StatsdReporter.java
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 
 public class StatsdReporter extends AbstractPollingReporter implements MetricProcessor<Long> {
 
+    private static final int MAX_UDPDATAGRAM_LENGTH = 1300; // In reality, usually closer to 1500
+
     public static enum StatType { COUNTER, TIMER, GAUGE }
 
     private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(StatsdReporter.class);
@@ -41,8 +43,12 @@ public static enum StatType { COUNTER, TIMER, GAUGE }
     protected final MetricPredicate predicate;
     protected final Locale locale = Locale.US;
     protected final Clock clock;
+
     protected final UDPSocketProvider socketProvider;
+    protected DatagramSocket currentSocket = null;
+
     protected final VirtualMachineMetrics vm;
+
     protected Writer writer;
     protected ByteArrayOutputStream outputData;
 
@@ -110,24 +116,19 @@ public void setPrintVMMetrics(boolean printVMMetrics) {
 
     @Override
     public void run() {
-        DatagramSocket socket = null;
+
         try {
-            socket = this.socketProvider.get();
-            outputData.reset();
-            prependNewline = false;
-            writer = new BufferedWriter(new OutputStreamWriter(this.outputData));
+            currentSocket = this.socketProvider.get();
+            resetWriterState();
 
             final long epoch = clock.time() / 1000;
-            if (this.printVMMetrics) {
+            if (printVMMetrics) {
                 printVmMetrics(epoch);
             }
             printRegularMetrics(epoch);
 
             // Send UDP data
-            writer.flush();
-            DatagramPacket packet = this.socketProvider.newPacket(outputData);
-            packet.setData(outputData.toByteArray());
-            socket.send(packet);
+            sendDatagram();
         } catch (Exception e) {
             if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) {
                 LOG.debug("Error writing to Graphite", e);
@@ -142,13 +143,28 @@ public void run() {
                 }
             }
         } finally {
-            if (socket != null) {
-                socket.close();
+            if (currentSocket != null) {
+                currentSocket.close();
             }
             writer = null;
         }
     }
 
+    private void resetWriterState() {
+        outputData.reset();
+        prependNewline = false;
+        writer = new BufferedWriter(new OutputStreamWriter(this.outputData));
+    }
+
+    private void sendDatagram() throws IOException {
+        writer.flush();
+        if (outputData.size() > 0) { // Don't send an empty datagram
+            DatagramPacket packet = this.socketProvider.newPacket(outputData);
+            packet.setData(outputData.toByteArray());
+            currentSocket.send(packet);
+        }
+    }
+
     protected void printVmMetrics(long epoch) {
         // Memory
         sendFloat("jvm.memory.totalInit", StatType.GAUGE, vm.totalInit());
@@ -321,6 +337,12 @@ protected void sendData(String name, String value, StatType statType) {
             writer.write(statTypeStr);
             prependNewline = true;
             writer.flush();
+
+            if (outputData.size() > MAX_UDPDATAGRAM_LENGTH) {
+                // Need to send our UDP packet now before it gets too big.
+                sendDatagram();
+                resetWriterState();
+            }
         } catch (IOException e) {
             LOG.error("Error sending to Graphite:", e);
         }