diff --git a/layer4/connection.go b/layer4/connection.go
index f193a54..cff1795 100644
--- a/layer4/connection.go
+++ b/layer4/connection.go
@@ -136,19 +136,19 @@ func (cx *Connection) Wrap(conn net.Conn) *Connection {
 // prefetch tries to read all bytes that a client initially sent us without blocking.
 func (cx *Connection) prefetch() (err error) {
 	var n int
-	var tmp []byte
 
-	for len(cx.buf) < MaxMatchingBytes {
+	// read once
+	if len(cx.buf) < MaxMatchingBytes {
 		free := cap(cx.buf) - len(cx.buf)
 		if free >= prefetchChunkSize {
 			n, err = cx.Conn.Read(cx.buf[len(cx.buf) : len(cx.buf)+prefetchChunkSize])
 			cx.buf = cx.buf[:len(cx.buf)+n]
 		} else {
-			if tmp == nil {
-				tmp = bufPool.Get().([]byte)
-				tmp = tmp[:prefetchChunkSize]
-				defer bufPool.Put(tmp)
-			}
+			var tmp []byte
+			tmp = bufPool.Get().([]byte)
+			tmp = tmp[:prefetchChunkSize]
+			defer bufPool.Put(tmp)
+
 			n, err = cx.Conn.Read(tmp)
 			cx.buf = append(cx.buf, tmp[:n]...)
 		}
@@ -159,23 +159,17 @@ func (cx *Connection) prefetch() (err error) {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		if n < prefetchChunkSize {
-			break
+		if cx.Logger.Core().Enabled(zap.DebugLevel) {
+			cx.Logger.Debug("prefetched",
+				zap.String("remote", cx.RemoteAddr().String()),
+				zap.Int("bytes", len(cx.buf)),
+			)
 		}
-	}
 
-	if cx.Logger.Core().Enabled(zap.DebugLevel) {
-		cx.Logger.Debug("prefetched",
-			zap.String("remote", cx.RemoteAddr().String()),
-			zap.Int("bytes", len(cx.buf)),
-		)
-	}
-
-	if len(cx.buf) >= MaxMatchingBytes {
-		return ErrMatchingBufferFull
+		return nil
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	return ErrMatchingBufferFull
 }
 
 // freeze activates the matching mode that only reads from cx.buf.
@@ -215,6 +209,8 @@ func (cx *Connection) GetVar(key string) interface{} {
 
 // MatchingBytes returns all bytes currently available for matching. This is only intended for reading.
 // Do not write into the slice. It's a view of the internal buffer, and you will likely mess up the connection.
+// Use of this for matching purpose should be accompanied by corresponding error value,
+// ErrConsumedAllPrefetchedBytes and ErrMatchingBufferFull, if not matched.
 func (cx *Connection) MatchingBytes() []byte {
 	return cx.buf[cx.offset:]
 }
diff --git a/layer4/handlers.go b/layer4/handlers.go
index d41e5dd..aa13243 100644
--- a/layer4/handlers.go
+++ b/layer4/handlers.go
@@ -80,13 +80,16 @@ type nopHandler struct{}
 
 func (nopHandler) Handle(_ *Connection) error { return nil }
 
-type nopNextHandler struct{}
+// forwardNextHandler will forward the handling to the next handler in the chain.
+type forwardNextHandler struct{}
 
-func (nopNextHandler) Handle(cx *Connection, next Handler) error { return next.Handle(cx) }
+func (forwardNextHandler) Handle(cx *Connection, next Handler) error {
+	return next.Handle(cx)
+}
 
 // listenerHandler is a connection handler that pipe incoming connection to channel as a listener wrapper
 type listenerHandler struct{}
 
-func (listenerHandler) Handle(conn *Connection, _ Handler) error {
+func (listenerHandler) Handle(conn *Connection) error {
 	return conn.Context.Value(listenerCtxKey).(*listener).pipeConnection(conn)
 }
diff --git a/layer4/routes.go b/layer4/routes.go
index bba6f0d..9d3ff75 100644
--- a/layer4/routes.go
+++ b/layer4/routes.go
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ func (r *Route) Provision(ctx caddy.Context) error {
 	for _, midhandler := range handlers {
 		r.middleware = append(r.middleware, wrapHandler(midhandler))
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -95,26 +94,40 @@ func (routes RouteList) Provision(ctx caddy.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+const (
+	// routes that need more data to determine the match
+	routeNeedsMore = iota
+	// routes definitely not matched
+	routeNotMatched
+	routeMatched
+)
+
 // Compile prepares a middleware chain from the route list.
 // This should only be done once: after all the routes have
 // been provisioned, and before the server loop begins.
-func (routes RouteList) Compile(logger *zap.Logger, matchingTimeout time.Duration, next NextHandler) Handler {
+func (routes RouteList) Compile(logger *zap.Logger, matchingTimeout time.Duration, next Handler) Handler {
 	return HandlerFunc(func(cx *Connection) error {
 		deadline := time.Now().Add(matchingTimeout)
-		lastMatchedRouteIdx := -1
-	router:
+
+		var (
+			lastMatchedRouteIdx = -1
+			lastNeedsMoreIdx    = -1
+			routesStatus        = make(map[int]int)
+			matcherNeedMore     bool
+		)
+		// this loop should only be done if there are matchers that can't determine the match,
+		// i.e. some of the matchers returned false, ErrConsumedAllPrefetchedBytes. The index which
+		// the loop begins depends upon if there is a matched route.
+	loop:
 		// timeout matching to protect against malicious or very slow clients
 		err := cx.Conn.SetReadDeadline(deadline)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-
-		for i := 0; i < 10000; i++ { // retry prefetching and matching routes until timeout
-
-			// Do not call prefetch if this is the first loop iteration and there already is some data available,
-			// since this means we are at the start of a subroute handler and previous prefetch calls likely already fetched all bytes available from the client.
-			// Which means it would block the subroute handler. In the second iteration (if no subroute routes match) blocking is the correct behaviour.
-			if i != 0 || cx.buf == nil || len(cx.buf[cx.offset:]) == 0 {
+		for {
+			// only read more because matchers require more (no matcher in the simplest case).
+			// can happen if this routes list is embedded in another
+			if matcherNeedMore {
 				err = cx.prefetch()
 				if err != nil {
 					logFunc := logger.Error
@@ -128,18 +141,22 @@ func (routes RouteList) Compile(logger *zap.Logger, matchingTimeout time.Duratio
 			}
 
 			for i, route := range routes {
-				// After a match continue with the routes after the matched one, instead of starting at the beginning.
-				// This is done for backwards compatibility with configs written before the "Non blocking matchers & matching timeout" rewrite.
-				// See https://github.com/mholt/caddy-l4/pull/192 and https://github.com/mholt/caddy-l4/pull/192#issuecomment-2143681952.
 				if i <= lastMatchedRouteIdx {
 					continue
 				}
-				// Only skip once after a match, so it behaves like we continued after the match.
-				lastMatchedRouteIdx = -1
+
+				// If the route is definitely not matched, skip it
+				if s, ok := routesStatus[i]; ok && s == routeNotMatched && i <= lastNeedsMoreIdx {
+					continue
+				}
+				// now the matcher is after a matched route and current route needs more data to determine if more data is needed.
+				// note a matcher is skipped if the one after it can determine it is matched
 
 				// A route must match at least one of the matcher sets
 				matched, err := route.matcherSets.AnyMatch(cx)
 				if errors.Is(err, ErrConsumedAllPrefetchedBytes) {
+					lastNeedsMoreIdx = i
+					routesStatus[i] = routeNeedsMore
 					continue // ignore and try next route
 				}
 				if err != nil {
@@ -147,6 +164,9 @@ func (routes RouteList) Compile(logger *zap.Logger, matchingTimeout time.Duratio
 					return nil
 				}
 				if matched {
+					routesStatus[i] = routeMatched
+					lastMatchedRouteIdx = i
+					lastNeedsMoreIdx = i
 					// remove deadline after we matched
 					err = cx.Conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Time{})
 					if err != nil {
@@ -163,7 +183,7 @@ func (routes RouteList) Compile(logger *zap.Logger, matchingTimeout time.Duratio
 						return nil
 					})
 					// compile the route handler stack with lastHandler being called last
-					handler := wrapHandler(next)(lastHandler)
+					handler := wrapHandler(forwardNextHandler{})(lastHandler)
 					for i := len(route.middleware) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 						handler = route.middleware[i](handler)
 					}
@@ -173,18 +193,31 @@ func (routes RouteList) Compile(logger *zap.Logger, matchingTimeout time.Duratio
 					}
 
 					// If handler is terminal we stop routing,
-					// otherwise we jump back to the start of the routing loop to peel of more protocol layers.
+					// otherwise we try the next handler.
 					if isTerminal {
 						return nil
-					} else {
-						lastMatchedRouteIdx = i
-						goto router
 					}
+				} else {
+					routesStatus[i] = routeNotMatched
 				}
 			}
+			// end of match
+			if lastMatchedRouteIdx == len(routes)-1 {
+				// next is called because if the last handler is terminal, it's already returned
+				return next.Handle(cx)
+			}
+			var indetermined int
+			for i, s := range routesStatus {
+				if i > lastMatchedRouteIdx && s == routeNeedsMore {
+					indetermined++
+				}
+			}
+			// some of the matchers can't reach a conclusion
+			if indetermined > 0 {
+				matcherNeedMore = true
+				goto loop
+			}
+			return next.Handle(cx)
 		}
-
-		logger.Error("matching connection", zap.String("remote", cx.RemoteAddr().String()), zap.Error(errors.New("number of prefetch calls exhausted")))
-		return nil
 	})
 }
diff --git a/layer4/routes_test.go b/layer4/routes_test.go
index 9024756..a66558c 100644
--- a/layer4/routes_test.go
+++ b/layer4/routes_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ package layer4
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2/modules/caddyhttp"
+	"io"
 	"net"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -13,11 +16,33 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest/observer"
 )
 
+type testIoMatcher struct {
+}
+
+func (testIoMatcher) CaddyModule() caddy.ModuleInfo {
+	return caddy.ModuleInfo{
+		ID:  "layer4.matchers.testIoMatcher",
+		New: func() caddy.Module { return new(testIoMatcher) },
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *testIoMatcher) Match(cx *Connection) (bool, error) {
+	buf := make([]byte, 1)
+	n, err := io.ReadFull(cx, buf)
+	return n > 0, err
+}
+
 func TestMatchingTimeoutWorks(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cancel := caddy.NewContext(caddy.Context{Context: context.Background()})
 	defer cancel()
 
-	routes := RouteList{&Route{}}
+	caddy.RegisterModule(testIoMatcher{})
+
+	routes := RouteList{&Route{
+		MatcherSetsRaw: caddyhttp.RawMatcherSets{
+			caddy.ModuleMap{"testIoMatcher": json.RawMessage("{}")}, // any io using matcher
+		},
+	}}
 
 	err := routes.Provision(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -27,9 +52,9 @@ func TestMatchingTimeoutWorks(t *testing.T) {
 	matched := false
 	loggerCore, logs := observer.New(zapcore.WarnLevel)
 	compiledRoutes := routes.Compile(zap.New(loggerCore), 5*time.Millisecond,
-		NextHandlerFunc(func(con *Connection, next Handler) error {
+		HandlerFunc(func(con *Connection) error {
 			matched = true
-			return next.Handle(con)
+			return nil
 		}))
 
 	in, out := net.Pipe()
diff --git a/layer4/server.go b/layer4/server.go
index 092f501..f599ca9 100644
--- a/layer4/server.go
+++ b/layer4/server.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func (s *Server) Provision(ctx caddy.Context, logger *zap.Logger) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	s.compiledRoute = s.Routes.Compile(s.logger, time.Duration(s.MatchingTimeout), nopNextHandler{})
+	s.compiledRoute = s.Routes.Compile(s.logger, time.Duration(s.MatchingTimeout), nopHandler{})
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/modules/l4http/httpmatcher.go b/modules/l4http/httpmatcher.go
index ffbd54c..9935755 100644
--- a/modules/l4http/httpmatcher.go
+++ b/modules/l4http/httpmatcher.go
@@ -84,7 +84,14 @@ func (m *MatchHTTP) Match(cx *layer4.Connection) (bool, error) {
 		var err error
 
 		data := cx.MatchingBytes()
-		if !m.isHttp(data) {
+		needMore, matched := m.isHttp(data)
+		if needMore {
+			if len(data) >= layer4.MaxMatchingBytes {
+				return false, layer4.ErrMatchingBufferFull
+			}
+			return false, layer4.ErrConsumedAllPrefetchedBytes
+		}
+		if !matched {
 			return false, nil
 		}
 
@@ -124,11 +131,13 @@ func (m *MatchHTTP) Match(cx *layer4.Connection) (bool, error) {
 	return m.matcherSets.AnyMatch(req), nil
 }
 
-func (m *MatchHTTP) isHttp(data []byte) bool {
+// isHttp test if the buffered data looks like HTTP by looking at the first line.
+// first boolean determines if more data is required
+func (m MatchHTTP) isHttp(data []byte) (bool, bool) {
 	// try to find the end of a http request line, for example " HTTP/1.1\r\n"
 	i := bytes.IndexByte(data, 0x0a) // find first new line
 	if i < 10 {
-		return false
+		return true, false
 	}
 	// assume only \n line ending
 	start := i - 9 // position of space in front of HTTP
@@ -138,7 +147,7 @@ func (m *MatchHTTP) isHttp(data []byte) bool {
 		start -= 1
 		end -= 1
 	}
-	return bytes.Compare(data[start:end], []byte(" HTTP/")) == 0
+	return false, bytes.Compare(data[start:end], []byte(" HTTP/")) == 0
 }
 
 // Parses information from a http2 request with prior knowledge (RFC 7540 Section 3.4)
diff --git a/modules/l4http/httpmatcher_test.go b/modules/l4http/httpmatcher_test.go
index 7028436..ce63d3d 100644
--- a/modules/l4http/httpmatcher_test.go
+++ b/modules/l4http/httpmatcher_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,28 @@ func assertNoError(t *testing.T, err error) {
 	}
 }
 
+// testHandler is a connection handler that will set a variable to let us know it was called.
+type testHandler struct {
+}
+
+// CaddyModule returns the Caddy module information.
+func (testHandler) CaddyModule() caddy.ModuleInfo {
+	return caddy.ModuleInfo{
+		ID:  "layer4.handlers.test_handler",
+		New: func() caddy.Module { return new(testHandler) },
+	}
+}
+
+// Handle handles the connections.
+func (h *testHandler) Handle(cx *layer4.Connection, next layer4.Handler) error {
+	cx.SetVar("test_handler_called", true)
+	return next.Handle(cx)
+}
+
+func init() {
+	caddy.RegisterModule(testHandler{})
+}
+
 func httpMatchTester(t *testing.T, matchers json.RawMessage, data []byte) (bool, error) {
 	in, out := net.Pipe()
 	defer func() { _ = in.Close() }()
@@ -41,14 +63,15 @@ func httpMatchTester(t *testing.T, matchers json.RawMessage, data []byte) (bool,
 		MatcherSetsRaw: caddyhttp.RawMatcherSets{
 			caddy.ModuleMap{"http": matchers},
 		},
+		HandlersRaw: []json.RawMessage{json.RawMessage("{\"handler\":\"test_handler\"}")},
 	}}
 	err := routes.Provision(ctx)
 	assertNoError(t, err)
 
 	matched := false
 	compiledRoute := routes.Compile(zap.NewNop(), 10*time.Millisecond,
-		layer4.NextHandlerFunc(func(con *layer4.Connection, _ layer4.Handler) error {
-			matched = true
+		layer4.HandlerFunc(func(con *layer4.Connection) error {
+			matched = con.GetVar("test_handler_called") != nil
 			return nil
 		}))
 
@@ -206,7 +229,7 @@ func TestHttpMatchingByProtocolWithHttps(t *testing.T) {
 
 	handlerCalled := false
 	compiledRoute := routes.Compile(zap.NewNop(), 100*time.Millisecond,
-		layer4.NextHandlerFunc(func(con *layer4.Connection, _ layer4.Handler) error {
+		layer4.HandlerFunc(func(con *layer4.Connection) error {
 			handlerCalled = true
 			return nil
 		}))
@@ -291,7 +314,7 @@ func TestMatchHTTP_isHttp(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			matched := (&MatchHTTP{}).isHttp(tc.data)
+			_, matched := MatchHTTP{}.isHttp(tc.data)
 			if matched != tc.shouldMatch {
 				t.Fatalf("test %v | matched: %v != shouldMatch: %v", tc.name, matched, tc.shouldMatch)
 			}
diff --git a/modules/l4ssh/matcher.go b/modules/l4ssh/matcher.go
index 3fb5e17..451bfec 100644
--- a/modules/l4ssh/matcher.go
+++ b/modules/l4ssh/matcher.go
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ func (*MatchSSH) CaddyModule() caddy.ModuleInfo {
 // Match returns true if the connection looks like SSH.
 func (m *MatchSSH) Match(cx *layer4.Connection) (bool, error) {
 	p := make([]byte, len(sshPrefix))
-	n, err := io.ReadFull(cx, p)
-	if err != nil || n < len(sshPrefix) {
-		return false, nil
+	_, err := io.ReadFull(cx, p)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
 	}
 	return bytes.Equal(p, sshPrefix), nil
 }
diff --git a/modules/l4subroute/handler.go b/modules/l4subroute/handler.go
index b36c5e2..643792b 100644
--- a/modules/l4subroute/handler.go
+++ b/modules/l4subroute/handler.go
@@ -70,10 +70,7 @@ func (h *Handler) Provision(ctx caddy.Context) error {
 
 // Handle handles the connections.
 func (h *Handler) Handle(cx *layer4.Connection, next layer4.Handler) error {
-	subroute := h.Routes.Compile(h.logger, time.Duration(h.MatchingTimeout),
-		layer4.NextHandlerFunc(func(cx *layer4.Connection, _ layer4.Handler) error {
-			return next.Handle(cx) // continue with original chain after subroute
-		}))
+	subroute := h.Routes.Compile(h.logger, time.Duration(h.MatchingTimeout), next)
 	return subroute.Handle(cx)
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/l4xmpp/matcher.go b/modules/l4xmpp/matcher.go
index e930f24..ec14ab3 100644
--- a/modules/l4xmpp/matcher.go
+++ b/modules/l4xmpp/matcher.go
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ func (*MatchXMPP) CaddyModule() caddy.ModuleInfo {
 // Match returns true if the connection looks like XMPP.
 func (m *MatchXMPP) Match(cx *layer4.Connection) (bool, error) {
 	p := make([]byte, minXmppLength)
-	n, err := io.ReadFull(cx, p)
-	if err != nil || n < minXmppLength { // needs at least 50 (fix for adium/pidgin)
-		return false, nil
+	_, err := io.ReadFull(cx, p)
+	if err != nil { // needs at least 50 (fix for adium/pidgin)
+		return false, err
 	}
 	return strings.Contains(string(p), xmppWord), nil
 }