diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
index 09f092bf89..2b568a8238 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_server.js
@@ -237,6 +237,12 @@ _.extend(Meteor._LivedataSession.prototype, {
       // done.
       var fence = new Meteor._WriteFence;
       fence.onAllCommitted(function () {
+        // Retire the fence so that future writes are allowed.
+        // This means that callbacks like timers are free to use
+        // the fence, and if they fire before it's armed (for
+        // example, because the method waits for them) their
+        // writes will be included in the fence.
+        fence.retire();
         self.send({
           msg: 'data', methods: [msg.id]});
       });
diff --git a/packages/livedata/writefence.js b/packages/livedata/writefence.js
index b857cfc9e5..a95aca63fe 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/writefence.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/writefence.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Meteor._WriteFence = function () {
 
   self.armed = false;
   self.fired = false;
+  self.retired = false;
   self.outstanding_writes = 0;
   self.completion_callbacks = [];
 };
@@ -24,6 +25,9 @@ _.extend(Meteor._WriteFence.prototype, {
   beginWrite: function () {
     var self = this;
 
+    if (self.retired)
+      return { committed: function () {} };
+
     if (self.fired)
       throw new Error("fence has already activated -- too late to add writes");
 
@@ -77,5 +81,14 @@ _.extend(Meteor._WriteFence.prototype, {
       _.each(self.completion_callbacks, function (f) {f(self);});
       self.completion_callbacks = [];
     }
+  },
+
+  // Deactivate this fence so that adding more writes has no effect.
+  // The fence must have already fired.
+  retire: function () {
+    var self = this;
+    if (! self.fired)
+      throw new Error("Can't retire a fence that hasn't fired.");
+    self.retired = true;
   }
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/meteor/timers.js b/packages/meteor/timers.js
index cb541f8aa2..05443601c5 100644
--- a/packages/meteor/timers.js
+++ b/packages/meteor/timers.js
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 _.extend(Meteor, {
   // Meteor.setTimeout and Meteor.setInterval callbacks scheduled
-  // inside a server method are not part of the method invocation, and
-  // should clear out the CurrentInvocation and CurrentWriteFence
-  // environment variables.
+  // inside a server method are not part of the method invocation and
+  // should clear out the CurrentInvocation environment variable.
 
   setTimeout: function (f, duration) {
     if (Meteor._CurrentInvocation) {
@@ -13,11 +12,6 @@ _.extend(Meteor, {
       f = function () { Meteor._CurrentInvocation.withValue(null, f_with_ci); };
     }
 
-    if (Meteor._CurrentWriteFence) {
-      var f_with_cwf = f;
-      f = function () { Meteor._CurrentWriteFence.withValue(null, f_with_cwf); };
-    }
-
     return setTimeout(Meteor.bindEnvironment(f, function (e) {
       // XXX report nicely (or, should we catch it at all?)
       Meteor._debug("Exception from setTimeout callback:", e.stack);
@@ -33,11 +27,6 @@ _.extend(Meteor, {
       f = function () { Meteor._CurrentInvocation.withValue(null, f_with_ci); };
     }
 
-    if (Meteor._CurrentWriteFence) {
-      var f_with_cwf = f;
-      f = function () { Meteor._CurrentWriteFence.withValue(null, f_with_cwf); };
-    }
-
     return setInterval(Meteor.bindEnvironment(f, function (e) {
       // XXX report nicely (or, should we catch it at all?)
       Meteor._debug("Exception from setInterval callback:", e);