diff --git a/homeassistant/components/pulseaudio_loopback/switch.py b/homeassistant/components/pulseaudio_loopback/switch.py
index ec1adc7641bb21..fe4bda69f8a77f 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/pulseaudio_loopback/switch.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/pulseaudio_loopback/switch.py
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 from datetime import timedelta
 import logging
 import re
+import select
 import socket
+from time import monotonic
 
 import voluptuous as vol
 
@@ -84,7 +86,7 @@ def __init__(self, host, port, buff_sz, tcp_timeout):
         self._buffer_size = int(buff_sz)
         self._tcp_timeout = int(tcp_timeout)
 
-    def _send_command(self, cmd, response_expected):
+    def _send_command(self, cmd, verifier=None):
         """Send a command to the pa server using a socket."""
         sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
         sock.settimeout(self._tcp_timeout)
@@ -92,8 +94,8 @@ def _send_command(self, cmd, response_expected):
             sock.connect((self._pa_host, self._pa_port))
             _LOGGER.info("Calling pulseaudio: %s", cmd)
             sock.send((cmd + "\n").encode("utf-8"))
-            if response_expected:
-                return_data = self._get_full_response(sock)
+            if verifier:
+                return_data = self._verify_response(sock, verifier)
                 _LOGGER.debug("Data received from pulseaudio: %s", return_data)
             else:
                 return_data = ""
@@ -101,30 +103,57 @@ def _send_command(self, cmd, response_expected):
             sock.close()
         return return_data
 
-    def _get_full_response(self, sock):
+    def _verify_response(self, sock, verifier):
         """Get the full response back from pulseaudio."""
         result = ""
-        rcv_buffer = sock.recv(self._buffer_size)
-        result += rcv_buffer.decode("utf-8")
 
-        while len(rcv_buffer) == self._buffer_size:
-            rcv_buffer = sock.recv(self._buffer_size)
-            result += rcv_buffer.decode("utf-8")
+        sock.setblocking(False)
+
+        start_time = monotonic()
+        remaining_timeout = float(self._tcp_timeout)
+
+        while remaining_timeout > 0:
+            ready = select.select([sock], [], [], remaining_timeout)
+            if ready[0]:
+                rcv_buffer = sock.recv(self._buffer_size)
+                result += rcv_buffer.decode("utf-8")
+            else:
+                break
+
+            if verifier(result):
+                break
+
+            remaining_timeout -= monotonic() - start_time
 
         return result
 
     @util.Throttle(MIN_TIME_BETWEEN_SCANS, MIN_TIME_BETWEEN_FORCED_SCANS)
     def update_module_state(self):
         """Refresh state in case an alternate process modified this data."""
-        self._current_module_state = self._send_command("list-modules", True)
+
+        def verify_module_list(response):
+            """Test if result for 'list-modules' call is complete."""
+            try:
+                expected_modules = int(
+                    re.match(r"^(\d*)\smodule\(s\) loaded.*", response).group(1)
+                )
+                actual_modules = int(len(re.findall(r"\n\s*index:\s\d*", response)))
+
+                return (expected_modules == actual_modules) and response[-1] == "\n"
+            except AttributeError:
+                return False
+
+        self._current_module_state = self._send_command(
+            "list-modules", verify_module_list
+        )
 
     def turn_on(self, sink_name, source_name):
         """Send a command to pulseaudio to turn on the loopback."""
-        self._send_command(str.format(LOAD_CMD, sink_name, source_name), False)
+        self._send_command(str.format(LOAD_CMD, sink_name, source_name))
 
     def turn_off(self, module_idx):
         """Send a command to pulseaudio to turn off the loopback."""
-        self._send_command(str.format(UNLOAD_CMD, module_idx), False)
+        self._send_command(str.format(UNLOAD_CMD, module_idx))
 
     def get_module_idx(self, sink_name, source_name):
         """For a sink/source, return its module id in our cache, if found."""