diff --git a/app/plug-in/gimpplugin.c b/app/plug-in/gimpplugin.c
index b4e66c0795d1bb19d4c0c88c870ab548723a9847..c38351609757ad4fb0b7ee553f383316cc32ed9e 100644
--- a/app/plug-in/gimpplugin.c
+++ b/app/plug-in/gimpplugin.c
@@ -107,6 +107,10 @@ static gboolean   gimp_plug_in_write         (GIOChannel   *channel,
 static gboolean   gimp_plug_in_flush         (GIOChannel   *channel,
                                               gpointer      data);
 
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+static gboolean   gimp_plug_in_should_recv_message (GimpPlugIn *plug_in);
+#endif
+
 #if defined G_OS_WIN32 && defined WIN32_32BIT_DLL_FOLDER
 static void       gimp_plug_in_set_dll_directory (const gchar *path);
 #endif
@@ -199,6 +203,12 @@ gimp_plug_in_recv_message (GIOChannel   *channel,
   if (plug_in->my_read == NULL)
     return TRUE;
 
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+  /* Workaround for #12711 */
+  if (! gimp_plug_in_should_recv_message (plug_in))
+    return TRUE;
+#endif
+
   g_object_ref (plug_in);
 
   if (cond & (G_IO_IN | G_IO_PRI))
@@ -337,6 +347,60 @@ gimp_plug_in_flush (GIOChannel *channel,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+
+/* Is self in a state where the remote plugin process
+ * should be sending msgs to core on self's read pipe?
+ *
+ * This is only necessary for #12711,
+ * where spurious IO events are sent when the pipe is empty
+ * i.e. no actual msg to receive.
+ * This might not be correct for any other use.
+ * Upstream bug: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/glib/-/issues/3454
+ *
+ * Self is-a plugin facade in core to a remote plugin process.
+ * Is self:
+ *    - to a persistent plugin
+ *    - has called the main proc of the remote
+ *    - not waiting for the remote persistent plugin to ack ready
+ *    - has called no temporary procs of the remote
+ * Typically facade to plugin script-fu with main proc extension-script-fu.
+ * Then the plugin should not be sending messages.
+ * A persistent plugin remote process after it has acked "ready"
+ * should only send messages when self has called
+ * a temporary proc and that proc is RPC'ing back a different PDB proc, a "run" msg,
+ * or when the temporary proc completes, sending a "return" msg.
+ */
+static gboolean
+gimp_plug_in_should_recv_message (GimpPlugIn *plug_in)
+{
+  /* Plugin is persistent when its main proc has type PERSISTENT.
+   * Plugin has acked ready when ext_main_loop is NULL.
+   * Self has not called a remote temporary procedure when self's stack
+   * (actually a list) of temporary procedure calls frames is empty.
+   */
+  if ((plug_in->ext_main_loop == NULL) &&
+      (plug_in->main_proc_frame.procedure != NULL) &&
+      (plug_in->main_proc_frame.procedure->proc_type == GIMP_PDB_PROC_TYPE_PERSISTENT) &&
+      (plug_in->temp_proc_frames == NULL))
+    {
+      g_debug ("%s persistent plugin %s in idle but ready state",
+               G_STRFUNC, gimp_object_get_name (plug_in->main_proc_frame.procedure));
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      /* The remote process is not persistent,
+       * or is persistent but not ready,
+       * or is persistent and ready and one of its temp procs was called.
+       * Can expect remote process to send msgs: a new RPC from the remote
+       * or a return from an RPC to the remote.
+       */
+      return TRUE;
+    }
+}
+#endif
+
 #if defined G_OS_WIN32 && defined WIN32_32BIT_DLL_FOLDER
 static void
 gimp_plug_in_set_dll_directory (const gchar *path)