diff --git a/calyx-py/calyx/queue_data_gen.py b/calyx-py/calyx/queue_data_gen.py
index 3dbdc9f638..87e34b63a6 100644
--- a/calyx-py/calyx/queue_data_gen.py
+++ b/calyx-py/calyx/queue_data_gen.py
@@ -12,12 +12,56 @@ def format_gen(width: int) -> FormatType:
     return {"is_signed": False, "numeric_type": "bitnum", "width": width}
 
 
-def dump_json(no_peeks: bool):
+def piezo_special():
+    """A special data-gen helper that creates a commands list while
+    ensuring that there are:
+    - No overflows.
+    - No underflows.
+    - (queue_util.MAX_CMDS/2) pushes.
+    - As many pops as there are pushes.
+    A combination of the above means that no packet is left unpopped.
+    """
+    running_count = 0  # The current size of the queue.
+    push_goal = int(queue_util.MAX_CMDS / 2)  # How many pushes we want overall.
+    total_push_count = 0
+    total_pop_count = 0
+    commands = []
+    while True:
+        command = random.choice(["push", "pop"])
+        if command == "pop" and running_count == 0:
+            # This would make us underflow,
+            # so we'll change the command to `push` instead
+            command = "push"
+        if command == "push" and running_count == queue_util.QUEUE_SIZE:
+            # This would make us overflow,
+            # so we'll change the command to `pop` instead
+            command = "pop"
+        if command == "push":
+            running_count += 1
+            total_push_count += 1
+        if command == "pop":
+            running_count -= 1
+            total_pop_count += 1
+        # Put the command into `commands`.
+        commands.append(0 if command == "pop" else 2)
+
+        if total_push_count == push_goal:
+            # Pad the `commands` list with (push_goal - total_pop_count) `pop`s,
+            # and then break.
+            commands += (push_goal - total_pop_count) * [0]
+            break
+
+    assert len(commands) == queue_util.MAX_CMDS
+    return commands
+
+
+def dump_json(piezo: bool):
     """Prints a JSON representation of the data to stdout.
     The data itself is populated randomly, following certain rules:
     - It has three "memories": `commands`, `values`, and `ans_mem`.
     - The `commands` memory has queue_util.MAX_CMDS items, which are 0, 1, or 2.
-      If the `no_peeks` flag is set, then items are chosen randomly from 0 and 2.
+      0: pop, 1: peek, 2: push
+      If the `piezo` flag is set, then items are chosen from 0 and 2 using a helper.
     - The `values` memory has queue_util.MAX_CMDS items:
     random values between 0 and 400.
     - The `ans_mem` memory has queue_util.MAX_CMDS items, all zeroes.
@@ -25,10 +69,11 @@ def dump_json(no_peeks: bool):
     """
     commands = {
         "commands": {
-            "data": [
-                random.choice([0, 2]) if no_peeks else random.randint(0, 2)
-                for _ in range(queue_util.MAX_CMDS)
-            ],
+            "data": (
+                piezo_special()
+                if piezo
+                else [random.randint(0, 2) for _ in range(queue_util.MAX_CMDS)]
+            ),
             "format": format_gen(2),
         }
     }
@@ -55,6 +100,6 @@ def dump_json(no_peeks: bool):
     # Accept a flag that we pass to dump_json.
     # This says whether we should have any 1s in the `commands` memory.
 
-    no_peeks = len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == "--no-peeks"
+    piezo = len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == "--piezo"
     random.seed(5)
-    dump_json(no_peeks)
+    dump_json(piezo)