A method according to one embodiment includes determining, by a host processor of a master device, a combined cost of an outgoing message transmission of the master device and an expected response message from a slave device; determining, by the host processor, a number of available tokens associated with data transmission; reducing, by the host processor, the number of available tokens by the combined cost in response to a determination that the combined cost does not exceed the number of available tokens; periodically increasing the number of available tokens up to a token maximum by a predefined number of tokens based on a token refill rate; and sending the outgoing message from the host processor to Bluetooth Low Energy communication circuitry of the master device in response to the determination that the combined cost does not exceed the number of available tokens.