diff --git a/SRC/echoping.c b/SRC/echoping.c
index 4815452..3ee54b0 100644
--- a/SRC/echoping.c
+++ b/SRC/echoping.c
@@ -391,6 +391,8 @@ main (argc, argv)
   for (i = 1; i <= number; i++)
     {
 
+      clear_read_buffer();
+
       attempts++;
       if (!udp)
 	{
diff --git a/SRC/echoping.h b/SRC/echoping.h
index 9afcfe2..7dda976 100644
--- a/SRC/echoping.h
+++ b/SRC/echoping.h
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@
 #define DEFLINE 256
 #define MAXLINE 65535
 #define UDPMAX 65535
-#ifdef HTTP
 #define MAXTOREAD 150000
-#endif
 #define MAXNUMBER 20
 
 /* Settings you should not change */
@@ -95,6 +93,7 @@ char *sys_err_str ();
 int writen ();
 /* readline.c */
 int readline ();
+void clear_read_buffer ();
 /* util.c */
 char *random_string ();
 void tvsub ();
diff --git a/SRC/http.c b/SRC/http.c
index f54f8b2..4034e3f 100644
--- a/SRC/http.c
+++ b/SRC/http.c
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ read_from_server (int fd)
   while (!body)
     {
       nr = readline (fd, big_recvline, MAXTOREAD, TRUE);
+      /* printf ("DEBUG HTTP, I got (%s)\n", big_recvline); */
       /* HTTP replies should be separated by CR-LF. Unfortunately, some
          servers send only CR :-( */
       body = ((nr == 2) || (nr == 1));	/* Empty line CR-LF seen */
@@ -91,8 +92,9 @@ read_from_server (int fd)
   nr = readline (fd, big_recvline, MAXTOREAD, FALSE);
   if ((nr < 2) && (errno == EINTR))	/* Probably a timeout */
     return -1;
-  if (nr < 2)			/* Hmm, if the body is empty, we'll get a meaningless error message */
-    err_sys ("Reading HTTP body");
+  if (nr < 2)			/* Hmm, if the body is empty, we'll
+                                    get a meaningless error message */
+    err_sys ("Reading HTTP body, may be empty");
   total = total + nr;
   return total;			/* How to do if we want only the body's size? */
 }
diff --git a/SRC/readline.c b/SRC/readline.c
index ee35ace..e927d97 100644
--- a/SRC/readline.c
+++ b/SRC/readline.c
@@ -1,18 +1,19 @@
 /*
- * Read a line from a descriptor.  Read the line one byte at a time, looking
- * for the newline.  We store the newline in the buffer, then follow it with
- * a null (the same as fgets(3)). We return the number of characters up to,
- * but not including, the null (the same as strlen(3)). If ln == 0, we treat
- * newline as an ordinary charracter. 
+ * Read a line from a descriptor.   
  *
- * Stolen from Stevens' book 
+ * To save read() system calls, we first check the static buffer if it
+ * still contains data. If so, we send it back. Otherwise, we call
+ * read().
  *
- * $Id$
+ * If ln == 0, we treat newline as an ordinary charracter.
  *
- */
+ * $Id$
+ *  */
 
 #include "echoping.h"
 
+char buffer[MAXTOREAD]; /* Must survive between calls to readline */
+
 int
 readline (fd, ptr, maxlen, ln)
      int fd;
@@ -20,30 +21,71 @@ readline (fd, ptr, maxlen, ln)
      int maxlen;
      unsigned short ln;
 {
-  int n, rc;
-  char c;
+  char *origptr = ptr;
+  int n, i, j, rc;
+  char s[maxlen];
+  int bufend = strlen(buffer);
 
-  for (n = 1; n < maxlen; n++)
+  n = 0;
+
+  /* Use the buffer if it is still full */
+  for (i = 0; i < strlen(buffer); i++) {
+    *ptr++ = buffer[i];
+    n++;
+    if (buffer[i] == '\n' && ln == 1) 
+      break;
+  }
+  if (n) {
+    /* printf ("DEBUG, got %d bytes from the buffer\n", i); */
+    strcpy (buffer, (char *)(buffer+i+1));
+    *ptr = 0;
+    return (n);
+  }
+  bufend = strlen (buffer);
+ 
+  reading:
+  for (; n < maxlen;)
     {
       if (timeout_flag)
 	return n;
-      if ((rc = read (fd, &c, 1)) == 1)
+      if ((rc = read (fd, &s, maxlen)) > 0)
 	{
-	  *ptr++ = c;
-	  if (c == '\n' && ln == 1)
+	  /* printf ("DEBUG, %d bytes asked (nl = %d) %d bytes read\n", maxlen, ln, rc);  */
+	  parsing:
+	  for (i = 0; i < rc; i++) {
+	    *ptr++ = s[i];
+	    /* printf ("DEBUG, adding %c ", s[i]); */
+	    n++;
+	    if (s[i] == '\n' && ln == 1) {
+	      
+	      for (j = i+1; j < rc; j++) {
+		buffer[bufend++] = s[j];
+	      }
+	      break;
+	    }
+	  }
+	  if (s[i] == '\n' && ln == 1) {
 	    break;
+	  }
 	}
       else if (rc == 0)
 	{
 	  if (n == 1)
 	    return (0);		/* EOF, no data read */
-	  else
+	  else {
+	    n++;
 	    break;		/* EOF, some data was read */
+	  }
 	}
       else
 	return (-1);		/* error */
     }
 
   *ptr = 0;
+  /* printf ("DEBUG, Returning %d bytes (%s)\n", n, origptr); */
   return (n);
 }
+
+void clear_read_buffer () {
+  buffer[0] = 0;
+}