diff --git a/lib/connection.js b/lib/connection.js
index 0c5e96f2f..f03503001 100644
--- a/lib/connection.js
+++ b/lib/connection.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ var util = require('util');
 
 var utils = require(__dirname + '/utils');
 var Writer = require('buffer-writer');
+var Reader = require('packet-reader');
 
 var TEXT_MODE = 0;
 var BINARY_MODE = 1;
@@ -23,6 +24,10 @@ var Connection = function(config) {
   this._ending = false;
   this._mode = TEXT_MODE;
   this._emitMessage = false;
+  this._reader = new Reader({
+    headerSize: 1,
+    lengthPadding: -4
+  });
   var self = this;
   this.on('newListener', function(eventName) {
     if(eventName == 'message') {
@@ -87,17 +92,19 @@ Connection.prototype.connect = function(port, host) {
 };
 
 Connection.prototype.attachListeners = function(stream) {
+  var self = this;
   stream.on('data', function(buff) {
-    this.setBuffer(buff);
-    var msg = this.parseMessage();
-    while(msg) {
-      if(this._emitMessage) {
-        this.emit('message', msg);
+    self._reader.addChunk(buff);
+    var packet = self._reader.read();
+    while(packet) {
+      var msg = self.parseMessage(packet);
+      if(self._emitMessage) {
+        self.emit('message', msg);
       }
-      this.emit(msg.name, msg);
-      msg = this.parseMessage();
+      self.emit(msg.name, msg);
+      packet = self._reader.read();
     }
-  }.bind(this));
+  });
 };
 
 Connection.prototype.requestSsl = function(config) {
@@ -306,63 +313,16 @@ Connection.prototype.sendCopyFail = function (msg) {
   this._send(0x66);
 };
 
-//parsing methods
-Connection.prototype.setBuffer = function(buffer) {
-  if(this.lastBuffer) {    //we have unfinished biznaz
-    //need to combine last two buffers
-    var remaining = this.lastBuffer.length - this.lastOffset;
-    var combinedBuffer = new Buffer(buffer.length + remaining);
-    this.lastBuffer.copy(combinedBuffer, 0, this.lastOffset);
-    buffer.copy(combinedBuffer, remaining, 0);
-    buffer = combinedBuffer;
-  }
-  this.lastBuffer = false;
-  this.buffer = buffer;
-  this.offset = 0;
-};
-
-Connection.prototype.readSslResponse = function() {
-  var remaining = this.buffer.length - (this.offset);
-  if(remaining < 1) {
-    this.lastBuffer = this.buffer;
-    this.lastOffset = this.offset;
-    return false;
-  }
-  return {
-    name: 'sslresponse',
-    text: this.buffer[this.offset++]
-  };
-};
-
 var Message = function(name, length) {
   this.name = name;
   this.length = length;
 };
 
-Connection.prototype.parseMessage =  function() {
-  var remaining = this.buffer.length - (this.offset);
-  if(remaining < 5) {
-    //cannot read id + length without at least 5 bytes
-    //just abort the read now
-    this.lastBuffer = this.buffer;
-    this.lastOffset = this.offset;
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  //read message id code
-  var id = this.buffer[this.offset++];
-  var buffer = this.buffer;
-  //read message length
-  var length = this.parseInt32(buffer);
-
-  if(remaining <= length) {
-    this.lastBuffer = this.buffer;
-    //rewind the last 5 bytes we read
-    this.lastOffset = this.offset-5;
-    return false;
-  }
+Connection.prototype.parseMessage =  function(buffer) {
 
-  switch(id)
+  this.offset = 0;
+  var length = buffer.length + 4;
+  switch(this._reader.header)
   {
 
   case 0x52: //R
@@ -422,7 +382,6 @@ Connection.prototype.parseMessage =  function() {
   case 0x64: //d
     return this.parsed(buffer, length);
   }
-  return false;
 };
 
 Connection.prototype.parseR = function(buffer, length) {
@@ -440,7 +399,7 @@ Connection.prototype.parseR = function(buffer, length) {
     if(code === 5) { //md5 required
       msg.name = 'authenticationMD5Password';
       msg.salt = new Buffer(4);
-      this.buffer.copy(msg.salt, 0, this.offset, this.offset + 4);
+      buffer.copy(msg.salt, 0, this.offset, this.offset + 4);
       this.offset += 4;
       return msg;
     }
@@ -610,7 +569,7 @@ Connection.prototype.parseH = function(buffer, length) {
 };
 
 Connection.prototype.parseGH = function (buffer, msg) {
-  var isBinary = this.buffer[this.offset] !== 0;
+  var isBinary = buffer[this.offset] !== 0;
   this.offset++;
   msg.binary = isBinary;
   var columnCount = this.parseInt16(buffer);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index eaf787735..d97308756 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
     "generic-pool": "2.0.3",
     "buffer-writer": "1.0.0",
     "pgpass": "0.0.1",
-    "nan": "~0.6.0"
+    "nan": "~0.6.0",
+    "packet-reader": "0.2.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "jshint": "1.1.0",
diff --git a/test/unit/client/typed-query-results-tests.js b/test/unit/client/typed-query-results-tests.js
index abac25db2..35d807e3f 100644
--- a/test/unit/client/typed-query-results-tests.js
+++ b/test/unit/client/typed-query-results-tests.js
@@ -121,7 +121,9 @@ test('typed results', function() {
     dataTypeID: 1082,
     actual: '2010-10-31',
     expected: function(val) {
-      assert.UTCDate(val, 2010, 9, 31, 0, 0, 0, 0);
+      var now = new Date(2010, 9, 31)
+      assert.UTCDate(val, 2010, now.getUTCMonth(), now.getUTCDate(), now.getUTCHours(), 0, 0, 0);
+      assert.equal(val.getHours(), now.getHours())
     }
   },{
     name: 'interval time',