diff --git a/src/main/java/redis/clients/jedis/Connection.java b/src/main/java/redis/clients/jedis/Connection.java
index c815f43..ec30e49 100644
--- a/src/main/java/redis/clients/jedis/Connection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/redis/clients/jedis/Connection.java
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 package redis.clients.jedis;
 
+import java.io.BufferedInputStream;
+import java.io.DataInputStream;
+import java.io.DataOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.InputStream;
-import java.io.OutputStream;
 import java.net.Socket;
 import java.net.UnknownHostException;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -13,8 +14,8 @@ public class Connection {
     private Socket socket;
     private boolean connected = false;
     private Protocol protocol = new Protocol();
-    private OutputStream outputStream;
-    private InputStream inputStream;
+    private DataOutputStream outputStream;
+    private DataInputStream inputStream;
 
     public Connection(String host) {
 	super();
@@ -58,8 +59,9 @@ public class Connection {
 	if (!connected) {
 	    socket = new Socket(host, port);
 	    connected = socket.isConnected();
-	    outputStream = socket.getOutputStream();
-	    inputStream = socket.getInputStream();
+	    outputStream = new DataOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
+	    inputStream = new DataInputStream(new BufferedInputStream(socket
+		    .getInputStream()));
 	}
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/redis/clients/jedis/Protocol.java b/src/main/java/redis/clients/jedis/Protocol.java
index 22f07ee..4c2167b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/redis/clients/jedis/Protocol.java
+++ b/src/main/java/redis/clients/jedis/Protocol.java
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 package redis.clients.jedis;
 
+import java.io.DataInputStream;
+import java.io.DataOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.InputStream;
-import java.io.OutputStream;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ public class Protocol {
     public static final byte MINUS_BYTE = MINUS.getBytes()[0];
     public static final byte COLON_BYTE = COLON.getBytes()[0];
 
-    public void sendCommand(OutputStream os, String name, String... args) {
+    public void sendCommand(DataOutputStream os, String name, String... args) {
 	StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder(ASTERISK + (args.length + 1)
 		+ COMMAND_DELIMITER + DOLLAR + name.length()
 		+ COMMAND_DELIMITER + name + COMMAND_DELIMITER);
@@ -36,20 +36,20 @@ public class Protocol {
 	}
     }
 
-    public void processError(InputStream is) {
+    public void processError(DataInputStream is) {
 	String message = readLine(is);
 	throw new JedisException(message);
     }
 
-    private String readLine(InputStream is) {
+    private String readLine(DataInputStream is) {
 	byte b;
 	byte c;
 	StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
 
 	try {
-	    while ((b = (byte) is.read()) != -1) {
+	    while ((b = is.readByte()) != -1) {
 		if (b == '\r') {
-		    c = (byte) is.read();
+		    c = is.readByte();
 		    if (c == '\n') {
 			break;
 		    }
@@ -65,24 +65,24 @@ public class Protocol {
 	return sb.toString();
     }
 
-    public String getBulkReply(InputStream is) {
+    public String getBulkReply(DataInputStream is) {
 	Object reply = process(is);
 	return (String) reply;
     }
 
-    public String getStatusCodeReply(InputStream is) {
+    public String getStatusCodeReply(DataInputStream is) {
 	Object reply = process(is);
 	return (String) reply;
     }
 
-    public int getIntegerReply(InputStream is) {
+    public int getIntegerReply(DataInputStream is) {
 	Object reply = process(is);
 	return (Integer) reply;
     }
 
-    private Object process(InputStream is) {
+    private Object process(DataInputStream is) {
 	try {
-	    byte b = (byte) is.read();
+	    byte b = is.readByte();
 	    if (b == MINUS_BYTE) {
 		processError(is);
 	    } else if (b == ASTERISK_BYTE) {
@@ -102,13 +102,13 @@ public class Protocol {
 	return null;
     }
 
-    private Object processStatusCodeReply(InputStream is) {
+    private Object processStatusCodeReply(DataInputStream is) {
 	String ret = null;
 	ret = readLine(is);
 	return ret;
     }
 
-    private Object processBulkReply(InputStream is) {
+    private Object processBulkReply(DataInputStream is) {
 	int len = Integer.parseInt(readLine(is));
 	if (len == -1) {
 	    return null;
@@ -126,14 +126,14 @@ public class Protocol {
 	return new String(read);
     }
 
-    private Object processInteger(InputStream is) {
+    private Object processInteger(DataInputStream is) {
 	int ret = 0;
 	String num = readLine(is);
 	ret = Integer.parseInt(num);
 	return ret;
     }
 
-    private Object processMultiBulkReply(InputStream is) {
+    private Object processMultiBulkReply(DataInputStream is) {
 	int num = Integer.parseInt(readLine(is));
 	if (num == -1) {
 	    return null;
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ public class Protocol {
     }
 
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-    public List<Object> getMultiBulkReply(InputStream is) {
+    public List<Object> getMultiBulkReply(DataInputStream is) {
 	Object reply = process(is);
 	List<Object> ret = (List<Object>) reply;
 	return ret;
diff --git a/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/ProtocolTest.java b/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/ProtocolTest.java
index edbde2a..adf2a52 100644
--- a/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/ProtocolTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/ProtocolTest.java
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package redis.clients.jedis.tests;
 
 import java.io.BufferedInputStream;
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
+import java.io.DataInputStream;
+import java.io.DataOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.PipedInputStream;
@@ -23,7 +25,7 @@ public class ProtocolTest extends Assert {
 	PipedOutputStream pos = new PipedOutputStream(pis);
 
 	Protocol protocol = new Protocol();
-	protocol.sendCommand(pos, "GET", "SOMEKEY");
+	protocol.sendCommand(new DataOutputStream(pos), "GET", "SOMEKEY");
 
 	pos.close();
 	String expectedCommand = "*2\r\n$3\r\nGET\r\n$7\r\nSOMEKEY\r\n";
@@ -41,7 +43,7 @@ public class ProtocolTest extends Assert {
     public void bulkReply() {
 	InputStream is = new ByteArrayInputStream("$6\r\nfoobar\r\n".getBytes());
 	Protocol protocol = new Protocol();
-	String response = protocol.getBulkReply(is);
+	String response = protocol.getBulkReply(new DataInputStream(is));
 	assertEquals("foobar", response);
     }
 
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ public class ProtocolTest extends Assert {
     public void nullBulkReply() {
 	InputStream is = new ByteArrayInputStream("$-1\r\n".getBytes());
 	Protocol protocol = new Protocol();
-	String response = protocol.getBulkReply(is);
+	String response = protocol.getBulkReply(new DataInputStream(is));
 	assertEquals(null, response);
     }
 
@@ -57,7 +59,7 @@ public class ProtocolTest extends Assert {
     public void singleLineReply() {
 	InputStream is = new ByteArrayInputStream("+OK\r\n".getBytes());
 	Protocol protocol = new Protocol();
-	String response = protocol.getStatusCodeReply(is);
+	String response = protocol.getStatusCodeReply(new DataInputStream(is));
 	assertEquals("OK", response);
     }
 
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ public class ProtocolTest extends Assert {
     public void integerReply() {
 	InputStream is = new ByteArrayInputStream(":123\r\n".getBytes());
 	Protocol protocol = new Protocol();
-	int response = protocol.getIntegerReply(is);
+	int response = protocol.getIntegerReply(new DataInputStream(is));
 	assertEquals(123, response);
     }
 
@@ -77,7 +79,7 @@ public class ProtocolTest extends Assert {
 			.getBytes());
 	Protocol protocol = new Protocol();
 	List<String> response = (List<String>) (List<?>) protocol
-		.getMultiBulkReply(is);
+		.getMultiBulkReply(new DataInputStream(is));
 	List<String> expected = new ArrayList<String>();
 	expected.add("foo");
 	expected.add("bar");
@@ -90,7 +92,8 @@ public class ProtocolTest extends Assert {
 		"*4\r\n$3\r\nfoo\r\n+OK\r\n:1000\r\n*2\r\n$3\r\nfoo\r\n$3\r\nbar"
 			.getBytes());
 	protocol = new Protocol();
-	List<Object> response2 = protocol.getMultiBulkReply(is);
+	List<Object> response2 = protocol
+		.getMultiBulkReply(new DataInputStream(is));
 	List<Object> expected2 = new ArrayList<Object>();
 	expected2.add("foo");
 	expected2.add("OK");
@@ -109,7 +112,7 @@ public class ProtocolTest extends Assert {
 	InputStream is = new ByteArrayInputStream("*-1\r\n".getBytes());
 	Protocol protocol = new Protocol();
 	List<String> response = (List<String>) (List<?>) protocol
-		.getMultiBulkReply(is);
+		.getMultiBulkReply(new DataInputStream(is));
 	assertNull(response);
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/benchmark/GetSetBenchmark.java b/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/benchmark/GetSetBenchmark.java
index 9c6a1a7..0bac8b7 100644
--- a/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/benchmark/GetSetBenchmark.java
+++ b/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/benchmark/GetSetBenchmark.java
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@ public class GetSetBenchmark {
 
 	System.out.println(((1000 * 2 * TOTAL_OPERATIONS) / elapsed) + " ops");
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file