diff --git a/include/uv-win.h b/include/uv-win.h
index 49d6f5117..c4871d95f 100644
--- a/include/uv-win.h
+++ b/include/uv-win.h
@@ -94,14 +94,20 @@ typedef struct uv_buf_t {
     struct { uv_stream_server_fields     };  \
   };
 
-#define UV_TCP_PRIVATE_FIELDS             \
-  union {                                 \
-    SOCKET socket;                        \
-    HANDLE handle;                        \
-  };                                      \
+#define uv_tcp_server_fields              \
   SOCKET accept_socket;                   \
   char accept_buffer[sizeof(struct sockaddr_storage) * 2 + 32]; \
-  struct uv_req_s accept_req;             \
+  struct uv_req_s accept_req;
+
+#define uv_tcp_connection_fields          \
+  uv_buf_t read_buffer;
+
+#define UV_TCP_PRIVATE_FIELDS             \
+  SOCKET socket;                          \
+  union {                                 \
+    struct { uv_tcp_server_fields };      \
+    struct { uv_tcp_connection_fields };  \
+  };
 
 #define uv_pipe_server_fields             \
     uv_pipe_accept_t accept_reqs[4];      \
diff --git a/src/win/internal.h b/src/win/internal.h
index de41bfd49..fe435f522 100644
--- a/src/win/internal.h
+++ b/src/win/internal.h
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ extern uv_loop_t uv_main_loop_;
 #define UV_HANDLE_GIVEN_OS_HANDLE  0x10000
 #define UV_HANDLE_UV_ALLOCED       0x20000
 #define UV_HANDLE_SYNC_BYPASS_IOCP 0x40000
+#define UV_HANDLE_TCP_ZERO_READ    0x80000
 
 void uv_want_endgame(uv_handle_t* handle);
 void uv_process_endgames();
diff --git a/src/win/tcp.c b/src/win/tcp.c
index 933ce5bc7..49291072f 100644
--- a/src/win/tcp.c
+++ b/src/win/tcp.c
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@
 #endif
 
 
+/* 
+ * Threshold of active tcp streams for which to preallocate tcp read buffers.
+ */
+const unsigned int uv_active_tcp_streams_threshold = 50;
+
+
 /* Pointers to winsock extension functions to be retrieved dynamically */
 static LPFN_CONNECTEX               pConnectEx;
 static LPFN_ACCEPTEX                pAcceptEx;
@@ -127,6 +133,9 @@ static char uv_zero_[] = "";
 /* mark if IPv6 sockets are supported */
 static BOOL uv_allow_ipv6 = FALSE;
 
+/* Counter to keep track of active tcp streams */
+static uint64_t active_tcp_streams;
+
 
 /*
  * Retrieves the pointer to a winsock extension function.
@@ -328,6 +337,8 @@ void uv_tcp_endgame(uv_tcp_t* handle) {
       handle->close_cb((uv_handle_t*)handle);
     }
 
+    active_tcp_streams--;
+
     uv_unref();
   }
 }
@@ -472,8 +483,20 @@ static void uv_tcp_queue_read(uv_tcp_t* handle) {
   req = &handle->read_req;
   memset(&req->overlapped, 0, sizeof(req->overlapped));
 
-  buf.base = (char*) &uv_zero_;
-  buf.len = 0;
+  /* 
+   * Preallocate a read buffer if the number of active streams is below
+   * the threshold.
+  */
+  if (active_tcp_streams < uv_active_tcp_streams_threshold) {
+    handle->flags &= ~UV_HANDLE_TCP_ZERO_READ;
+    handle->read_buffer = handle->alloc_cb((uv_stream_t*)handle, 65536);
+    assert(handle->read_buffer.len > 0);
+    buf = handle->read_buffer;
+  } else {
+    handle->flags |= UV_HANDLE_TCP_ZERO_READ;
+    buf.base = (char*) &uv_zero_;
+    buf.len = 0;
+  }
 
   flags = 0;
   result = WSARecv(handle->socket,
@@ -487,6 +510,7 @@ static void uv_tcp_queue_read(uv_tcp_t* handle) {
   if (UV_SUCCEEDED_WITHOUT_IOCP(result == 0)) {
     /* Process the req without IOCP. */
     handle->flags |= UV_HANDLE_READ_PENDING;
+    req->overlapped.InternalHigh = bytes;
     handle->reqs_pending++;
     uv_insert_pending_req(req);
   } else if (UV_SUCCEEDED_WITH_IOCP(result == 0)) {
@@ -559,6 +583,8 @@ int uv_tcp_accept(uv_tcp_t* server, uv_tcp_t* client) {
     uv_tcp_queue_accept(server);
   }
 
+  active_tcp_streams++;
+
   return rv;
 }
 
@@ -773,7 +799,7 @@ void uv_process_tcp_read_req(uv_tcp_t* handle, uv_req_t* req) {
   handle->flags &= ~UV_HANDLE_READ_PENDING;
 
   if (req->error.code != UV_OK) {
-    /* An error occurred doing the 0-read. */
+    /* An error occurred doing the read. */
     if ((handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_READING)) {
       handle->flags &= ~UV_HANDLE_READING;
       LOOP->last_error = req->error;
@@ -782,6 +808,28 @@ void uv_process_tcp_read_req(uv_tcp_t* handle, uv_req_t* req) {
       handle->read_cb((uv_stream_t*)handle, -1, buf);
     }
   } else {
+    if (!(handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_TCP_ZERO_READ)) {
+      /* The read was done with a non-zero buffer length. */
+      if (req->overlapped.InternalHigh > 0) {
+        /* Successful read */
+        handle->read_cb((uv_stream_t*)handle, req->overlapped.InternalHigh, handle->read_buffer);
+        /* Read again only if bytes == buf.len */
+        if (req->overlapped.InternalHigh < handle->read_buffer.len) {
+          goto done;
+        }
+      } else {
+        /* Connection closed */
+        handle->flags &= ~UV_HANDLE_READING;
+        handle->flags |= UV_HANDLE_EOF;
+        LOOP->last_error.code = UV_EOF;
+        LOOP->last_error.sys_errno_ = ERROR_SUCCESS;
+        buf.base = 0;
+        buf.len = 0;
+        handle->read_cb((uv_stream_t*)handle, -1, handle->read_buffer);
+        goto done;
+      }
+    }
+
     /* Do nonblocking reads until the buffer is empty */
     while (handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_READING) {
       buf = handle->alloc_cb((uv_stream_t*)handle, 65536);
@@ -825,7 +873,8 @@ void uv_process_tcp_read_req(uv_tcp_t* handle, uv_req_t* req) {
       }
     }
 
-    /* Post another 0-read if still reading and not closing. */
+done:
+    /* Post another read if still reading and not closing. */
     if ((handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_READING) &&
         !(handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_READ_PENDING)) {
       uv_tcp_queue_read(handle);
@@ -906,6 +955,7 @@ void uv_process_tcp_connect_req(uv_tcp_t* handle, uv_connect_t* req) {
                       NULL,
                       0) == 0) {
         uv_connection_init((uv_stream_t*)handle);
+        active_tcp_streams++;
         ((uv_connect_cb)req->cb)(req, 0);
       } else {
         uv_set_sys_error(WSAGetLastError());