diff --git a/worker/agent.go b/worker/agent.go
index 7385211..afd6f76 100644
--- a/worker/agent.go
+++ b/worker/agent.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package worker
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/binary"
 	"net"
 	"sync"
         "io"
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ func (a *agent) work() {
 	var err error
 	var data, leftdata []byte
 	for {
-		if data, err = a.read(bufferSize); err != nil {
+		if data, err = a.read(); err != nil {
 			if opErr, ok := err.(*net.OpError); ok {
 				if opErr.Temporary() {
 					continue
@@ -159,20 +161,31 @@ func (a *agent) reconnect() (error){
 }
 
 // read length bytes from the socket
-func (a *agent) read(length int) (data []byte, err error) {
+func (a *agent) read() (data []byte, err error) {
 	n := 0
-	buf := getBuffer(bufferSize)
-	// read until data can be unpacked
-	for i := length; i > 0 || len(data) < minPacketLength; i -= n {
-		if n, err = a.rw.Read(buf); err != nil {
-			return
-		}
-		data = append(data, buf[0:n]...)
-		if n < bufferSize {
-			break
+
+	tmp := getBuffer(bufferSize)
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+
+	// read the header so we can get the length of the data
+	if n, err = a.rw.Read(tmp); err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	dl := int(binary.BigEndian.Uint32(tmp[8:12]))
+
+	// write what we read so far
+	buf.Write(tmp[:n])
+
+	// read until we receive all the data
+	for buf.Len() < dl+minPacketLength {
+		if n, err = a.rw.Read(tmp); err != nil {
+			return buf.Bytes(), err
 		}
+
+		buf.Write(tmp[:n])
 	}
-	return
+
+	return buf.Bytes(), err
 }
 
 // Internal write the encoded job.
diff --git a/worker/worker_test.go b/worker/worker_test.go
index 7c47b14..b496a47 100644
--- a/worker/worker_test.go
+++ b/worker/worker_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package worker
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -78,6 +79,61 @@ func TestWork(t *testing.T) {
 	wg.Wait()
 }
 
+func TestLargeDataWork(t *testing.T) {
+	worker := New(Unlimited)
+	defer worker.Close()
+
+	if err := worker.AddServer(Network, "127.0.0.1:4730"); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	worker.Ready()
+
+	l := 5714
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	bigdataHandler := func(job Job) error {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		if len(job.Data()) != l {
+			t.Errorf("expected length %d. got %d.", l, len(job.Data()))
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err := worker.AddFunc("bigdata", foobar, 0); err != nil {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	worker.JobHandler = bigdataHandler
+
+	worker.ErrorHandler = func(err error) {
+		t.Fatal("shouldn't have received an error")
+	}
+
+	if err := worker.Ready(); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	go worker.Work()
+	wg.Add(1)
+
+	// var cli *client.Client
+	// var err error
+	// if cli, err = client.New(client.Network, "127.0.0.1:4730"); err != nil {
+	// 	t.Fatal(err)
+	// }
+	// cli.ErrorHandler = func(e error) {
+	// 	t.Error(e)
+	// }
+
+	// _, err = cli.Do("bigdata", bytes.Repeat([]byte("a"), l), client.JobLow, func(res *client.Response) {
+	// })
+	// if err != nil {
+	// 	t.Error(err)
+	// }
+
+	worker.Echo(bytes.Repeat([]byte("a"), l))
+	wg.Wait()
+}
 
 func TestWorkerClose(t *testing.T) {
 	worker.Close()