diff --git a/benchmark/streams/readable-bigread.js b/benchmark/streams/readable-bigread.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..50f10c44119141
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/streams/readable-bigread.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const v8 = require('v8');
+const Readable = require('stream').Readable;
+
+const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, {
+  n: [100e1]
+});
+
+function main(conf) {
+  const n = +conf.n;
+  const b = new Buffer(32);
+  const s = new Readable();
+  function noop() {}
+  s._read = noop;
+
+  // Force optimization before starting the benchmark
+  s.push(b);
+  v8.setFlagsFromString('--allow_natives_syntax');
+  eval('%OptimizeFunctionOnNextCall(s.read)');
+  s.push(b);
+  while (s.read(128));
+
+  bench.start();
+  for (var k = 0; k < n; ++k) {
+    for (var i = 0; i < 1e4; ++i)
+      s.push(b);
+    while (s.read(128));
+  }
+  bench.end(n);
+}
diff --git a/benchmark/streams/readable-bigunevenread.js b/benchmark/streams/readable-bigunevenread.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..ce6e41c5d30eac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/streams/readable-bigunevenread.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const v8 = require('v8');
+const Readable = require('stream').Readable;
+
+const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, {
+  n: [100e1]
+});
+
+function main(conf) {
+  const n = +conf.n;
+  const b = new Buffer(32);
+  const s = new Readable();
+  function noop() {}
+  s._read = noop;
+
+  // Force optimization before starting the benchmark
+  s.push(b);
+  v8.setFlagsFromString('--allow_natives_syntax');
+  eval('%OptimizeFunctionOnNextCall(s.read)');
+  s.push(b);
+  while (s.read(106));
+
+  bench.start();
+  for (var k = 0; k < n; ++k) {
+    for (var i = 0; i < 1e4; ++i)
+      s.push(b);
+    while (s.read(106));
+  }
+  bench.end(n);
+}
diff --git a/benchmark/streams/readable-boundaryread.js b/benchmark/streams/readable-boundaryread.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..93a6616361ba18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/streams/readable-boundaryread.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const v8 = require('v8');
+const Readable = require('stream').Readable;
+
+const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, {
+  n: [200e1]
+});
+
+function main(conf) {
+  const n = +conf.n;
+  const b = new Buffer(32);
+  const s = new Readable();
+  function noop() {}
+  s._read = noop;
+
+  // Force optimization before starting the benchmark
+  s.push(b);
+  v8.setFlagsFromString('--allow_natives_syntax');
+  eval('%OptimizeFunctionOnNextCall(s.push)');
+  eval('%OptimizeFunctionOnNextCall(s.read)');
+  s.push(b);
+  while (s.read(32));
+
+  bench.start();
+  for (var k = 0; k < n; ++k) {
+    for (var i = 0; i < 1e4; ++i)
+      s.push(b);
+    while (s.read(32));
+  }
+  bench.end(n);
+}
diff --git a/benchmark/streams/readable-readall.js b/benchmark/streams/readable-readall.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..07626fd7978b9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/streams/readable-readall.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const v8 = require('v8');
+const Readable = require('stream').Readable;
+
+const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, {
+  n: [50e2]
+});
+
+function main(conf) {
+  const n = +conf.n;
+  const b = new Buffer(32);
+  const s = new Readable();
+  function noop() {}
+  s._read = noop;
+
+  // Force optimization before starting the benchmark
+  s.push(b);
+  v8.setFlagsFromString('--allow_natives_syntax');
+  eval('%OptimizeFunctionOnNextCall(s.read)');
+  s.push(b);
+  while (s.read());
+
+  bench.start();
+  for (var k = 0; k < n; ++k) {
+    for (var i = 0; i < 1e4; ++i)
+      s.push(b);
+    while (s.read());
+  }
+  bench.end(n);
+}
diff --git a/benchmark/streams/readable-unevenread.js b/benchmark/streams/readable-unevenread.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..4a69bd97a94bcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/streams/readable-unevenread.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const v8 = require('v8');
+const Readable = require('stream').Readable;
+
+const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, {
+  n: [100e1]
+});
+
+function main(conf) {
+  const n = +conf.n;
+  const b = new Buffer(32);
+  const s = new Readable();
+  function noop() {}
+  s._read = noop;
+
+  // Force optimization before starting the benchmark
+  s.push(b);
+  v8.setFlagsFromString('--allow_natives_syntax');
+  eval('%OptimizeFunctionOnNextCall(s.read)');
+  s.push(b);
+  while (s.read(12));
+
+  bench.start();
+  for (var k = 0; k < n; ++k) {
+    for (var i = 0; i < 1e4; ++i)
+      s.push(b);
+    while (s.read(12));
+  }
+  bench.end(n);
+}
diff --git a/lib/_stream_readable.js b/lib/_stream_readable.js
index fc3e32b64e0734..0b55f2ea8e4ac8 100644
--- a/lib/_stream_readable.js
+++ b/lib/_stream_readable.js
@@ -8,27 +8,29 @@ const Stream = require('stream');
 const Buffer = require('buffer').Buffer;
 const util = require('util');
 const debug = util.debuglog('stream');
+const BufferList = require('internal/streams/BufferList');
 var StringDecoder;
 
 util.inherits(Readable, Stream);
 
-const hasPrependListener = typeof EE.prototype.prependListener === 'function';
-
-function prependListener(emitter, event, fn) {
-  if (hasPrependListener)
+var prependListener;
+if (typeof EE.prototype.prependListener === 'function') {
+  prependListener = function prependListener(emitter, event, fn) {
     return emitter.prependListener(event, fn);
-
-  // This is a brutally ugly hack to make sure that our error handler
-  // is attached before any userland ones.  NEVER DO THIS. This is here
-  // only because this code needs to continue to work with older versions
-  // of Node.js that do not include the prependListener() method. The goal
-  // is to eventually remove this hack.
-  if (!emitter._events || !emitter._events[event])
-    emitter.on(event, fn);
-  else if (Array.isArray(emitter._events[event]))
-    emitter._events[event].unshift(fn);
-  else
-    emitter._events[event] = [fn, emitter._events[event]];
+  };
+} else {
+  prependListener = function prependListener(emitter, event, fn) {
+    // This is a hack to make sure that our error handler is attached before any
+    // userland ones.  NEVER DO THIS. This is here only because this code needs
+    // to continue to work with older versions of Node.js that do not include
+    // the prependListener() method. The goal is to eventually remove this hack.
+    if (!emitter._events || !emitter._events[event])
+      emitter.on(event, fn);
+    else if (Array.isArray(emitter._events[event]))
+      emitter._events[event].unshift(fn);
+    else
+      emitter._events[event] = [fn, emitter._events[event]];
+  };
 }
 
 function ReadableState(options, stream) {
@@ -50,7 +52,10 @@ function ReadableState(options, stream) {
   // cast to ints.
   this.highWaterMark = ~~this.highWaterMark;
 
-  this.buffer = [];
+  // A linked list is used to store data chunks instead of an array because the
+  // linked list can remove elements from the beginning faster than
+  // array.shift()
+  this.buffer = new BufferList();
   this.length = 0;
   this.pipes = null;
   this.pipesCount = 0;
@@ -223,7 +228,8 @@ function computeNewHighWaterMark(n) {
   if (n >= MAX_HWM) {
     n = MAX_HWM;
   } else {
-    // Get the next highest power of 2
+    // Get the next highest power of 2 to prevent increasing hwm excessively in
+    // tiny amounts
     n--;
     n |= n >>> 1;
     n |= n >>> 2;
@@ -235,51 +241,41 @@ function computeNewHighWaterMark(n) {
   return n;
 }
 
+// This function is designed to be inlinable, so please take care when making
+// changes to the function body.
 function howMuchToRead(n, state) {
-  if (state.length === 0 && state.ended)
+  if (n <= 0 || (state.length === 0 && state.ended))
     return 0;
-
   if (state.objectMode)
-    return n === 0 ? 0 : 1;
-
-  if (n === null || isNaN(n)) {
-    // only flow one buffer at a time
-    if (state.flowing && state.buffer.length)
-      return state.buffer[0].length;
+    return 1;
+  if (n !== n) {
+    // Only flow one buffer at a time
+    if (state.flowing && state.length)
+      return state.buffer.head.data.length;
     else
       return state.length;
   }
-
-  if (n <= 0)
-    return 0;
-
-  // If we're asking for more than the target buffer level,
-  // then raise the water mark.  Bump up to the next highest
-  // power of 2, to prevent increasing it excessively in tiny
-  // amounts.
+  // If we're asking for more than the current hwm, then raise the hwm.
   if (n > state.highWaterMark)
     state.highWaterMark = computeNewHighWaterMark(n);
-
-  // don't have that much.  return null, unless we've ended.
-  if (n > state.length) {
-    if (!state.ended) {
-      state.needReadable = true;
-      return 0;
-    } else {
-      return state.length;
-    }
+  if (n <= state.length)
+    return n;
+  // Don't have enough
+  if (!state.ended) {
+    state.needReadable = true;
+    return 0;
   }
-
-  return n;
+  return state.length;
 }
 
 // you can override either this method, or the async _read(n) below.
 Readable.prototype.read = function(n) {
   debug('read', n);
+  n = parseInt(n, 10);
   var state = this._readableState;
   var nOrig = n;
 
-  if (typeof n !== 'number' || n > 0)
+  if (n !== 0)
     state.emittedReadable = false;
 
   // if we're doing read(0) to trigger a readable event, but we
@@ -342,9 +338,7 @@ Readable.prototype.read = function(n) {
   if (state.ended || state.reading) {
     doRead = false;
     debug('reading or ended', doRead);
-  }
-
-  if (doRead) {
+  } else if (doRead) {
     debug('do read');
     state.reading = true;
     state.sync = true;
@@ -354,13 +348,12 @@ Readable.prototype.read = function(n) {
     // call internal read method
     this._read(state.highWaterMark);
     state.sync = false;
+    // If _read pushed data synchronously, then `reading` will be false,
+    // and we need to re-evaluate how much data we can return to the user.
+    if (!state.reading)
+      n = howMuchToRead(nOrig, state);
   }
 
-  // If _read pushed data synchronously, then `reading` will be false,
-  // and we need to re-evaluate how much data we can return to the user.
-  if (doRead && !state.reading)
-    n = howMuchToRead(nOrig, state);
-
   var ret;
   if (n > 0)
     ret = fromList(n, state);
@@ -370,18 +363,20 @@ Readable.prototype.read = function(n) {
   if (ret === null) {
     state.needReadable = true;
     n = 0;
+  } else {
+    state.length -= n;
   }
 
-  state.length -= n;
-
-  // If we have nothing in the buffer, then we want to know
-  // as soon as we *do* get something into the buffer.
-  if (state.length === 0 && !state.ended)
-    state.needReadable = true;
+  if (state.length === 0) {
+    // If we have nothing in the buffer, then we want to know
+    // as soon as we *do* get something into the buffer.
+    if (!state.ended)
+      state.needReadable = true;
 
-  // If we tried to read() past the EOF, then emit end on the next tick.
-  if (nOrig !== n && state.ended && state.length === 0)
-    endReadable(this);
+    // If we tried to read() past the EOF, then emit end on the next tick.
+    if (nOrig !== n && state.ended)
+      endReadable(this);
+  }
 
   if (ret !== null)
     this.emit('data', ret);
@@ -690,20 +685,17 @@ Readable.prototype.unpipe = function(dest) {
 // set up data events if they are asked for
 // Ensure readable listeners eventually get something
 Readable.prototype.on = function(ev, fn) {
-  var res = Stream.prototype.on.call(this, ev, fn);
-
-  // If listening to data, and it has not explicitly been paused,
-  // then call resume to start the flow of data on the next tick.
-  if (ev === 'data' && false !== this._readableState.flowing) {
-    this.resume();
-  }
-
-  if (ev === 'readable' && !this._readableState.endEmitted) {
-    var state = this._readableState;
-    if (!state.readableListening) {
-      state.readableListening = true;
+  const res = Stream.prototype.on.call(this, ev, fn);
+
+  if (ev === 'data') {
+    // Start flowing on next tick if stream isn't explicitly paused
+    if (this._readableState.flowing !== false)
+      this.resume();
+  } else if (ev === 'readable') {
+    const state = this._readableState;
+    if (!state.endEmitted && !state.readableListening) {
+      state.readableListening = state.needReadable = true;
       state.emittedReadable = false;
-      state.needReadable = true;
       if (!state.reading) {
         process.nextTick(nReadingNextTick, this);
       } else if (state.length) {
@@ -765,13 +757,9 @@ Readable.prototype.pause = function() {
 };
 
 function flow(stream) {
-  var state = stream._readableState;
+  const state = stream._readableState;
   debug('flow', state.flowing);
-  if (state.flowing) {
-    do {
-      var chunk = stream.read();
-    } while (null !== chunk && state.flowing);
-  }
+  while (state.flowing && stream.read() !== null);
 }
 
 // wrap an old-style stream as the async data source.
@@ -846,69 +834,120 @@ Readable._fromList = fromList;
 
 // Pluck off n bytes from an array of buffers.
 // Length is the combined lengths of all the buffers in the list.
+// This function is designed to be inlinable, so please take care when making
+// changes to the function body.
 function fromList(n, state) {
-  var list = state.buffer;
-  var length = state.length;
-  var stringMode = !!state.decoder;
-  var objectMode = !!state.objectMode;
+  // nothing buffered
+  if (state.length === 0)
+    return null;
+
   var ret;
+  if (state.objectMode)
+    ret = state.buffer.shift();
+  else if (!n || n >= state.length) {
+    // read it all, truncate the list
+    if (state.decoder)
+      ret = state.buffer.join('');
+    else if (state.buffer.length === 1)
+      ret = state.buffer.head.data;
+    else
+      ret = state.buffer.concat(state.length);
+    state.buffer.clear();
+  } else {
+    // read part of list
+    ret = fromListPartial(n, state.buffer, state.decoder);
+  }
 
-  // nothing in the list, definitely empty.
-  if (list.length === 0)
-    return null;
+  return ret;
+}
 
-  if (length === 0)
-    ret = null;
-  else if (objectMode)
+// Extracts only enough buffered data to satisfy the amount requested.
+// This function is designed to be inlinable, so please take care when making
+// changes to the function body.
+function fromListPartial(n, list, hasStrings) {
+  var ret;
+  if (n < list.head.data.length) {
+    // slice is the same for buffers and strings
+    ret = list.head.data.slice(0, n);
+    list.head.data = list.head.data.slice(n);
+  } else if (n === list.head.data.length) {
+    // first chunk is a perfect match
     ret = list.shift();
-  else if (!n || n >= length) {
-    // read it all, truncate the array.
-    if (stringMode)
-      ret = list.join('');
-    else if (list.length === 1)
-      ret = list[0];
-    else
-      ret = Buffer.concat(list, length);
-    list.length = 0;
   } else {
-    // read just some of it.
-    if (n < list[0].length) {
-      // just take a part of the first list item.
-      // slice is the same for buffers and strings.
-      const buf = list[0];
-      ret = buf.slice(0, n);
-      list[0] = buf.slice(n);
-    } else if (n === list[0].length) {
-      // first list is a perfect match
-      ret = list.shift();
-    } else {
-      // complex case.
-      // we have enough to cover it, but it spans past the first buffer.
-      if (stringMode)
-        ret = '';
-      else
-        ret = Buffer.allocUnsafe(n);
-
-      var c = 0;
-      for (var i = 0, l = list.length; i < l && c < n; i++) {
-        const buf = list[0];
-        var cpy = Math.min(n - c, buf.length);
-
-        if (stringMode)
-          ret += buf.slice(0, cpy);
-        else
-          buf.copy(ret, c, 0, cpy);
+    // result spans more than one buffer
+    ret = (hasStrings
+           ? copyFromBufferString(n, list)
+           : copyFromBuffer(n, list));
+  }
+  return ret;
+}
 
-        if (cpy < buf.length)
-          list[0] = buf.slice(cpy);
+// Copies a specified amount of characters from the list of buffered data
+// chunks.
+// This function is designed to be inlinable, so please take care when making
+// changes to the function body.
+function copyFromBufferString(n, list) {
+  var p = list.head;
+  var c = 1;
+  var ret = p.data;
+  n -= ret.length;
+  while (p = p.next) {
+    const str = p.data;
+    const nb = (n > str.length ? str.length : n);
+    if (nb === str.length)
+      ret += str;
+    else
+      ret += str.slice(0, n);
+    n -= nb;
+    if (n === 0) {
+      if (nb === str.length) {
+        ++c;
+        if (p.next)
+          list.head = p.next;
         else
-          list.shift();
-
-        c += cpy;
+          list.head = list.tail = null;
+      } else {
+        list.head = p;
+        p.data = str.slice(nb);
       }
+      break;
     }
+    ++c;
   }
+  list.length -= c;
+  return ret;
+}
 
+// Copies a specified amount of bytes from the list of buffered data chunks.
+// This function is designed to be inlinable, so please take care when making
+// changes to the function body.
+function copyFromBuffer(n, list) {
+  const ret = Buffer.allocUnsafe(n);
+  var p = list.head;
+  var c = 1;
+  p.data.copy(ret);
+  n -= p.data.length;
+  while (p = p.next) {
+    const buf = p.data;
+    const nb = (n > buf.length ? buf.length : n);
+    buf.copy(ret, ret.length - n, 0, nb);
+    n -= nb;
+    if (n === 0) {
+      if (nb === buf.length) {
+        ++c;
+        if (p.next)
+          list.head = p.next;
+        else
+          list.head = list.tail = null;
+      } else {
+        list.head = p;
+        p.data = buf.slice(nb);
+      }
+      break;
+    }
+    ++c;
+  }
+  list.length -= c;
   return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/streams/BufferList.js b/lib/internal/streams/BufferList.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..76da94bc83d977
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/internal/streams/BufferList.js
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const Buffer = require('buffer').Buffer;
+
+module.exports = BufferList;
+
+function BufferList() {
+  this.head = null;
+  this.tail = null;
+  this.length = 0;
+}
+
+BufferList.prototype.push = function(v) {
+  const entry = { data: v, next: null };
+  if (this.length > 0)
+    this.tail.next = entry;
+  else
+    this.head = entry;
+  this.tail = entry;
+  ++this.length;
+};
+
+BufferList.prototype.unshift = function(v) {
+  const entry = { data: v, next: this.head };
+  if (this.length === 0)
+    this.tail = entry;
+  this.head = entry;
+  ++this.length;
+};
+
+BufferList.prototype.shift = function() {
+  if (this.length === 0)
+    return;
+  const ret = this.head.data;
+  if (this.length === 1)
+    this.head = this.tail = null;
+  else
+    this.head = this.head.next;
+  --this.length;
+  return ret;
+};
+
+BufferList.prototype.clear = function() {
+  this.head = this.tail = null;
+  this.length = 0;
+};
+
+BufferList.prototype.join = function(s) {
+  if (this.length === 0)
+    return '';
+  var p = this.head;
+  var ret = '' + p.data;
+  while (p = p.next)
+    ret += s + p.data;
+  return ret;
+};
+
+BufferList.prototype.concat = function(n) {
+  if (this.length === 0)
+    return Buffer.alloc(0);
+  if (this.length === 1)
+    return this.head.data;
+  const ret = Buffer.allocUnsafe(n >>> 0);
+  var p = this.head;
+  var i = 0;
+  while (p) {
+    p.data.copy(ret, i);
+    i += p.data.length;
+    p = p.next;
+  }
+  return ret;
+};
diff --git a/node.gyp b/node.gyp
index 0d32905b6ce120..3e996f3e6b84cb 100644
--- a/node.gyp
+++ b/node.gyp
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@
       'lib/internal/v8_prof_polyfill.js',
       'lib/internal/v8_prof_processor.js',
       'lib/internal/streams/lazy_transform.js',
+      'lib/internal/streams/BufferList.js',
       'deps/v8/tools/splaytree.js',
       'deps/v8/tools/codemap.js',
       'deps/v8/tools/consarray.js',
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-stream-push-order.js b/test/parallel/test-stream-push-order.js
index 7c1b2602f6ab51..22a3156f62f502 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-stream-push-order.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-stream-push-order.js
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ s.read(0);
 // ACTUALLY [1, 3, 5, 6, 4, 2]
 
 process.on('exit', function() {
-  assert.deepStrictEqual(s._readableState.buffer,
-                         ['1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6']);
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(s._readableState.buffer.join(','), '1,2,3,4,5,6');
   console.log('ok');
 });
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-stream2-readable-from-list.js b/test/parallel/test-stream2-readable-from-list.js
index e22c7a51940966..a823bf9dc10891 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-stream2-readable-from-list.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-stream2-readable-from-list.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+// Flags: --expose_internals
 'use strict';
 require('../common');
 var assert = require('assert');
 var fromList = require('_stream_readable')._fromList;
+var BufferList = require('internal/streams/BufferList');
 
 // tiny node-tap lookalike.
 var tests = [];
@@ -30,6 +32,13 @@ function run() {
   });
 }
 
+function bufferListFromArray(arr) {
+  const bl = new BufferList();
+  for (var i = 0; i < arr.length; ++i)
+    bl.push(arr[i]);
+  return bl;
+}
+
 // ensure all tests have run
 process.on('exit', function() {
   assert.equal(count, 0);
@@ -43,6 +52,7 @@ test('buffers', function(t) {
                Buffer.from('bark'),
                Buffer.from('bazy'),
                Buffer.from('kuel') ];
+  list = bufferListFromArray(list);
 
   // read more than the first element.
   var ret = fromList(6, { buffer: list, length: 16 });
@@ -61,7 +71,7 @@ test('buffers', function(t) {
   t.equal(ret.toString(), 'zykuel');
 
   // all consumed.
-  t.same(list, []);
+  t.same(list, new BufferList());
 
   t.end();
 });
@@ -71,6 +81,7 @@ test('strings', function(t) {
                'bark',
                'bazy',
                'kuel' ];
+  list = bufferListFromArray(list);
 
   // read more than the first element.
   var ret = fromList(6, { buffer: list, length: 16, decoder: true });
@@ -89,7 +100,7 @@ test('strings', function(t) {
   t.equal(ret, 'zykuel');
 
   // all consumed.
-  t.same(list, []);
+  t.same(list, new BufferList());
 
   t.end();
 });