diff --git a/basis/io/backend/unix/unix.factor b/basis/io/backend/unix/unix.factor
index 43f25d077b..c9b6ae5e00 100755
--- a/basis/io/backend/unix/unix.factor
+++ b/basis/io/backend/unix/unix.factor
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
 USING: accessors alien.c-types alien.data alien.syntax
 classes.struct combinators destructors destructors.private fry
-hints io.backend io.backend.unix.multiplexers io.buffers
-io.files io.ports io.timeouts kernel kernel.private libc locals
-make math namespaces sequences summary system threads unix
-unix.ffi unix.stat unix.types ;
+io.backend io.backend.unix.multiplexers io.buffers io.files
+io.ports io.timeouts kernel kernel.private libc locals make math
+namespaces sequences summary system threads unix unix.ffi
+unix.stat unix.types ;
 QUALIFIED: io
 IN: io.backend.unix
 
@@ -83,18 +83,21 @@ M: unix wait-for-fd ( handle event -- )
 
 ! Some general stuff
 
+ERROR: not-a-buffered-port port ;
+
+: check-buffered-port ( port -- port )
+    dup buffered-port? [ not-a-buffered-port ] unless ; inline
+
 M: fd refill
-    fd>> over buffer>> [ buffer-end ] [ buffer-capacity ] bi read
+    [ check-buffered-port buffer>> ] [ fd>> ] bi*
+    over [ buffer-end ] [ buffer-capacity ] bi read
     {
-        { [ dup 0 >= ] [ swap buffer>> n>buffer f ] }
+        { [ dup 0 >= ] [ swap buffer+ f ] }
         { [ errno EINTR = ] [ 2drop +retry+ ] }
         { [ errno EAGAIN = ] [ 2drop +input+ ] }
         [ (io-error) ]
     } cond ;
 
-HINTS: M\ fd refill
-    { buffered-port fd } ;
-
 M: unix (wait-to-read) ( port -- )
     dup
     dup handle>> dup check-disposed refill dup
@@ -102,11 +105,12 @@ M: unix (wait-to-read) ( port -- )
 
 ! Writers
 M: fd drain
-    fd>> over buffer>> [ buffer@ ] [ buffer-length ] bi write
+    [ check-buffered-port buffer>> ] [ fd>> ] bi*
+    over [ buffer@ ] [ buffer-length ] bi write
     {
         { [ dup 0 >= ] [
-            over buffer>> buffer-consume
-            buffer>> buffer-empty? f +output+ ?
+            over buffer-consume
+            buffer-empty? f +output+ ?
         ] }
         { [ errno EINTR = ] [ 2drop +retry+ ] }
         { [ errno EAGAIN = ] [ 2drop +output+ ] }
@@ -150,7 +154,7 @@ M: stdin dispose*
         errno EINTR = [ buffer stdin size refill-stdin ] [ (io-error) ] if
     ] [
         size = [ "Error reading stdin pipe" throw ] unless
-        size buffer n>buffer
+        size buffer buffer+
     ] if ;
 
 M: stdin refill
diff --git a/basis/io/buffers/buffers-docs.factor b/basis/io/buffers/buffers-docs.factor
index d27e0bf59e..46b4b4174e 100644
--- a/basis/io/buffers/buffers-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/io/buffers/buffers-docs.factor
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 USING: alien byte-arrays destructors help.markup help.syntax
-kernel ;
+kernel math ;
 IN: io.buffers
 
 ARTICLE: "buffers" "Locked I/O buffers"
@@ -29,24 +29,27 @@ $nl
     buffer-peek
     buffer-pop
     buffer-read
+    buffer-read-unsafe
+    buffer-read-until
 }
 "Writing to the buffer:"
 { $subsections
-    byte>buffer
-    >buffer
-    n>buffer
+    buffer-write1
+    buffer-write
+    buffer+
 } ;
 
 ABOUT: "buffers"
 
 HELP: buffer
-{ $class-description "The class of I/O buffers, which resemble FIFO queues, but are optimized for holding bytes, are have underlying storage allocated at a fixed address. Buffers must be de-allocated manually."
-$nl
-"Buffers have two internal pointers:"
-{ $list
-    { { $snippet "fill" } " - the fill pointer, a write index where new data is added" }
-    { { $snippet "pos" } " - the position, a read index where data is consumed" }
-} } ;
+{ $class-description "The class of I/O buffers, which resemble FIFO queues, but are optimized for holding bytes, are have underlying storage allocated at a fixed address. Buffers must be de-allocated manually. It has the following slots:"
+    { $table
+        { { $slot "size" } "The total size, in bytes, of the buffer" }
+        { { $slot "ptr" } { "The " { $link c-ptr } " memory where data is stored" } }
+        { { $slot "fill" } "The fill pointer, a write index where new data is added" }
+        { { $slot "pos" } "The position, a read index where data is consumed" }
+    }
+} ;
 
 HELP: <buffer>
 { $values { "n" "a non-negative integer" } { "buffer" buffer } }
@@ -73,8 +76,8 @@ HELP: buffer-read
 { $description "Collects a byte array of " { $snippet "n" } " bytes starting from the buffer's current position, and advances the position accordingly. If there are less than " { $snippet "n" } " bytes available, the output is truncated." }
 { $examples
   { $example
-    "USING: destructors io.buffers kernel prettyprint ;"
-    "5 100 <buffer> [ B{ 7 14 21 } over >buffer buffer-read ] with-disposal ."
+    "USING: alien destructors io.buffers kernel prettyprint ;"
+    "5 100 <buffer> [ B{ 7 14 21 } binary-object pick buffer-write buffer-read ] with-disposal ."
     "B{ 7 14 21 }"
   }
 } ;
@@ -84,8 +87,8 @@ HELP: buffer-length
 { $description "Outputs the number of unconsumed bytes in the buffer." }
 { $examples
   { $example
-    "USING: destructors io.buffers kernel prettyprint ;"
-    "100 <buffer> [ B{ 7 14 21 } over >buffer buffer-length ] with-disposal ."
+    "USING: alien destructors io.buffers kernel prettyprint ;"
+    "100 <buffer> [ B{ 7 14 21 } binary-object pick buffer-write buffer-length ] with-disposal ."
     "3"
   }
 } ;
@@ -105,24 +108,24 @@ HELP: buffer-empty?
 { $values { "buffer" buffer } { "?" boolean } }
 { $description "Tests if the buffer contains no more data to be read or written." } ;
 
-HELP: >buffer
-{ $values { "byte-array" byte-array } { "buffer" buffer } }
-{ $description "Copies a byte array to the buffer's fill pointer, and advances it accordingly." }
-{ $warning "This word will corrupt memory if the byte array is larger than the space available in the buffer." } ;
+HELP: buffer-write
+{ $values { "c-ptr" c-ptr } { "n" fixnum } { "buffer" buffer } }
+{ $description "Copies a " { $link c-ptr } " to the buffer's fill pointer, and advances it accordingly." }
+{ $warning "This word will corrupt memory if writing more than the space available in the buffer." } ;
 
-HELP: byte>buffer
+HELP: buffer-write1
 { $values { "byte" "a byte" } { "buffer" buffer } }
 { $description "Appends a single byte to a buffer." }
 { $warning "This word will corrupt memory if the buffer is full." }
 { $examples
   { $example
     "USING: destructors io.buffers kernel prettyprint ;"
-    "100 <buffer> [ 237 over byte>buffer buffer-pop ] with-disposal ."
+    "100 <buffer> [ 237 over buffer-write1 buffer-pop ] with-disposal ."
     "237"
   }
 } ;
 
-HELP: n>buffer
+HELP: buffer+
 { $values { "n" "a non-negative integer" } { "buffer" buffer } }
 { $description "Advances the fill pointer by " { $snippet "n" } " bytes." }
 { $warning "This word will leave the buffer in an invalid state if it does not have " { $snippet "n" } " bytes available." } ;
diff --git a/basis/io/buffers/buffers-tests.factor b/basis/io/buffers/buffers-tests.factor
index 07e783f267..719448fedd 100644
--- a/basis/io/buffers/buffers-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/io/buffers/buffers-tests.factor
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ strings accessors destructors ;
 
 [ "hello world" ] [
     "hello" 1024 <buffer> [ buffer-set ] keep
-    " world" >byte-array over >buffer
+    " world" >byte-array binary-object pick buffer-write
     dup buffer-read-all >string swap dispose
 ] unit-test
 
@@ -57,9 +57,9 @@ strings accessors destructors ;
 "b" get dispose
 
 100 <buffer> "b" set
-[ 1000 "b" get n>buffer >string ] must-fail
+[ 1000 "b" get buffer+ >string ] must-fail
 "b" get dispose
 
 "hello world" string>buffer "b" set
-[ "hello" CHAR: \s ] [ " " "b" get buffer-until [ >string ] dip ] unit-test
+[ "hello" CHAR: \s ] [ " " "b" get buffer-read-until [ >string ] dip ] unit-test
 "b" get dispose
diff --git a/basis/io/buffers/buffers.factor b/basis/io/buffers/buffers.factor
index b3001a5184..4981e3229a 100644
--- a/basis/io/buffers/buffers.factor
+++ b/basis/io/buffers/buffers.factor
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2004, 2005 Mackenzie Straight.
 ! Copyright (C) 2006, 2010 Slava Pestov.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
-USING: accessors alien alien.accessors alien.c-types
-alien.data alien.syntax kernel libc math sequences byte-arrays
-strings hints math.order destructors combinators ;
+USING: accessors alien alien.accessors alien.data byte-arrays
+combinators destructors kernel libc math math.order sequences
+typed ;
 IN: io.buffers
 
 TUPLE: buffer
@@ -18,68 +18,60 @@ disposed ;
 
 M: buffer dispose* ptr>> free ; inline
 
-: buffer-reset ( n buffer -- )
+TYPED: buffer-reset ( n buffer: buffer -- )
     swap >>fill 0 >>pos drop ; inline
 
-: buffer-capacity ( buffer -- n )
+TYPED: buffer-capacity ( buffer: buffer -- n )
     [ size>> ] [ fill>> ] bi - >fixnum ; inline
 
-: buffer-empty? ( buffer -- ? )
+TYPED: buffer-empty? ( buffer: buffer -- ? )
     fill>> zero? ; inline
 
-: buffer-consume ( n buffer -- )
+TYPED: buffer-consume ( n: fixnum buffer: buffer -- )
     [ + ] change-pos
     dup [ pos>> ] [ fill>> ] bi <
     [ 0 >>pos 0 >>fill ] unless drop ; inline
 
-: buffer-peek ( buffer -- byte )
+TYPED: buffer-peek ( buffer: buffer -- byte )
     [ ptr>> ] [ pos>> ] bi alien-unsigned-1 ; inline
 
-: buffer-pop ( buffer -- byte )
+TYPED: buffer-pop ( buffer: buffer -- byte )
     [ buffer-peek ] [ 1 swap buffer-consume ] bi ; inline
 
-: buffer-length ( buffer -- n )
+TYPED: buffer-length ( buffer: buffer -- n )
     [ fill>> ] [ pos>> ] bi - >fixnum ; inline
 
-: buffer@ ( buffer -- alien )
+TYPED: buffer@ ( buffer: buffer -- alien )
     [ pos>> ] [ ptr>> ] bi <displaced-alien> ; inline
 
-: buffer-read-unsafe ( n buffer -- n ptr )
+TYPED: buffer-read-unsafe ( n: fixnum buffer: buffer -- n ptr )
     [ buffer-length min ] keep
     [ buffer@ ] [ buffer-consume ] 2bi ; inline
 
-: buffer-read ( n buffer -- byte-array )
-    buffer-read-unsafe swap memory>byte-array ;
+TYPED: buffer-read ( n: fixnum buffer: buffer -- byte-array )
+    buffer-read-unsafe swap memory>byte-array ; inline
 
-HINTS: buffer-read fixnum buffer ;
-
-: buffer-end ( buffer -- alien )
+TYPED: buffer-end ( buffer: buffer -- alien )
     [ fill>> ] [ ptr>> ] bi <displaced-alien> ; inline
 
-: n>buffer ( n buffer -- )
+TYPED: buffer+ ( n buffer: buffer -- )
     [ + ] change-fill drop ; inline
 
-HINTS: n>buffer fixnum buffer ;
+TYPED: buffer-write ( c-ptr n buffer: buffer -- )
+    [ buffer-end -rot memcpy ] [ buffer+ ] 2bi ; inline
 
-: >buffer ( byte-array buffer -- )
-    [ buffer-end swap binary-object memcpy ]
-    [ [ byte-length ] dip n>buffer ]
-    2bi ;
-
-HINTS: >buffer byte-array buffer ;
-
-: byte>buffer ( byte buffer -- )
-    [ >fixnum ] dip
+TYPED: buffer-write1 ( byte: fixnum buffer: buffer -- )
     [ [ ptr>> ] [ fill>> ] bi set-alien-unsigned-1 ]
-    [ 1 swap n>buffer ]
-    bi ; inline
+    [ 1 swap buffer+ ] bi ; inline
 
-: search-buffer-until ( pos fill ptr separators -- n )
+<PRIVATE
+
+: search-buffer-until ( pos fill ptr seps -- n )
     [ iota ] 2dip
     [ [ swap alien-unsigned-1 ] dip member-eq? ] 2curry
     find-from drop ; inline
 
-: finish-buffer-until ( buffer n -- byte-array separator )
+: finish-buffer-until ( buffer n -- byte-array sep/f )
     [
         over pos>> -
         over buffer-read
@@ -89,9 +81,9 @@ HINTS: >buffer byte-array buffer ;
         buffer-read f
     ] if* ; inline
 
-: buffer-until ( separators buffer -- byte-array separator )
+PRIVATE>
+
+TYPED: buffer-read-until ( seps buffer: buffer -- byte-array sep/f )
     swap [ { [ ] [ pos>> ] [ fill>> ] [ ptr>> ] } cleave ] dip
     search-buffer-until
     finish-buffer-until ;
-
-HINTS: buffer-until { string buffer } ;
diff --git a/basis/io/files/windows/windows.factor b/basis/io/files/windows/windows.factor
index b3f4e866bf..fa6c9801b4 100755
--- a/basis/io/files/windows/windows.factor
+++ b/basis/io/files/windows/windows.factor
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ M: object drain ( port handle -- event/f )
     } cleave ;
 
 : finish-read ( n port -- )
-    [ update-file-ptr ] [ buffer>> n>buffer ] 2bi ;
+    [ update-file-ptr ] [ buffer>> buffer+ ] 2bi ;
 
 M: object refill ( port handle -- event/f )
     [ make-FileArgs dup setup-read ReadFile ]
diff --git a/basis/io/ports/ports.factor b/basis/io/ports/ports.factor
index 2697ac6d80..5291e5d069 100644
--- a/basis/io/ports/ports.factor
+++ b/basis/io/ports/ports.factor
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2005, 2010 Slava Pestov, Doug Coleman
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
-USING: accessors alien alien.c-types alien.data byte-arrays
-combinators destructors fry grouping hints io io.backend
-io.buffers io.encodings io.files io.timeouts kernel
-kernel.private libc locals math math.order namespaces sequences
-strings system ;
+USING: accessors alien byte-arrays combinators destructors hints
+io io.backend io.buffers io.encodings io.files io.timeouts
+kernel kernel.private libc locals math math.order namespaces
+sequences strings system ;
 IN: io.ports
 
 SYMBOL: default-buffer-size
@@ -84,9 +83,11 @@ M:: input-port stream-read-unsafe ( n dst port -- count )
     ] [ 0 ] if ;
 
 : read-until-step ( separators port -- string/f separator/f )
-    dup wait-to-read [ 2drop f f ] [ buffer>> buffer-until ] if ;
+    dup wait-to-read [ 2drop f f ] [
+        buffer>> buffer-read-until
+    ] if ; inline
 
-: read-until-loop ( seps port buf -- separator/f )
+: read-until-loop ( seps port accum -- separator/f )
     2over read-until-step over [
         [ append! ] dip dup [
             [ 3drop ] dip
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ M:: input-port stream-read-unsafe ( n dst port -- count )
         ] if
     ] [
         [ 4drop ] dip
-    ] if ;
+    ] if ; inline recursive
 
 M: input-port stream-read-until ( seps port -- str/f sep/f )
     2dup read-until-step dup [ [ 2drop ] 2dip ] [
@@ -112,29 +113,6 @@ INSTANCE: output-port file-writer
 : <output-port> ( handle -- output-port )
     output-port <buffered-port> ;
 
-: wait-to-write ( len port -- )
-    [ nip ] [ buffer>> buffer-capacity <= ] 2bi
-    [ drop ] [ stream-flush ] if ; inline
-
-M: output-port stream-write1
-    dup check-disposed
-    1 over wait-to-write
-    buffer>> byte>buffer ; inline
-
-: write-in-groups ( byte-array port -- )
-    [ binary-object uchar <c-direct-array> ] dip
-    [ buffer>> size>> <groups> ] [ '[ _ stream-write ] ] bi
-    each ; inline
-
-M: output-port stream-write
-    dup check-disposed
-    2dup [ byte-length ] [ buffer>> size>> ] bi* > [
-        write-in-groups
-    ] [
-        [ [ byte-length ] dip wait-to-write ]
-        [ buffer>> >buffer ] 2bi
-    ] if ;
-
 HOOK: (wait-to-write) io-backend ( port -- )
 
 : port-flush ( port -- )
@@ -144,11 +122,36 @@ HOOK: (wait-to-write) io-backend ( port -- )
 M: output-port stream-flush
     [ check-disposed ] [ port-flush ] bi ;
 
+: wait-to-write ( len port -- )
+    [ nip ] [ buffer>> buffer-capacity <= ] 2bi
+    [ drop ] [ port-flush ] if ; inline
+
+M: output-port stream-write1
+    dup check-disposed
+    1 over wait-to-write
+    buffer>> buffer-write1 ; inline
+
+:: port-write ( c-ptr n-remaining port -- )
+    port buffer>> :> buffer
+    n-remaining buffer size>> min :> n-write
+
+    n-write port wait-to-write
+    c-ptr n-write buffer buffer-write
+
+    n-remaining n-write - dup 0 > [
+        n-write c-ptr <displaced-alien> swap port port-write
+    ] [ drop ] if ; inline recursive
+
+M: output-port stream-write
+    dup check-disposed
+    [ binary-object ] [ port-write ] bi* ;
+
 HOOK: tell-handle os ( handle -- n )
 
 HOOK: seek-handle os ( n seek-type handle -- )
 
 HOOK: can-seek-handle? os ( handle -- ? )
+
 HOOK: handle-length os ( handle -- n/f )
 
 M: input-port stream-tell
@@ -164,7 +167,7 @@ M: output-port stream-tell
     ! buffer.
     seek-type seek-relative eq?
     [ n stream stream-tell + seek-absolute ] [ n seek-type ] if
-    stream ;
+    stream ; inline
 
 M: input-port stream-seek
     do-seek-relative
@@ -209,8 +212,7 @@ M: port cancel-operation handle>> cancel-operation ;
 M: port dispose*
     [
         [ handle>> &dispose drop ]
-        [ handle>> shutdown ]
-        bi
+        [ handle>> shutdown ] bi
     ] with-destructors ;
 
 GENERIC: underlying-port ( stream -- port )
@@ -236,4 +238,3 @@ HINTS: M\ input-port stream-read-partial-unsafe
 HINTS: M\ input-port stream-read-unsafe
     { fixnum byte-array input-port }
     { fixnum string input-port } ;
-
diff --git a/basis/io/sockets/secure/openssl/openssl.factor b/basis/io/sockets/secure/openssl/openssl.factor
index 4f1d621df7..417ca98fd1 100644
--- a/basis/io/sockets/secure/openssl/openssl.factor
+++ b/basis/io/sockets/secure/openssl/openssl.factor
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ SYMBOL: default-secure-context
 : do-ssl-read ( buffer ssl -- event/f )
     2dup swap [ buffer-end ] [ buffer-capacity ] bi SSL_read [
         { { SSL_ERROR_ZERO_RETURN [ drop f ] } } check-ssl-error
-    ] keep swap [ 2nip ] [ swap n>buffer f ] if* ;
+    ] keep swap [ 2nip ] [ swap buffer+ f ] if* ;
 
 M: ssl-handle refill ( port handle -- event/f )
     dup maybe-handshake [ buffer>> ] [ handle>> ] bi* do-ssl-read ;
diff --git a/unmaintained/cryptlib/streams/streams.factor b/unmaintained/cryptlib/streams/streams.factor
index 9473e6063f..929143f796 100644
--- a/unmaintained/cryptlib/streams/streams.factor
+++ b/unmaintained/cryptlib/streams/streams.factor
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ TUPLE: crypt-stream handle eof? ;
 
 : (refill) ( stream -- err )
     dup [ crypt-stream-handle ] keep [ buffer@ ] keep buffer-capacity
-    "int" <c-object> dup >r cryptPopData r> *int rot n>buffer ;
+    "int" <c-object> dup >r cryptPopData r> *int rot buffer+ ;
 
 : refill ( stream -- )
     dup (refill) check-read swap set-crypt-stream-eof? ;
@@ -61,13 +61,13 @@ M: crypt-stream stream-read1 ( stream -- ch/f )
     1 swap stream-read [ first ] [ f ] if* ;
 
 : read-until-step ( seps stream -- sep/f )
-    dup refill 2dup buffer-until [ swap % 2nip ]
+    dup refill 2dup buffer-read-until [ swap % 2nip ]
     [ 
         % dup crypt-stream-eof? [ 2drop f ] [ read-until-step ] if
     ] if* ;
 
 M: crypt-stream stream-read-until ( seps stream -- str/f sep/f )
-    2dup buffer-until [ >r 2nip r> ] [
+    2dup buffer-read-until [ >r 2nip r> ] [
         [ % read-until-step ] "" make f like swap
     ] if* ;