diff --git a/library/stdio_fread.c b/library/stdio_fread.c
index b175382..f8f6b52 100644
--- a/library/stdio_fread.c
+++ b/library/stdio_fread.c
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 /*
- * $Id: stdio_fread.c,v 1.7 2006-01-08 12:04:24 obarthel Exp $
- *
  * :ts=4
  *
  * Portable ISO 'C' (1994) runtime library for the Amiga computer
- * Copyright (c) 2002-2015 by Olaf Barthel <obarthel (at) gmx.net>
+ * Copyright (c) 2002-2019 by Olaf Barthel <obarthel (at) gmx.net>
  * All rights reserved.
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -102,6 +100,9 @@ fread(void *ptr,size_t element_size,size_t count,FILE *stream)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	/* So that we can tell error and 'end of file' conditions apart. */
+	clearerr(stream);
+
 	if(element_size > 0 && count > 0)
 	{
 		size_t total_bytes_read = 0;
@@ -116,15 +117,87 @@ fread(void *ptr,size_t element_size,size_t count,FILE *stream)
 
 		SHOWVALUE(total_size);
 
-		while(total_size-- > 0)
+		if((file->iob_Flags & IOBF_BUFFER_MODE) == IOBF_BUFFER_MODE_NONE)
 		{
-			c = __getc(file);
-			if(c == EOF)
-				break;
+			ssize_t num_bytes_read;
 
-			(*data++) = c;
+			/* We bypass the buffer entirely. */
+			num_bytes_read = read(file->iob_Descriptor, data, total_size);
+			if(num_bytes_read == -1)
+			{
+				SET_FLAG(file->iob_Flags,IOBF_ERROR);
+				goto out;
+			}
 
-			total_bytes_read++;
+			if(num_bytes_read == 0)
+				SET_FLAG(file->iob_Flags,IOBF_EOF_REACHED);
+
+			total_bytes_read = num_bytes_read;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			while(total_size > 0)
+			{
+				/* If there is more data to be read and the read buffer is empty
+				   anyway, we'll bypass the buffer entirely. */
+				if(file->iob_BufferReadBytes == 0 && total_size >= (size_t)file->iob_BufferSize)
+				{
+					ssize_t num_bytes_read;
+
+					/* We bypass the buffer entirely. */
+					num_bytes_read = read(file->iob_Descriptor, data, total_size);
+					if(num_bytes_read == -1)
+					{
+						SET_FLAG(file->iob_Flags,IOBF_ERROR);
+						goto out;
+					}
+
+					if(num_bytes_read == 0)
+						SET_FLAG(file->iob_Flags,IOBF_EOF_REACHED);
+
+					total_bytes_read += num_bytes_read;
+					break;
+				}
+
+				/* If there is data in the read buffer, try to copy it directly
+				   into the output buffer. */
+				if(file->iob_BufferPosition < file->iob_BufferReadBytes)
+				{
+					const unsigned char * buffer = &file->iob_Buffer[file->iob_BufferPosition];
+					size_t num_bytes_in_buffer;
+			
+					/* Copy as much data as will fit. */
+					num_bytes_in_buffer = file->iob_BufferReadBytes - file->iob_BufferPosition;
+					if(total_size < num_bytes_in_buffer)
+						num_bytes_in_buffer = total_size;
+			
+					memmove(data, buffer, num_bytes_in_buffer);
+					data += num_bytes_in_buffer;
+			
+					file->iob_BufferPosition += num_bytes_in_buffer;
+
+					total_bytes_read += num_bytes_in_buffer;
+
+					/* Stop if the string buffer has been filled. */
+					total_size -= num_bytes_in_buffer;
+					if(total_size == 0)
+						break;
+
+					/* If the read buffer is now empty and there is still enough data
+					   to be read, try to optimize the read operation. */
+					if(file->iob_BufferReadBytes == 0 && total_size >= (size_t)file->iob_BufferSize)
+						continue;
+				}
+		
+				c = __getc(file);
+				if(c == EOF)
+					break;
+
+				(*data++) = c;
+
+				total_size--;
+				total_bytes_read++;
+			}
 		}
 
 		SHOWVALUE(total_bytes_read);
@@ -137,9 +210,6 @@ fread(void *ptr,size_t element_size,size_t count,FILE *stream)
 		SHOWVALUE(count);
 
 		SHOWMSG("either element size or count is zero");
-
-		/* Don't let this appear like an EOF or error. */
-		clearerr((FILE *)file);
 	}
 
 	D(("total number of elements read = %ld",result));