diff --git a/lib/_stream_readable.js b/lib/_stream_readable.js
index afe3b3baf065c2..c5c4f2eaac94f6 100644
--- a/lib/_stream_readable.js
+++ b/lib/_stream_readable.js
@@ -274,7 +274,15 @@ function howMuchToRead(n, state) {
 }
 
 // you can override either this method, or the async _read(n) below.
-Readable.prototype.read = function(n) {
+Readable.prototype.read = function(arg) {
+  var n;
+  var buf;
+  if (arg instanceof Buffer) {
+    buf = arg;
+  } else {
+    n = arg;
+  }
+
   debug('read', n);
   var state = this._readableState;
   var nOrig = n;
@@ -352,7 +360,7 @@ Readable.prototype.read = function(n) {
     if (state.length === 0)
       state.needReadable = true;
     // call internal read method
-    this._read(state.highWaterMark);
+    this._read(state.highWaterMark, buf);
     state.sync = false;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index 509112f58f2077..54251fad3ccc59 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -401,12 +401,14 @@ Object.defineProperty(Socket.prototype, 'bufferSize', {
 
 
 // Just call handle.readStart until we have enough in the buffer
-Socket.prototype._read = function(n) {
+Socket.prototype._read = function(n, buf) {
   debug('_read');
 
+  if (this._handle && !this._handle[0])
+    this._handle[0] = buf;
   if (this.connecting || !this._handle) {
     debug('_read wait for connection');
-    this.once('connect', () => this._read(n));
+    this.once('connect', () => this._read(n, buf));
   } else if (!this._handle.reading) {
     // not already reading, start the flow
     debug('Socket._read readStart');
@@ -526,6 +528,9 @@ function onread(nread, buffer) {
   var self = handle.owner;
   assert(handle === self._handle, 'handle != self._handle');
 
+  var prealloc = buffer === handle[0];
+  handle[0] = undefined;
+
   self._unrefTimer();
 
   debug('onread', nread);
@@ -539,7 +544,11 @@ function onread(nread, buffer) {
     // called again.
 
     // Optimization: emit the original buffer with end points
-    var ret = self.push(buffer);
+    var ret;
+    if (prealloc)
+      ret = self.push(buffer.slice(0, nread));
+    else
+      ret = self.push(buffer);
 
     if (handle.reading && !ret) {
       handle.reading = false;
diff --git a/src/stream_wrap.cc b/src/stream_wrap.cc
index b942e48078e29a..6d3739e3431832 100644
--- a/src/stream_wrap.cc
+++ b/src/stream_wrap.cc
@@ -149,13 +149,26 @@ void StreamWrap::OnAlloc(uv_handle_t* handle,
 
 
 void StreamWrap::OnAllocImpl(size_t size, uv_buf_t* buf, void* ctx) {
-  buf->base = static_cast<char*>(malloc(size));
-  buf->len = size;
+  StreamWrap* wrap = static_cast<StreamWrap*>(ctx);
+  Environment* env = wrap->env();
+  HandleScope handle_scope(env->isolate());
+  Context::Scope context_scope(env->context());
 
-  if (buf->base == nullptr && size > 0) {
-    FatalError(
-        "node::StreamWrap::DoAlloc(size_t, uv_buf_t*, void*)",
-        "Out Of Memory");
+  Local<Value> prealloc = wrap->object()->Get(0);
+  if (Buffer::HasInstance(prealloc)) {
+    buf->base = Buffer::Data(prealloc);
+    buf->len = Buffer::Length(prealloc);
+    wrap->allocated_ = false;
+  } else {
+    buf->base = static_cast<char*>(malloc(size));
+    buf->len = size;
+    wrap->allocated_ = true;
+
+    if (buf->base == nullptr && size > 0) {
+      FatalError(
+          "node::StreamWrap::DoAlloc(size_t, uv_buf_t*, void*)",
+          "Out Of Memory");
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -192,19 +205,25 @@ void StreamWrap::OnReadImpl(ssize_t nread,
   Local<Object> pending_obj;
 
   if (nread < 0)  {
-    if (buf->base != nullptr)
+    if (buf->base != nullptr && wrap->allocated_)
       free(buf->base);
+    wrap->allocated_ = false;
     wrap->EmitData(nread, Local<Object>(), pending_obj);
     return;
   }
 
   if (nread == 0) {
-    if (buf->base != nullptr)
+    if (buf->base != nullptr && wrap->allocated_)
       free(buf->base);
+    wrap->allocated_ = false;
     return;
   }
 
-  char* base = static_cast<char*>(realloc(buf->base, nread));
+  char* base;
+  if (wrap->allocated_)
+    base = static_cast<char*>(realloc(buf->base, nread));
+  else
+    base = buf->base;
   CHECK_LE(static_cast<size_t>(nread), buf->len);
 
   if (pending == UV_TCP) {
@@ -217,8 +236,14 @@ void StreamWrap::OnReadImpl(ssize_t nread,
     CHECK_EQ(pending, UV_UNKNOWN_HANDLE);
   }
 
-  Local<Object> obj = Buffer::New(env, base, nread).ToLocalChecked();
+  Local<Object> obj;
+  if (!wrap->allocated_) {
+    obj = wrap->object()->Get(0).As<Object>();
+  } else {
+    obj = Buffer::New(env, base, nread).ToLocalChecked();
+  }
   wrap->EmitData(nread, obj, pending_obj);
+  wrap->allocated_ = false;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/stream_wrap.h b/src/stream_wrap.h
index b0d9986db50c5d..9ad43a5a06afff 100644
--- a/src/stream_wrap.h
+++ b/src/stream_wrap.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ class StreamWrap : public HandleWrap, public StreamBase {
                          void* ctx);
 
   uv_stream_t* const stream_;
+  bool allocated_;
 };