diff --git a/ChangeLog.txt b/ChangeLog.txt
index f0a3949db..12acfd342 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.txt
+++ b/ChangeLog.txt
@@ -2502,3 +2502,7 @@ Version 1.8.4, in progress
    builtin functions can now cause other kinds of aborts
 -- added caching regime for server options other than 
    .protect_<function>
+
+Version X, in progress
+**** Changes relevant to programmers / wizards:
+-- Setting binary mode immediately flushes the connection's buffer, if any
diff --git a/net_multi.c b/net_multi.c
index f627198ff..bc3996645 100644
--- a/net_multi.c
+++ b/net_multi.c
@@ -272,16 +272,32 @@ pull_input(nhandle * h)
 	    for (ptr = buffer, end = buffer + count; ptr < end; ptr++) {
 		unsigned char c = *ptr;
 
-		if (isgraph(c) || c == ' ' || c == '\t')
-		    stream_add_char(s, c);
+		if (c == '\r' || (c == '\n' && !h->last_input_was_CR)) {
+		    int fcount = stream_length(s);
+		    char *fptr = reset_stream(s);
+		    Stream *fs = new_stream(count + 1);
+		    int i;
+
+		    h->last_input_was_CR = (c == '\r');
+		    for (i = 0; i < fcount; ++i) {
+			c = fptr[i];
+
+			if (isgraph(c) || c == ' ' || c == '\t')
+			    stream_add_char(fs, c);
 #ifdef INPUT_APPLY_BACKSPACE
-		else if (c == 0x08 || c == 0x7F)
-		    stream_delete_char(s);
+			else if (c == 0x08 || c == 0x7F)
+			    stream_delete_char(fs);
 #endif
-		else if (c == '\r' || (c == '\n' && !h->last_input_was_CR))
-		    server_receive_line(h->shandle, reset_stream(s));
-
-		h->last_input_was_CR = (c == '\r');
+		    }
+		    server_receive_line(h->shandle, stream_contents(fs));
+		    free_stream(fs);
+		}
+		else if (c == '\n')
+		    h->last_input_was_CR = 0;
+		else {
+		    stream_add_char(s, c);
+		    h->last_input_was_CR = 0;
+		}
 	    }
 	}
 	return 1;
@@ -620,6 +636,18 @@ network_set_connection_binary(network_handle nh, int do_binary)
     nhandle *h = nh.ptr;
 
     h->binary = do_binary;
+
+    if (do_binary) {
+	int count = stream_length(h->input);
+
+	if (count) {
+	    Stream *s = new_stream(count + 1);
+	    stream_add_raw_bytes_to_binary(s, reset_stream(h->input), count);
+	    server_receive_line(h->shandle, stream_contents(s));
+	    h->last_input_was_CR = 0;
+	    free_stream(s);
+	}
+    }
 }
 
 #if NETWORK_PROTOCOL == NP_LOCAL
diff --git a/net_single.c b/net_single.c
index e7424ba5d..088272b0a 100644
--- a/net_single.c
+++ b/net_single.c
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ static enum {
 } state = STATE_CLOSED;
 static int listening = 0;
 static server_listener slistener;
+static server_handle sh;
 static int binary = 0;
+static Stream *input = 0;
 
 const char *
 network_protocol_name(void)
@@ -114,6 +116,17 @@ void
 network_set_connection_binary(network_handle nh, int do_binary)
 {
     binary = do_binary;
+
+    if (do_binary) {
+	int count = stream_length(input);
+
+	if (count) {
+	    Stream *s = new_stream(count + 1);
+	    stream_add_raw_bytes_to_binary(s, reset_stream(input), count);
+	    server_receive_line(sh, stream_contents(s));
+	    free_stream(s);
+	}
+    }
 }
 
 #define NETWORK_CO_TABLE(DEFINE, nh, value, _)
@@ -160,8 +173,7 @@ int
 network_process_io(int timeout)
 {
     network_handle nh;
-    static server_handle sh;
-    static Stream *s = 0;
+    Stream *s = input;
     char buffer[1024];
     int count;
     char *ptr, *end;
@@ -202,14 +214,27 @@ network_process_io(int timeout)
 			 ptr++) {
 			unsigned char c = *ptr;
 
-			if (isgraph(c) || c == ' ' || c == '\t')
-			    stream_add_char(s, c);
+			if (c == '\n') {
+			    int fcount = stream_length(s);
+			    char *fptr = reset_stream(s);
+			    Stream *fs = new_stream(count + 1);
+			    int i;
+
+			    for (i = 0; i < fcount; ++i) {
+				c = fptr[i];
+
+				if (isgraph(c) || c == ' ' || c == '\t')
+				    stream_add_char(fs, c);
 #ifdef INPUT_APPLY_BACKSPACE
-			else if (c == 0x08 || c == 0x7F)
-			    stream_delete_char(s);
+				else if (c == 0x08 || c == 0x7F)
+				    stream_delete_char(fs);
 #endif
-			else if (c == '\n')
-			    server_receive_line(sh, reset_stream(s));
+			    }
+			    server_receive_line(sh, stream_contents(fs));
+			    free_stream(fs);
+			}
+			else
+			    stream_add_char(s, c);
 		    }
 	    }