diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/io/FramedInputStream.java b/src/java/com/threerings/io/FramedInputStream.java
index dcebe64b1..c3058886a 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/io/FramedInputStream.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/io/FramedInputStream.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: FramedInputStream.java,v 1.3 2002/12/10 19:33:22 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: FramedInputStream.java,v 1.4 2003/07/06 18:39:55 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.io;
 
@@ -96,6 +96,18 @@ public class FramedInputStream extends InputStream
             // what we've got
             if (_buffer.remaining() > 0) {
                 break;
+            } else if (_length == -1) {
+                // if we didn't already have our length, see if we now have
+                // enough data to obtain it
+                _length = decodeLength();
+            }
+
+            // additionally, if the buffer happened to be exactly as long
+            // as we needed, we need to break as well
+            if ((_length > 0) && (_have >= _length)) {
+                System.err.println("Phew, we would have been screwed in " +
+                                   "the previous release (" + _length + ").");
+                break;
             }
 
             // otherwise, we've filled up our buffer as a result of this
@@ -107,12 +119,6 @@ public class FramedInputStream extends InputStream
             // don't let things grow without bounds
         } while (_buffer.capacity() < MAX_BUFFER_CAPACITY);
 
-        // if we didn't already have our length, see if we now have enough
-        // data to obtain it
-        if (_length == -1) {
-            _length = decodeLength();
-        }
-
         // finally check to see if there's a complete frame in the buffer
         // and prepare to serve it up if there is
         return checkForCompleteFrame();