diff --git a/netlib/http.py b/netlib/http.py
index 9c72c601b..acd9d85e3 100644
--- a/netlib/http.py
+++ b/netlib/http.py
@@ -260,15 +260,15 @@ def read_response(rfile, method, body_size_limit):
     if len(parts) == 2: # handle missing message gracefully
         parts.append("")
     if not len(parts) == 3:
-        raise HttpError(502, "Invalid server response: %s."%line)
+        raise HttpError(502, "Invalid server response: %s"%repr(line))
     proto, code, msg = parts
     httpversion = parse_http_protocol(proto)
     if httpversion is None:
-        raise HttpError(502, "Invalid HTTP version: %s."%httpversion)
+        raise HttpError(502, "Invalid HTTP version: %s"%repr(httpversion))
     try:
         code = int(code)
     except ValueError:
-        raise HttpError(502, "Invalid server response: %s."%line)
+        raise HttpError(502, "Invalid server response: %s"%repr(line))
     headers = read_headers(rfile)
     if code >= 100 and code <= 199:
         return read_response(rfile, method, body_size_limit)
diff --git a/netlib/tcp.py b/netlib/tcp.py
index b3fc22125..bb0a00b90 100644
--- a/netlib/tcp.py
+++ b/netlib/tcp.py
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ class FileLike:
 
 
 class TCPClient:
+    rbufsize = -1
+    wbufsize = -1
     def __init__(self, host, port):
         self.host, self.port = host, port
         self.connection, self.rfile, self.wfile = None, None, None
@@ -78,7 +80,8 @@ class TCPClient:
             addr = socket.gethostbyname(self.host)
             connection = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
             connection.connect((addr, self.port))
-            self.rfile, self.wfile = connection.makefile('rb'), connection.makefile('wb')
+            self.rfile = connection.makefile('rb', self.rbufsize)
+            self.wfile = connection.makefile('wb', self.wbufsize)
         except socket.error, err:
             raise NetLibError('Error connecting to "%s": %s' % (self.host, err))
         self.connection = connection