diff --git a/buffer.c b/buffer.c
index dfaca5d6..d2ae5cb8 100644
--- a/buffer.c
+++ b/buffer.c
@@ -248,6 +248,90 @@ evbuffer_readline(struct evbuffer *buffer)
 	return (line);
 }
 
+
+char *
+evbuffer_readln(struct evbuffer *buffer, size_t *n_read_out,
+		enum evbuffer_eol_style eol_style)
+{
+	u_char *data = EVBUFFER_DATA(buffer);
+	u_char *start_of_eol, *end_of_eol;
+	size_t len = EVBUFFER_LENGTH(buffer);
+	char *line;
+	unsigned int i, n_to_copy, n_to_drain;
+
+	/* depending on eol_style, set start_of_eol to the first character
+	 * in the newline, and end_of_eol to one after the last character. */
+	switch (eol_style) {
+	case EVBUFFER_EOL_ANY:
+		for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+			if (data[i] == '\r' || data[i] == '\n')
+				break;
+		}
+		if (i == len)
+			return (NULL);
+		start_of_eol = data+i;
+		++i;
+		for ( ; i < len; i++) {
+			if (data[i] != '\r' && data[i] != '\n')
+				break;
+		}
+		end_of_eol = data+i;
+		break;
+	case EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF:
+		end_of_eol = memchr(data, '\n', len);
+		if (!end_of_eol)
+			return (NULL);
+		if (end_of_eol > data && *(end_of_eol-1) == '\r')
+			start_of_eol = end_of_eol - 1;
+		else
+			start_of_eol = end_of_eol;
+		end_of_eol++; /*point to one after the LF. */
+		break;
+	case EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT: {
+		u_char *cp = data;
+		while ((cp = memchr(cp, '\r', len-(cp-data)))) {
+			if (cp < data+len-1 && *(cp+1) == '\n')
+				break;
+			if (++cp >= data+len) {
+				cp = NULL;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (!cp)
+			return (NULL);
+		start_of_eol = cp;
+		end_of_eol = cp+2;
+		break;
+	}
+	case EVBUFFER_EOL_LF:
+		start_of_eol = memchr(data, '\n', len);
+		if (!start_of_eol)
+			return (NULL);
+		end_of_eol = start_of_eol + 1;
+		break;
+	default:
+		return (NULL);
+	}
+
+	n_to_copy = start_of_eol - data;
+	n_to_drain = end_of_eol - data;
+
+	if ((line = malloc(n_to_copy+1)) == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s: out of memory\n", __func__);
+		evbuffer_drain(buffer, n_to_drain);		
+		return (NULL);
+	}
+
+	memcpy(line, data, n_to_copy);
+	line[n_to_copy] = '\0';
+
+	evbuffer_drain(buffer, n_to_drain);
+	if (n_read_out)
+		*n_read_out = (size_t)n_to_copy;
+
+	return (line);
+}
+
 /* Adds data to an event buffer */
 
 static void
diff --git a/event.h b/event.h
index cfa0fc3f..d1f5d9e8 100644
--- a/event.h
+++ b/event.h
@@ -1030,6 +1030,38 @@ int evbuffer_remove(struct evbuffer *, void *, size_t);
 char *evbuffer_readline(struct evbuffer *);
 
 
+/** Used to tell evbuffer_readln what kind of line-ending to look for.
+ */
+enum evbuffer_eol_style {
+	/** Any sequence of CR and LF characters is acceptable as an EOL. */
+	EVBUFFER_EOL_ANY,
+	/** An EOL is an LF, optionally preceded by a CR.  This style is
+	 * most useful for implementing text-based internet protocols. */
+	EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF,
+	/** An EOL is a CR followed by an LF. */
+	EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT,
+	/** An EOL is a LF. */
+        EVBUFFER_EOL_LF
+};
+
+/**
+ * Read a single line from an event buffer.
+ *
+ * Reads a line terminated by an EOL as determined by the evbuffer_eol_style
+ * argument.  Returns a newly allocated nul-terminated string; the caller must
+ * free the returned value.  The EOL is not included in the returned string.
+ *
+ * @param buffer the evbuffer to read from
+ * @param n_read_out if non-NULL, points to a size_t that is set to the
+ *       number of characters in the returned string.  This is useful for
+ *       strings that can contain NUL characters.
+ * @param eol_style the style of line-ending to use.
+ * @return pointer to a single line, or NULL if an error occurred
+ */
+char *evbuffer_readln(struct evbuffer *buffer, size_t *n_read_out,
+    enum evbuffer_eol_style eol_style);
+
+
 /**
   Move data from one evbuffer into another evbuffer.
 
diff --git a/test/regress.c b/test/regress.c
index 0b7517d3..cce7d7dc 100644
--- a/test/regress.c
+++ b/test/regress.c
@@ -1019,6 +1019,205 @@ test_evbuffer(void) {
 	cleanup_test();
 }
 
+static void
+test_evbuffer_readln(void)
+{
+	struct evbuffer *evb = evbuffer_new();
+	struct evbuffer *evb_tmp = evbuffer_new();
+	const char *s;
+	char *cp = NULL;
+	size_t sz;
+
+#define tt_line_eq(content)						\
+	if (!cp || sz != strlen(content) || strcmp(cp, content)) {	\
+		fprintf(stdout, "FAILED\n");				\
+		exit(1);						\
+	}
+#define tt_assert(expression)						\
+	if (!(expression)) {						\
+		fprintf(stdout, "FAILED\n");				\
+		exit(1);						\
+	}								\
+
+	/* Test EOL_ANY. */
+	fprintf(stdout, "Testing evbuffer_readln EOL_ANY: ");
+
+	s = "complex silly newline\r\n\n\r\n\n\rmore\0\n";
+	evbuffer_add(evb, s, strlen(s)+2);
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_ANY);
+	tt_line_eq("complex silly newline");
+	free(cp);
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_ANY);
+	if (!cp || sz != 5 || memcmp(cp, "more\0\0", 6)) {
+		fprintf(stdout, "FAILED\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+	if (evb->totallen == 0) {
+		fprintf(stdout, "FAILED\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+	s = "\nno newline";
+	evbuffer_add(evb, s, strlen(s));
+	free(cp);
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_ANY);
+	tt_line_eq("");
+	free(cp);
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_ANY);
+        tt_assert(!cp);
+	evbuffer_drain(evb, EVBUFFER_LENGTH(evb));
+        tt_assert(EVBUFFER_LENGTH(evb) == 0);
+
+	fprintf(stdout, "OK\n");
+
+	/* Test EOL_CRLF */
+	fprintf(stdout, "Testing evbuffer_readln EOL_CRLF: ");
+
+	s = "Line with\rin the middle\nLine with good crlf\r\n\nfinal\n";
+	evbuffer_add(evb, s, strlen(s));
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF);
+	tt_line_eq("Line with\rin the middle");
+	free(cp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF);
+	tt_line_eq("Line with good crlf");
+	free(cp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF);
+	tt_line_eq("");
+	free(cp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF);
+	tt_line_eq("final");
+	s = "x";
+	evbuffer_add(evb, s, 1);
+	free(cp);
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF);
+        tt_assert(!cp);
+
+	fprintf(stdout, "OK\n");
+
+	/* Test CRLF_STRICT */
+	fprintf(stdout, "Testing evbuffer_readln CRLF_STRICT: ");
+
+	s = " and a bad crlf\nand a good one\r\n\r\nMore\r";
+	evbuffer_add(evb, s, strlen(s));
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+	tt_line_eq("x and a bad crlf\nand a good one");
+	free(cp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+	tt_line_eq("");
+	free(cp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+        tt_assert(!cp);
+	evbuffer_add(evb, "\n", 1);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+	tt_line_eq("More");
+	free(cp);
+	tt_assert(EVBUFFER_LENGTH(evb) == 0);
+
+	s = "An internal CR\r is not an eol\r\nNor is a lack of one";
+	evbuffer_add(evb, s, strlen(s));
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+	tt_line_eq("An internal CR\r is not an eol");
+	free(cp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+	tt_assert(!cp);
+
+	evbuffer_add(evb, "\r\n", 2);
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+	tt_line_eq("Nor is a lack of one");
+	free(cp);
+	tt_assert(EVBUFFER_LENGTH(evb) == 0);
+
+	fprintf(stdout, "OK\n");
+
+	/* Test LF */
+	fprintf(stdout, "Testing evbuffer_readln LF: ");
+
+	s = "An\rand a nl\n\nText";
+	evbuffer_add(evb, s, strlen(s));
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_LF);
+	tt_line_eq("An\rand a nl");
+	free(cp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_LF);
+	tt_line_eq("");
+	free(cp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_LF);
+	tt_assert(!cp);
+	free(cp);
+	evbuffer_add(evb, "\n", 1);
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_LF);
+	tt_line_eq("Text");
+	free(cp);
+
+	fprintf(stdout, "OK\n");
+
+	/* Test CRLF_STRICT - across boundaries */
+	fprintf(stdout,
+	    "Testing evbuffer_readln CRLF_STRICT across boundaries: ");
+
+	s = " and a bad crlf\nand a good one\r";
+	evbuffer_add(evb_tmp, s, strlen(s));
+	evbuffer_add_buffer(evb, evb_tmp);
+	s = "\n\r";
+	evbuffer_add(evb_tmp, s, strlen(s));
+	evbuffer_add_buffer(evb, evb_tmp);
+	s = "\nMore\r";
+	evbuffer_add(evb_tmp, s, strlen(s));
+	evbuffer_add_buffer(evb, evb_tmp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+	tt_line_eq(" and a bad crlf\nand a good one");
+	free(cp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+	tt_line_eq("");
+	free(cp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+	tt_assert(!cp);
+	free(cp);
+	evbuffer_add(evb, "\n", 1);
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_CRLF_STRICT);
+	tt_line_eq("More");
+	free(cp); cp = NULL;
+	if (EVBUFFER_LENGTH(evb) != 0) {
+		fprintf(stdout, "FAILED\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
+	fprintf(stdout, "OK\n");
+
+	/* Test memory problem */
+	fprintf(stdout, "Testing evbuffer_readln memory problem: ");
+
+	s = "one line\ntwo line\nblue line";
+	evbuffer_add(evb_tmp, s, strlen(s));
+	evbuffer_add_buffer(evb, evb_tmp);
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_LF);
+	tt_line_eq("one line");
+	free(cp); cp = NULL;
+
+	cp = evbuffer_readln(evb, &sz, EVBUFFER_EOL_LF);
+	tt_line_eq("two line");
+	free(cp); cp = NULL;
+
+	fprintf(stdout, "OK\n");
+
+	test_ok = 1;
+	evbuffer_free(evb);
+	evbuffer_free(evb_tmp);
+	if (cp) free(cp);
+}
+
 static void
 test_evbuffer_find(void)
 {
@@ -1640,6 +1839,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
 	test_evbuffer();
 	test_evbuffer_find();
+	test_evbuffer_readln();
 	
 	test_bufferevent();
 	test_bufferevent_watermarks();