diff --git a/include/boost/mysql/detail/channel/read_buffer.hpp b/include/boost/mysql/detail/channel/read_buffer.hpp
index c1a996e5..dae1bd96 100644
--- a/include/boost/mysql/detail/channel/read_buffer.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mysql/detail/channel/read_buffer.hpp
@@ -25,64 +25,54 @@ namespace detail {
 //   - Dead area: these bytes have already been consumed, but won't disappear until a call to relocate().
 //     Optimized the case where we read several entire messages in a single read_some() call, preventing
 //     several memcpy()'s.
-//   - Reserved area: we already processed these bytes, but the client component hasn't consumed them yet.
-//   - Processing area: we have read these bytes but haven't processed them yet.
+//   - Processing area: we have read these bytes and the client hasn't consumed them yet.
 //   - Free area: free space for more bytes to be read.
 class read_buffer
 {
     bytestring buffer_;
-    std::size_t reserved_offset_;
     std::size_t processing_offset_;
     std::size_t free_offset_;
 public:
     read_buffer(std::size_t size):
         buffer_(size, std::uint8_t(0)),
-        reserved_offset_(0),
         processing_offset_(0),
         free_offset_(0)
     {
         buffer_.resize(buffer_.capacity());
     }
 
-    std::uint8_t* reserved_first() noexcept { return &buffer_[reserved_offset_]; }
     std::uint8_t* processing_first() noexcept { return &buffer_[processing_offset_]; }
     std::uint8_t* free_first() noexcept { return &buffer_[free_offset_]; }
 
-    std::size_t reserved_size() const noexcept { return processing_offset_ - reserved_offset_; }
+    std::size_t dead_size() const noexcept { return processing_offset_; }
     std::size_t processing_size() const noexcept { return free_offset_ - processing_offset_; }
     std::size_t free_size() const noexcept { return buffer_.size() - free_offset_; }
 
-    boost::asio::mutable_buffer reserved_area() noexcept { return boost::asio::buffer(reserved_first(), reserved_size()); }
     boost::asio::mutable_buffer free_area() noexcept { return boost::asio::buffer(free_first(), free_size()); }
 
-    // Removes n bytes from the reserved area
-    void remove_from_reserved(std::size_t n) noexcept
+    // Removes length bytes from the processing area, at a certain offset
+    void remove_from_processing(std::size_t offset, std::size_t length) noexcept
     {
-        assert(n <= reserved_size());
-        reserved_offset_ += n;
-    }
-
-    // Removes n bytes from the read area, without touching the reserved area
-    void remove_from_processing_front(std::size_t n) noexcept
-    {
-        assert(n <= processing_size());
-        if (reserved_size())
+        assert(offset >= processing_offset_);
+        assert(length <= processing_size());
+        if (offset == 0) // remove from front, just extend the dead area
         {
-            // Move the reserved bytes to the front
-            std::memmove(reserved_first() + n, reserved_first(), n);
+            processing_offset_ += length;
         }
-        reserved_offset_ += n;
-        processing_offset_ += n;
+        else
+        {
+            // Move remaining bytes backwards
+            std::memmove(
+                &buffer_[processing_offset_ + offset],
+                &buffer_[processing_offset_ + offset + length],
+                processing_size() - length
+            );
+            free_offset_ -= length;
+        }
+
     }
 
-    // Moves n bytes from the processing area to the reserved area
-    void move_to_reserved(std::size_t n) noexcept
-    {
-        assert(n <= processing_size());
-        processing_offset_ += n;
-    }
-
-    // Moves n bytes from the free area to the processing area
+    // Moves n bytes from the free to the processing area (e.g. they've been read)
     void move_to_processing(std::size_t n) noexcept
     {
         assert(n <= free_size());
@@ -92,12 +82,25 @@ public:
     // Removes the dead area, to make space
     void relocate() noexcept
     {
-        if (reserved_offset_ > 0)
+        if (dead_size() > 0)
         {
-            std::memmove(&buffer_[0], reserved_first(), free_offset_ - reserved_offset_);
-            processing_offset_ -= reserved_offset_;
-            free_offset_ -= reserved_offset_;
-            reserved_offset_ = 0;
+            std::memmove(&buffer_[0], processing_first(), processing_size());
+            free_offset_ -= dead_size();
+            processing_offset_ = 0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Makes sure the free size is at least n bytes long; resizes the buffer if required
+    void grow_to_fit(std::size_t n)
+    {
+        if (free_size() < n)
+        {
+            relocate();
+        }
+        if (free_size() < n)
+        {
+            buffer_.resize(free_size() - n);
+            buffer_.resize(buffer_.capacity());
         }
     }