diff --git a/benchmarks/bench_test.go b/benchmarks/bench_test.go
index db85546..438ff03 100644
--- a/benchmarks/bench_test.go
+++ b/benchmarks/bench_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"compress/gzip"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -373,7 +374,9 @@ func BenchmarkCodeDecoder(b *testing.B) {
 			buf.WriteByte('\n')
 			buf.WriteByte('\n')
 			if err := dec.Decode(&r); err != nil {
-				b.Fatal("Decode:", err)
+				if err != io.EOF {
+					b.Fatal("Decode:", err)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	})
@@ -390,7 +393,9 @@ func BenchmarkUnicodeDecoder(b *testing.B) {
 	b.ResetTimer()
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
 		if err := dec.Decode(&out); err != nil {
-			b.Fatal("Decode:", err)
+			if err != io.EOF {
+				b.Fatal("Decode:", err)
+			}
 		}
 		r.Seek(0, 0)
 	}
@@ -414,7 +419,9 @@ func BenchmarkDecoderStream(b *testing.B) {
 		}
 		x = nil
 		if err := dec.Decode(&x); err != nil || x != 1.0 {
-			b.Fatalf("Decode: %v after %d", err, i)
+			if err != io.EOF {
+				b.Fatalf("Decode: %v after %d", err, i)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/decode.go b/decode.go
index 20e2e18..255a7b5 100644
--- a/decode.go
+++ b/decode.go
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ const (
 // read data from r beyond the JSON values requested.
 func NewDecoder(r io.Reader) *Decoder {
 	s := newStream(r)
-	s.read()
 	return &Decoder{
 		s: s,
 	}
diff --git a/decode_stream.go b/decode_stream.go
index c5d203b..c955e53 100644
--- a/decode_stream.go
+++ b/decode_stream.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ func newStream(r io.Reader) *stream {
 	return &stream{
 		r:       r,
 		bufSize: initBufSize,
+		buf:     []byte{nul},
 	}
 }