diff --git a/command.go b/command.go
index 4921857..f20d5ea 100644
--- a/command.go
+++ b/command.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package redis
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"strconv"
@@ -10,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/go-redis/redis/internal"
 	"github.com/go-redis/redis/internal/proto"
-	"github.com/go-redis/redis/internal/util"
 )
 
 type Cmder interface {
@@ -237,14 +235,7 @@ func (cmd *Cmd) Bool() (bool, error) {
 
 func (cmd *Cmd) readReply(rd proto.Reader) error {
 	cmd.val, cmd.err = rd.ReadReply(sliceParser)
-	if cmd.err != nil {
-		return cmd.err
-	}
-	if b, ok := cmd.val.([]byte); ok {
-		// Bytes must be copied, because underlying memory is reused.
-		cmd.val = string(b)
-	}
-	return nil
+	return cmd.err
 }
 
 // Implements proto.MultiBulkParse
@@ -265,8 +256,8 @@ func sliceParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 		}
 
 		switch v := v.(type) {
-		case []byte:
-			vals = append(vals, string(v))
+		case string:
+			vals = append(vals, v)
 		default:
 			vals = append(vals, v)
 		}
@@ -341,7 +332,7 @@ func (cmd *StatusCmd) String() string {
 }
 
 func (cmd *StatusCmd) readReply(rd proto.Reader) error {
-	cmd.val, cmd.err = rd.ReadStringReply()
+	cmd.val, cmd.err = rd.ReadString()
 	return cmd.err
 }
 
@@ -503,8 +494,6 @@ func (cmd *BoolCmd) String() string {
 	return cmdString(cmd, cmd.val)
 }
 
-var ok = []byte("OK")
-
 func (cmd *BoolCmd) readReply(rd proto.Reader) error {
 	var v interface{}
 	v, cmd.err = rd.ReadReply(nil)
@@ -523,8 +512,8 @@ func (cmd *BoolCmd) readReply(rd proto.Reader) error {
 	case int64:
 		cmd.val = v == 1
 		return nil
-	case []byte:
-		cmd.val = bytes.Equal(v, ok)
+	case string:
+		cmd.val = v == "OK"
 		return nil
 	default:
 		cmd.err = fmt.Errorf("got %T, wanted int64 or string", v)
@@ -537,7 +526,7 @@ func (cmd *BoolCmd) readReply(rd proto.Reader) error {
 type StringCmd struct {
 	baseCmd
 
-	val []byte
+	val string
 }
 
 var _ Cmder = (*StringCmd)(nil)
@@ -549,7 +538,7 @@ func NewStringCmd(args ...interface{}) *StringCmd {
 }
 
 func (cmd *StringCmd) Val() string {
-	return util.BytesToString(cmd.val)
+	return cmd.val
 }
 
 func (cmd *StringCmd) Result() (string, error) {
@@ -557,7 +546,7 @@ func (cmd *StringCmd) Result() (string, error) {
 }
 
 func (cmd *StringCmd) Bytes() ([]byte, error) {
-	return cmd.val, cmd.err
+	return []byte(cmd.val), cmd.err
 }
 
 func (cmd *StringCmd) Int64() (int64, error) {
@@ -585,7 +574,7 @@ func (cmd *StringCmd) Scan(val interface{}) error {
 	if cmd.err != nil {
 		return cmd.err
 	}
-	return proto.Scan(cmd.val, val)
+	return proto.Scan([]byte(cmd.val), val)
 }
 
 func (cmd *StringCmd) String() string {
@@ -593,7 +582,7 @@ func (cmd *StringCmd) String() string {
 }
 
 func (cmd *StringCmd) readReply(rd proto.Reader) error {
-	cmd.val, cmd.err = rd.ReadBytesReply()
+	cmd.val, cmd.err = rd.ReadString()
 	return cmd.err
 }
 
@@ -676,7 +665,7 @@ func (cmd *StringSliceCmd) readReply(rd proto.Reader) error {
 func stringSliceParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 	ss := make([]string, 0, n)
 	for i := int64(0); i < n; i++ {
-		s, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+		s, err := rd.ReadString()
 		if err == Nil {
 			ss = append(ss, "")
 		} else if err != nil {
@@ -781,12 +770,12 @@ func (cmd *StringStringMapCmd) readReply(rd proto.Reader) error {
 func stringStringMapParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 	m := make(map[string]string, n/2)
 	for i := int64(0); i < n; i += 2 {
-		key, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+		key, err := rd.ReadString()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		value, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+		value, err := rd.ReadString()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -838,7 +827,7 @@ func (cmd *StringIntMapCmd) readReply(rd proto.Reader) error {
 func stringIntMapParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 	m := make(map[string]int64, n/2)
 	for i := int64(0); i < n; i += 2 {
-		key, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+		key, err := rd.ReadString()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -895,7 +884,7 @@ func (cmd *StringStructMapCmd) readReply(rd proto.Reader) error {
 func stringStructMapParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 	m := make(map[string]struct{}, n)
 	for i := int64(0); i < n; i++ {
-		key, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+		key, err := rd.ReadString()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -953,7 +942,7 @@ func xMessageSliceParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 	msgs := make([]XMessage, 0, n)
 	for i := int64(0); i < n; i++ {
 		_, err := rd.ReadArrayReply(func(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
-			id, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+			id, err := rd.ReadString()
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -980,12 +969,12 @@ func xMessageSliceParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 func stringInterfaceMapParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 	m := make(map[string]interface{}, n/2)
 	for i := int64(0); i < n; i += 2 {
-		key, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+		key, err := rd.ReadString()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		value, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+		value, err := rd.ReadString()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -1047,7 +1036,7 @@ func xStreamSliceParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("got %d, wanted 2", n)
 			}
 
-			stream, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+			stream, err := rd.ReadString()
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -1124,12 +1113,12 @@ func xPendingParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	lower, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+	lower, err := rd.ReadString()
 	if err != nil && err != Nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	higher, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+	higher, err := rd.ReadString()
 	if err != nil && err != Nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1146,17 +1135,12 @@ func xPendingParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 					return nil, fmt.Errorf("got %d, wanted 2", n)
 				}
 
-				consumerName, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+				consumerName, err := rd.ReadString()
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}
 
-				consumerPendingStr, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
-				}
-
-				consumerPending, err := strconv.ParseInt(consumerPendingStr, 10, 64)
+				consumerPending, err := rd.ReadInt()
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}
@@ -1233,12 +1217,12 @@ func xPendingExtSliceParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("got %d, wanted 4", n)
 			}
 
-			id, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+			id, err := rd.ReadString()
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 
-			consumer, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+			consumer, err := rd.ReadString()
 			if err != nil && err != Nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -1316,7 +1300,7 @@ func zSliceParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 
 		z := &zz[i/2]
 
-		z.Member, err = rd.ReadStringReply()
+		z.Member, err = rd.ReadString()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -1456,19 +1440,20 @@ func clusterSlotsParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 
-			ip, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+			ip, err := rd.ReadString()
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 
-			port, err := rd.ReadIntReply()
+			port, err := rd.ReadString()
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
-			nodes[j].Addr = net.JoinHostPort(ip, strconv.FormatInt(port, 10))
+
+			nodes[j].Addr = net.JoinHostPort(ip, port)
 
 			if n == 3 {
-				id, err := rd.ReadStringReply()
+				id, err := rd.ReadString()
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}
@@ -1581,7 +1566,7 @@ func newGeoLocationParser(q *GeoRadiusQuery) proto.MultiBulkParse {
 		var loc GeoLocation
 		var err error
 
-		loc.Name, err = rd.ReadStringReply()
+		loc.Name, err = rd.ReadString()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -1629,9 +1614,9 @@ func newGeoLocationSliceParser(q *GeoRadiusQuery) proto.MultiBulkParse {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 			switch vv := v.(type) {
-			case []byte:
+			case string:
 				locs = append(locs, GeoLocation{
-					Name: string(vv),
+					Name: vv,
 				})
 			case *GeoLocation:
 				locs = append(locs, *vv)
@@ -1794,7 +1779,7 @@ func commandInfoParser(rd proto.Reader, n int64) (interface{}, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("redis: got %d elements in COMMAND reply, wanted 6", n)
 	}
 
-	cmd.Name, err = rd.ReadStringReply()
+	cmd.Name, err = rd.ReadString()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/proto/elastic_reader.go b/internal/proto/elastic_reader.go
index c89a7eb..f075e86 100644
--- a/internal/proto/elastic_reader.go
+++ b/internal/proto/elastic_reader.go
@@ -183,3 +183,23 @@ func (b *ElasticBufReader) grow(n int) {
 		b.buf = append(b.buf, make([]byte, d)...)
 	}
 }
+
+func (b *ElasticBufReader) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	if len(p) == 0 {
+		return 0, b.readErr()
+	}
+
+	if b.r != b.w {
+		// copy as much as we can
+		n = copy(p, b.buf[b.r:b.w])
+		b.r += n
+		return n, nil
+	}
+
+	if b.err != nil {
+		return 0, b.readErr()
+	}
+
+	n, b.err = b.rd.Read(p)
+	return n, b.readErr()
+}
diff --git a/internal/proto/reader.go b/internal/proto/reader.go
index 3e9c38a..43abed5 100644
--- a/internal/proto/reader.go
+++ b/internal/proto/reader.go
@@ -54,10 +54,6 @@ func (r Reader) Bytes() []byte {
 	return r.src.Bytes()
 }
 
-func (r Reader) ReadN(n int) ([]byte, error) {
-	return r.src.ReadN(n)
-}
-
 func (r Reader) ReadLine() ([]byte, error) {
 	line, err := r.src.ReadLine()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -82,11 +78,11 @@ func (r Reader) ReadReply(m MultiBulkParse) (interface{}, error) {
 	case ErrorReply:
 		return nil, ParseErrorReply(line)
 	case StatusReply:
-		return parseTmpStatusReply(line), nil
+		return string(line[1:]), nil
 	case IntReply:
 		return util.ParseInt(line[1:], 10, 64)
 	case StringReply:
-		return r.readTmpBytesReply(line)
+		return r.readStringReply(line)
 	case ArrayReply:
 		n, err := parseArrayLen(line)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -112,47 +108,42 @@ func (r Reader) ReadIntReply() (int64, error) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (r Reader) ReadTmpBytesReply() ([]byte, error) {
+func (r Reader) ReadString() (string, error) {
 	line, err := r.ReadLine()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	switch line[0] {
-	case ErrorReply:
-		return nil, ParseErrorReply(line)
-	case StringReply:
-		return r.readTmpBytesReply(line)
-	case StatusReply:
-		return parseTmpStatusReply(line), nil
-	default:
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("redis: can't parse string reply: %.100q", line)
-	}
-}
-
-func (r Reader) ReadBytesReply() ([]byte, error) {
-	b, err := r.ReadTmpBytesReply()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	cp := make([]byte, len(b))
-	copy(cp, b)
-	return cp, nil
-}
-
-func (r Reader) ReadStringReply() (string, error) {
-	b, err := r.ReadTmpBytesReply()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	return string(b), nil
+	switch line[0] {
+	case ErrorReply:
+		return "", ParseErrorReply(line)
+	case StringReply:
+		return r.readStringReply(line)
+	case StatusReply:
+		return string(line[1:]), nil
+	case IntReply:
+		return string(line[1:]), nil
+	default:
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("redis: can't parse reply=%.100q reading string", line)
+	}
 }
 
-func (r Reader) ReadFloatReply() (float64, error) {
-	b, err := r.ReadTmpBytesReply()
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, err
+func (r Reader) readStringReply(line []byte) (string, error) {
+	if isNilReply(line) {
+		return "", Nil
 	}
-	return util.ParseFloat(b, 64)
+
+	replyLen, err := strconv.Atoi(string(line[1:]))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	b := make([]byte, replyLen+2)
+	_, err = io.ReadFull(r.src, b)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return util.BytesToString(b[:replyLen]), nil
 }
 
 func (r Reader) ReadArrayReply(m MultiBulkParse) (interface{}, error) {
@@ -210,7 +201,7 @@ func (r Reader) ReadScanReply() ([]string, uint64, error) {
 
 	keys := make([]string, n)
 	for i := int64(0); i < n; i++ {
-		key, err := r.ReadStringReply()
+		key, err := r.ReadString()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, 0, err
 		}
@@ -220,7 +211,48 @@ func (r Reader) ReadScanReply() ([]string, uint64, error) {
 	return keys, cursor, err
 }
 
-func (r Reader) readTmpBytesReply(line []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+func (r Reader) ReadInt() (int64, error) {
+	b, err := r.readTmpBytesReply()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return util.ParseInt(b, 10, 64)
+}
+
+func (r Reader) ReadUint() (uint64, error) {
+	b, err := r.readTmpBytesReply()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return util.ParseUint(b, 10, 64)
+}
+
+func (r Reader) ReadFloatReply() (float64, error) {
+	b, err := r.readTmpBytesReply()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return util.ParseFloat(b, 64)
+}
+
+func (r Reader) readTmpBytesReply() ([]byte, error) {
+	line, err := r.ReadLine()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	switch line[0] {
+	case ErrorReply:
+		return nil, ParseErrorReply(line)
+	case StringReply:
+		return r._readTmpBytesReply(line)
+	case StatusReply:
+		return line[1:], nil
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("redis: can't parse string reply: %.100q", line)
+	}
+}
+
+func (r Reader) _readTmpBytesReply(line []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	if isNilReply(line) {
 		return nil, Nil
 	}
@@ -230,29 +262,13 @@ func (r Reader) readTmpBytesReply(line []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	b, err := r.ReadN(replyLen + 2)
+	b, err := r.src.ReadN(replyLen + 2)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return b[:replyLen], nil
 }
 
-func (r Reader) ReadInt() (int64, error) {
-	b, err := r.ReadTmpBytesReply()
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, err
-	}
-	return util.ParseInt(b, 10, 64)
-}
-
-func (r Reader) ReadUint() (uint64, error) {
-	b, err := r.ReadTmpBytesReply()
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, err
-	}
-	return util.ParseUint(b, 10, 64)
-}
-
 func isNilReply(b []byte) bool {
 	return len(b) == 3 &&
 		(b[0] == StringReply || b[0] == ArrayReply) &&
@@ -263,10 +279,6 @@ func ParseErrorReply(line []byte) error {
 	return RedisError(string(line[1:]))
 }
 
-func parseTmpStatusReply(line []byte) []byte {
-	return line[1:]
-}
-
 func parseArrayLen(line []byte) (int64, error) {
 	if isNilReply(line) {
 		return 0, Nil
diff --git a/internal/proto/reader_test.go b/internal/proto/reader_test.go
index 2025248..687b20f 100644
--- a/internal/proto/reader_test.go
+++ b/internal/proto/reader_test.go
@@ -6,42 +6,12 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/go-redis/redis/internal/proto"
-
-	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
-	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 )
 
 func newReader(s string) proto.Reader {
 	return proto.NewReader(proto.NewElasticBufReader(strings.NewReader(s)))
 }
 
-var _ = Describe("Reader", func() {
-
-	It("should read n bytes", func() {
-		data, err := newReader("ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO").ReadN(10)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-		Expect(len(data)).To(Equal(10))
-		Expect(string(data)).To(Equal("ABCDEFGHIJ"))
-
-		data, err = newReader(strings.Repeat("x", 8192)).ReadN(6000)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-		Expect(len(data)).To(Equal(6000))
-	})
-
-	It("should read lines", func() {
-		r := newReader("$5\r\nhello\r\n")
-
-		data, err := r.ReadLine()
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-		Expect(string(data)).To(Equal("$5"))
-
-		data, err = r.ReadLine()
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-		Expect(string(data)).To(Equal("hello"))
-	})
-
-})
-
 func BenchmarkReader_ParseReply_Status(b *testing.B) {
 	benchmarkParseReply(b, "+OK\r\n", nil, false)
 }
diff --git a/main_test.go b/main_test.go
index e49d954..e6a372b 100644
--- a/main_test.go
+++ b/main_test.go
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func perform(n int, cbs ...func(int)) {
 }
 
 func eventually(fn func() error, timeout time.Duration) error {
-	errCh := make(chan error)
+	errCh := make(chan error, 1)
 	done := make(chan struct{})
 	exit := make(chan struct{})
 
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ func eventually(fn func() error, timeout time.Duration) error {
 		case err := <-errCh:
 			return err
 		default:
-			return fmt.Errorf("timeout after %s", timeout)
+			return fmt.Errorf("timeout after %s without an error", timeout)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/result.go b/result.go
index e086e8e..e438f26 100644
--- a/result.go
+++ b/result.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func NewBoolResult(val bool, err error) *BoolCmd {
 // NewStringResult returns a StringCmd initialised with val and err for testing
 func NewStringResult(val string, err error) *StringCmd {
 	var cmd StringCmd
-	cmd.val = []byte(val)
+	cmd.val = val
 	cmd.setErr(err)
 	return &cmd
 }