diff --git a/src/fe-text/gui-readline.c b/src/fe-text/gui-readline.c
index 8008d6d6..61523d9d 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/gui-readline.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/gui-readline.c
@@ -327,15 +327,12 @@ static void key_delete_to_next_space(void)
 
 void readline(void)
 {
-	int key;
+        unsigned char buffer[128];
+	int ret, i;
 
-	for (;;) {
-		key = term_getch();
-		if (key == -1)
-                        break;
-
-		handle_key(key);
-	}
+	ret = term_gets(buffer, sizeof(buffer));
+	for (i = 0; i < ret; i++)
+		handle_key(buffer[i]);
 }
 
 time_t get_idle_time(void)
diff --git a/src/fe-text/term-curses.c b/src/fe-text/term-curses.c
index dad1fedc..6f71ac29 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/term-curses.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/term-curses.c
@@ -363,18 +363,23 @@ void term_stop(void)
 	irssi_redraw();
 }
 
-int term_getch(void)
+int term_gets(unsigned char *buffer, int size)
 {
-	int key;
-
-	key = getch();
-	if (key == ERR)
-		return -1;
+	int key, count;
 
+	for (count = 0; count < size; ) {
+		key = getch();
 #ifdef KEY_RESIZE
-	if (key == KEY_RESIZE)
-                return -1;
+		if (key == KEY_RESIZE)
+			continue;
 #endif
 
-	return key;
+		if (key == ERR)
+			break;
+
+                buffer[count] = key;
+                count++;
+	}
+
+	return count;
 }
diff --git a/src/fe-text/term-terminfo.c b/src/fe-text/term-terminfo.c
index 9beccbf0..f17e354f 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/term-terminfo.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/term-terminfo.c
@@ -312,7 +312,8 @@ void term_stop(void)
 	irssi_redraw();
 }
 
-int term_getch(void)
+int term_gets(unsigned char *buffer, int size)
 {
-        return fgetc(current_term->in);
+        /* fread() doesn't work */
+        return read(fileno(current_term->in), buffer, size);
 }
diff --git a/src/fe-text/term.h b/src/fe-text/term.h
index bda89462..74e51f31 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/term.h
+++ b/src/fe-text/term.h
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ void term_refresh_thaw(void);
 void term_refresh(TERM_WINDOW *window);
 
 void term_stop(void);
-int term_getch(void);
+int term_gets(unsigned char *buffer, int size);
 
 /* internal */
 void term_common_init(void);
diff --git a/src/fe-text/terminfo-core.c b/src/fe-text/terminfo-core.c
index d60001e7..9cbd4e20 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/terminfo-core.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/terminfo-core.c
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ static void terminfo_input_init(TERM_REC *term)
 	memcpy(&term->tio, &term->old_tio, sizeof(term->tio));
 
 	term->tio.c_lflag &= ~(ICANON | ECHO); /* CBREAK, no ECHO */
-	term->tio.c_cc[VMIN] = 0; /* non-blocking read */
+	term->tio.c_cc[VMIN] = 1; /* read() is satisfied after 1 char */
 	term->tio.c_cc[VTIME] = 0; /* No timer */
 
         /* Disable INTR, QUIT, VDSUSP and SUSP keys */