diff --git a/hiredis.c b/hiredis.c
index 0b7a17e..454c01e 100644
--- a/hiredis.c
+++ b/hiredis.c
@@ -32,16 +32,19 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
+#include <assert.h>
 
 #include "hiredis.h"
 #include "anet.h"
 #include "sds.h"
 
 typedef struct redisReader {
+    void *reply; /* holds temporary reply */
+
     sds buf; /* read buffer */
     unsigned int pos; /* buffer cursor */
 
-    redisReply **rlist; /* list of items to process */
+    redisReadTask *rlist; /* list of items to process */
     unsigned int rlen; /* list length */
     unsigned int rpos; /* list cursor */
 } redisReader;
@@ -90,7 +93,7 @@ void freeReplyObject(redisReply *r) {
         break; /* Nothing to free */
     case REDIS_REPLY_ARRAY:
         for (j = 0; j < r->elements; j++)
-            freeReplyObject(r->element[j]);
+            if (r->element[j]) freeReplyObject(r->element[j]);
         free(r->element);
         break;
     default:
@@ -116,6 +119,58 @@ static redisReply *redisIOError(void) {
     return createErrorObject("I/O error");
 }
 
+static void *createStringObject(redisReadTask *task, char *str, size_t len) {
+    redisReply *r = createReplyObject(task->type,sdsnewlen(str,len));
+    assert(task->type == REDIS_REPLY_ERROR ||
+           task->type == REDIS_REPLY_STATUS ||
+           task->type == REDIS_REPLY_STRING);
+
+    /* for API compat, set STATUS to STRING */
+    if (task->type == REDIS_REPLY_STATUS)
+        r->type = REDIS_REPLY_STRING;
+
+    if (task->parent) {
+        redisReply *parent = task->parent;
+        assert(parent->type == REDIS_REPLY_ARRAY);
+        parent->element[task->idx] = r;
+    }
+    return r;
+}
+
+static void *createArrayObject(redisReadTask *task, int elements) {
+    redisReply *r = createReplyObject(REDIS_REPLY_ARRAY,NULL);
+    r->elements = elements;
+    if ((r->element = calloc(sizeof(redisReply*),elements)) == NULL)
+        redisOOM();
+    if (task->parent) {
+        redisReply *parent = task->parent;
+        assert(parent->type == REDIS_REPLY_ARRAY);
+        parent->element[task->idx] = r;
+    }
+    return r;
+}
+
+static void *createIntegerObject(redisReadTask *task, long long value) {
+    redisReply *r = createReplyObject(REDIS_REPLY_INTEGER,NULL);
+    r->integer = value;
+    if (task->parent) {
+        redisReply *parent = task->parent;
+        assert(parent->type == REDIS_REPLY_ARRAY);
+        parent->element[task->idx] = r;
+    }
+    return r;
+}
+
+static void *createNilObject(redisReadTask *task) {
+    redisReply *r = createReplyObject(REDIS_REPLY_NIL,NULL);
+    if (task->parent) {
+        redisReply *parent = task->parent;
+        assert(parent->type == REDIS_REPLY_ARRAY);
+        parent->element[task->idx] = r;
+    }
+    return r;
+}
+
 static char *readBytes(redisReader *r, unsigned int bytes) {
     char *p;
     if (sdslen(r->buf)-r->pos >= bytes) {
@@ -140,21 +195,21 @@ static char *readLine(redisReader *r, int *_len) {
 }
 
 static int processLineItem(redisReader *r) {
-    redisReply *cur = r->rlist[r->rpos];
+    redisReadTask *cur = &(r->rlist[r->rpos]);
+    void *obj;
     char *p;
     int len;
 
     if ((p = readLine(r,&len)) != NULL) {
         if (cur->type == REDIS_REPLY_INTEGER) {
-            cur->integer = strtoll(p,NULL,10);
+            obj = createIntegerObject(cur,strtoll(p,NULL,10));
         } else {
-            cur->reply = sdsnewlen(p,len);
+            obj = createStringObject(cur,p,len);
         }
 
-        /* for API compat, set STATUS to STRING */
-        if (cur->type == REDIS_REPLY_STATUS)
-            cur->type = REDIS_REPLY_STRING;
-
+        /* If there is no root yet, register this object as root. */
+        if (r->reply == NULL)
+            r->reply = obj;
         r->rpos++;
         return 0;
     }
@@ -162,80 +217,90 @@ static int processLineItem(redisReader *r) {
 }
 
 static int processBulkItem(redisReader *r) {
-    redisReply *cur = r->rlist[r->rpos];
-    char *p;
-    int len;
+    redisReadTask *cur = &(r->rlist[r->rpos]);
+    void *obj = NULL;
+    char *p, *s;
+    long len;
+    unsigned long bytelen;
 
-    if (cur->reply == NULL) {
-        if ((p = readLine(r,NULL)) != NULL) {
-            len = atoi(p);
-            if (len == -1) {
-                /* nil means this item is done */
-                cur->type = REDIS_REPLY_NIL;
-                cur->reply = sdsempty();
-                r->rpos++;
-                return 0;
-            } else {
-                cur->reply = sdsnewlen(NULL,len);
-            }
+    p = r->buf+r->pos;
+    s = strstr(p,"\r\n");
+    if (s != NULL) {
+        p = r->buf+r->pos;
+        bytelen = s-(r->buf+r->pos)+2; /* include \r\n */
+        len = strtol(p,NULL,10);
+
+        if (len < 0) {
+            /* The nil object can always be created. */
+            obj = createNilObject(cur);
         } else {
-            return -1;
+            /* Only continue when the buffer contains the entire bulk item. */
+            bytelen += len+2; /* include \r\n */
+            if (r->pos+bytelen <= sdslen(r->buf)) {
+                obj = createStringObject(cur,s+2,len);
+            }
         }
-    }
 
-    len = sdslen(cur->reply);
-    /* add two bytes for crlf */
-    if ((p = readBytes(r,len+2)) != NULL) {
-        memcpy(cur->reply,p,len);
-        r->rpos++;
-        return 0;
+        /* Proceed when obj was created. */
+        if (obj != NULL) {
+            r->pos += bytelen;
+            if (r->reply == NULL)
+                r->reply = obj;
+            r->rpos++;
+            return 0;
+        }
     }
     return -1;
 }
 
 static int processMultiBulkItem(redisReader *r) {
-    redisReply *cur = r->rlist[r->rpos];
+    redisReadTask *cur = &(r->rlist[r->rpos]);
+    void *obj;
     char *p;
-    int elements, j;
+    long elements, j;
 
     if ((p = readLine(r,NULL)) != NULL) {
-        elements = atoi(p);
+        elements = strtol(p,NULL,10);
         if (elements == -1) {
-            /* empty */
-            cur->type = REDIS_REPLY_NIL;
-            cur->reply = sdsempty();
+            obj = createNilObject(cur);
+        } else {
+            obj = createArrayObject(cur,elements);
+
+            /* Modify read list when there are more than 0 elements. */
+            if (elements > 0) {
+                /* Append elements to the read list. */
+                r->rlen += elements;
+                if ((r->rlist = realloc(r->rlist,sizeof(redisReadTask)*r->rlen)) == NULL)
+                    redisOOM();
+
+                /* Move existing items backwards. */
+                memmove(&(r->rlist[r->rpos+1+elements]),
+                        &(r->rlist[r->rpos+1]),
+                        (r->rlen-(r->rpos+1+elements))*sizeof(redisReadTask));
+
+                /* Populate new read items. */
+                redisReadTask *t;
+                for (j = 0; j < elements; j++) {
+                    t = &(r->rlist[r->rpos+1+j]);
+                    t->type = -1;
+                    t->parent = obj;
+                    t->idx = j;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (obj != NULL) {
+            if (r->reply == NULL)
+                r->reply = obj;
             r->rpos++;
             return 0;
         }
-    } else {
-        return -1;
     }
-
-    cur->elements = elements;
-    r->rlen += elements;
-    r->rpos++;
-
-    /* create placeholder items */
-    if ((cur->element = malloc(sizeof(redisReply*)*elements)) == NULL)
-        redisOOM();
-    if ((r->rlist = realloc(r->rlist,sizeof(redisReply*)*r->rlen)) == NULL)
-        redisOOM();
-
-    /* move existing items backwards */
-    memmove(&(r->rlist[r->rpos+elements]),
-            &(r->rlist[r->rpos]),
-            (r->rlen-(r->rpos+elements))*sizeof(redisReply*));
-
-    /* populate item list */
-    for (j = 0; j < elements; j++) {
-        cur->element[j] = createReplyObject(-1,NULL);
-        r->rlist[r->rpos+j] = cur->element[j];
-    }
-    return 0;
+    return -1;
 }
 
 static int processItem(redisReader *r) {
-    redisReply *cur = r->rlist[r->rpos];
+    redisReadTask *cur = &(r->rlist[r->rpos]);
     char *p;
     sds byte;
 
@@ -311,42 +376,40 @@ static redisReply *redisReadReply(int fd) {
 void *redisCreateReplyReader() {
     redisReader *r = calloc(sizeof(redisReader),1);
     r->buf = sdsempty();
+    r->rlist = malloc(sizeof(redisReadTask)*1);
     return r;
 }
 
 void redisFreeReplyReader(void *reader) {
     redisReader *r = reader;
-    if (r->buf != NULL) {
+    if (r->reply != NULL)
+        freeReplyObject(r->reply);
+    if (r->buf != NULL)
         sdsfree(r->buf);
-    }
-    if (r->rlen > 0) {
-        freeReplyObject(r->rlist[0]);
+    if (r->rlist != NULL)
         free(r->rlist);
-    }
     free(r);
 }
 
 int redisIsReplyReaderEmpty(void *reader) {
     redisReader *r = reader;
-    if (r->buf != NULL && sdslen(r->buf) > 0)
-        return 0;
-    if (r->rlist != NULL && r->rpos < r->rlen)
-        return 0;
+    if ((r->buf != NULL && sdslen(r->buf) > 0) ||
+        (r->rpos < r->rlen)) return 0;
     return 1;
 }
 
 static void redisSetReplyReaderError(redisReader *r, redisReply *error) {
+    if (r->reply != NULL)
+        freeReplyObject(r->reply);
+
     /* Clear remaining buffer when we see a protocol error. */
     if (r->buf != NULL) {
         sdsfree(r->buf);
         r->buf = sdsempty();
         r->pos = 0;
     }
-    /* Clear currently allocated objects. */
-    if (r->rlist[0] != NULL)
-        freeReplyObject(r->rlist[0]);
-    r->rlen = r->rpos = 1;
-    r->rlist[0] = error;
+    r->rlen = r->rpos = 0;
+    r->reply = error;
 }
 
 void *redisFeedReplyReader(void *reader, char *buf, int len) {
@@ -362,8 +425,10 @@ void *redisFeedReplyReader(void *reader, char *buf, int len) {
 
     /* Create first item to process when the item list is empty. */
     if (r->rlen == 0) {
-        r->rlist = malloc(sizeof(redisReply*));
-        r->rlist[0] = createReplyObject(-1,NULL);
+        r->rlist = realloc(r->rlist,sizeof(redisReadTask)*1);
+        r->rlist[0].type = -1;
+        r->rlist[0].parent = NULL;
+        r->rlist[0].idx = -1;
         r->rlen = 1;
         r->rpos = 0;
     }
@@ -387,7 +452,9 @@ void *redisFeedReplyReader(void *reader, char *buf, int len) {
 
     /* Emit a reply when there is one. */
     if (r->rpos == r->rlen) {
-        redisReply *reply = r->rlist[0];
+        void *reply = r->reply;
+        assert(reply != NULL);
+        r->reply = NULL;
 
         /* Destroy the buffer when it is empty and is quite large. */
         if (sdslen(r->buf) == 0 && sdsavail(r->buf) > 16*1024) {
@@ -396,9 +463,7 @@ void *redisFeedReplyReader(void *reader, char *buf, int len) {
             r->pos = 0;
         }
 
-        /* Free list of items to process. */
-        free(r->rlist);
-        r->rlist = NULL;
+        /* Set list of items to read to be empty. */
         r->rlen = r->rpos = 0;
         return reply;
     } else {
diff --git a/hiredis.h b/hiredis.h
index 482072e..1f30b79 100644
--- a/hiredis.h
+++ b/hiredis.h
@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@ typedef struct redisReply {
     struct redisReply **element; /* elements vector for REDIS_REPLY_ARRAY */
 } redisReply;
 
+
+typedef struct redisReadTask {
+    int type;
+    void *parent; /* optional pointer to parent object */
+    int idx; /* index in parent (array) object */
+} redisReadTask;
+
 redisReply *redisConnect(int *fd, const char *ip, int port);
 void freeReplyObject(redisReply *r);
 redisReply *redisCommand(int fd, const char *format, ...);