diff --git a/library/Icinga/Protocol/File/Reader.php b/library/Icinga/Protocol/File/Reader.php
index b2eb80c23..9168c2cca 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Protocol/File/Reader.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Protocol/File/Reader.php
@@ -185,12 +185,14 @@ class Reader implements DatasourceInterface
         $lines = array();
         $s = '';
         $f = fopen($this->filename, 'rb');
+        $buffer = '';
         fseek($f, 0, SEEK_END);
-        $pos = ftell($f);
+        if (ftell($f) === 0) {
+            return array();
+        }
         while ($read_lines === null || count($lines) < $read_lines) {
-            fseek($f, --$pos);
-            $c = fgetc($f);
-            if ($c === false || $pos < 0) {
+            $c = $this->fgetc($f, $buffer);
+            if ($c === false) {
                 $l = $this->validateLine($s, $query);
                 if (!($l === false || $skip_lines)) {
                     $lines[] = $l;
@@ -213,6 +215,34 @@ class Reader implements DatasourceInterface
         return $lines;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Backend for $this->readFromEnd
+     */
+    public function fgetc($file, &$buffer)
+    {
+        $strlen = strlen($buffer);
+        if ($strlen === 0) {
+            $pos = ftell($file);
+            if ($pos === 0) {
+                return false;
+            }
+            if ($pos < 4096) {
+                fseek($file, 0);
+                $buffer = fread($file, $pos);
+                fseek($file, 0);
+            } else {
+                fseek($file, -4096, SEEK_CUR);
+                $buffer = fread($file, 4096);
+                fseek($file, -4096, SEEK_CUR);
+            }
+            return $this->fgetc($file, $buffer);
+        } else {
+            $char = substr($buffer, -1);
+            $buffer = substr($buffer, 0, $strlen - 1);
+            return $char;
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Backend for $this->read
      * Direction: FIFO
@@ -223,16 +253,20 @@ class Reader implements DatasourceInterface
         $lines = array();
         $s = '';
         $f = fopen($this->filename, 'rb');
+        $buffer = '';
         while ($read_lines === null || count($lines) < $read_lines) {
-            $c = fgetc($f);
-            if ($c === false) {
-                $l = $this->validateLine($s, $query);
-                if (!($l === false || $skip_lines)) {
-                    $lines[] = $l;
+            if (strlen($buffer) === 0) {
+                $buffer = fread($f, 4096);
+                if (strlen($buffer) === 0) {
+                    $l = $this->validateLine($s, $query);
+                    if (!($l === false || $skip_lines)) {
+                        $lines[] = $l;
+                    }
+                    break;
                 }
-                break;
             }
-            $s .= $c;
+            $s .= substr($buffer, 0, 1);
+            $buffer = substr($buffer, 1);
             if (strpos($s, PHP_EOL) !== false) {
                 $l = $this->validateLine((string)substr($s, 0, strlen($s) - $PHP_EOL_len), $query);
                 if ($l !== false) {
@@ -260,20 +294,21 @@ class Reader implements DatasourceInterface
         $lines = 0;
         $s = '';
         $f = fopen($this->filename, 'rb');
-        fseek($f, 0, SEEK_END);
-        $pos = ftell($f);
+        $buffer = '';
         while (true) {
-            fseek($f, --$pos);
-            $c = fgetc($f);
-            if ($c === false || $pos < 0) {
-                if ($this->validateLine($s, $query) !== false) {
-                    $lines++;
+            if (strlen($buffer) === 0) {
+                $buffer = fread($f, 4096);
+                if (strlen($buffer) === 0) {
+                    if ($this->validateLine($s, $query) !== false) {
+                        $lines++;
+                    }
+                    break;
                 }
-                break;
             }
-            $s = $c . $s;
-            if (strpos($s, PHP_EOL) === 0) {
-                if ($this->validateLine((string)substr($s, $PHP_EOL_len), $query) !== false) {
+            $s .= substr($buffer, 0, 1);
+            $buffer = substr($buffer, 1);
+            if (strpos($s, PHP_EOL) !== false) {
+                if ($this->validateLine((string)substr($s, 0, strlen($s) - $PHP_EOL_len), $query) !== false) {
                     $lines++;
                 }
                 $s = '';
@@ -281,4 +316,4 @@ class Reader implements DatasourceInterface
         }
         return $lines;
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}