diff --git a/include/libtorrent/disk_io_thread.hpp b/include/libtorrent/disk_io_thread.hpp
index 38ef5a5bf..c8c946452 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/disk_io_thread.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/disk_io_thread.hpp
@@ -351,7 +351,11 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		int free_piece(cached_piece_entry& p, mutex::scoped_lock& l);
 		int drain_piece_bufs(cached_piece_entry& p, std::vector<char*>& buf
 			, mutex::scoped_lock& l);
-		int try_read_from_cache(disk_io_job const& j, bool& hit);
+
+		enum cache_flags_t {
+			cache_only = 1
+		};
+		int try_read_from_cache(disk_io_job const& j, bool& hit, int flags = 0);
 		int read_piece_from_cache_and_hash(disk_io_job const& j, sha1_hash& h);
 		int cache_piece(disk_io_job const& j, cache_piece_index_t::iterator& p
 			, bool& hit, int options, mutex::scoped_lock& l);
diff --git a/src/disk_buffer_pool.cpp b/src/disk_buffer_pool.cpp
index 9d9d8dfc7..c4fec8326 100644
--- a/src/disk_buffer_pool.cpp
+++ b/src/disk_buffer_pool.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include "libtorrent/disk_buffer_pool.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/assert.hpp"
+#include <algorithm>
 
 #if TORRENT_USE_MLOCK && !defined TORRENT_WINDOWS
 #include <sys/mman.h>
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 #ifdef TORRENT_DISABLE_POOL_ALLOCATOR
 		char* ret = page_aligned_allocator::malloc(m_block_size);
 #else
-		char* ret = (char*)m_pool.ordered_malloc();
+		char* ret = (char*)m_pool.malloc();
 		m_pool.set_next_size(m_settings.cache_buffer_chunk_size);
 #endif
 		++m_in_use;
diff --git a/src/disk_io_thread.cpp b/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
index 0e5ac40d9..1e70e458d 100644
--- a/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
+++ b/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
@@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		return j.buffer_size;
 	}
 
-	int disk_io_thread::try_read_from_cache(disk_io_job const& j, bool& hit)
+	int disk_io_thread::try_read_from_cache(disk_io_job const& j, bool& hit, int flags)
 	{
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(j.buffer);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(j.cache_min_time >= 0);
@@ -1254,6 +1254,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// we got a request for.
 		if (p == idx.end())
 		{
+			if (flags & cache_only) return -2;
 			// if we use an explicit read cache and we
 			// couldn't find the block in the cache,
 			// pretend that there's not enough space
@@ -1290,13 +1291,28 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		return m_queue_buffer_size;
 	}
 
+	typedef std::list<std::pair<disk_io_job, int> > job_queue_t;
+	void completion_queue_handler(job_queue_t* completed_jobs)
+	{
+		boost::shared_ptr<job_queue_t> holder(completed_jobs);
+
+		for (job_queue_t::iterator i = completed_jobs->begin()
+			, end(completed_jobs->end()); i != end; ++i)
+		{
+			TORRENT_TRY
+			{
+				i->first.callback(i->second, i->first);
+			}
+			TORRENT_CATCH(std::exception& e)
+			{}
+		}
+	}
+
 	int disk_io_thread::add_job(disk_io_job const& j
 		, mutex::scoped_lock& l
 		, boost::function<void(int, disk_io_job const&)> const& f)
 	{
-		m_jobs.push_back(j);
-		m_jobs.back().callback.swap(const_cast<boost::function<void(int, disk_io_job const&)>&>(f));
-		m_jobs.back().start_time = time_now_hires();
+		const_cast<disk_io_job&>(j).start_time = time_now_hires();
 
 		if (j.action == disk_io_job::write)
 		{
@@ -1305,6 +1321,36 @@ namespace libtorrent
 				&& m_settings.max_queued_disk_bytes > 0)
 				m_exceeded_write_queue = true;
 		}
+		else if (j.action == disk_io_job::read)
+		{
+			// if this is a cache hit, return it right away!
+			// this is OK because the cache is actually protected by
+			// the m_piece_mutex
+			bool hit = false;
+			if (j.buffer == 0)
+			{
+				// this is OK because the disk_buffer pool has its
+				// own mutex to protect the pool allocator
+				const_cast<disk_io_job&>(j).buffer = allocate_buffer("send buffer");
+			}
+			int ret = try_read_from_cache(j, hit, cache_only);
+			if (hit && ret >= 0)
+			{
+				TORRENT_ASSERT(f);
+				const_cast<disk_io_job&>(j).callback.swap(
+					const_cast<boost::function<void(int, disk_io_job const&)>&>(f));
+				job_queue_t* q = new job_queue_t;
+				q->push_back(std::make_pair(j, ret));
+				m_ios.post(boost::bind(completion_queue_handler, q));
+				return m_queue_buffer_size;
+			}
+			free_buffer(j.buffer);
+			const_cast<disk_io_job&>(j).buffer = 0;
+		}
+
+		m_jobs.push_back(j);
+		m_jobs.back().callback.swap(const_cast<boost::function<void(int, disk_io_job const&)>&>(f));
+
 		m_signal.signal(l);
 		return m_queue_buffer_size;
 	}
@@ -1340,23 +1386,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	typedef std::list<std::pair<disk_io_job, int> > job_queue_t;
-	void completion_queue_handler(job_queue_t* completed_jobs)
-	{
-		boost::shared_ptr<job_queue_t> holder(completed_jobs);
-
-		for (job_queue_t::iterator i = completed_jobs->begin()
-			, end(completed_jobs->end()); i != end; ++i)
-		{
-			TORRENT_TRY
-			{
-				i->first.callback(i->second, i->first);
-			}
-			TORRENT_CATCH(std::exception& e)
-			{}
-		}
-	}
-
 	void disk_io_thread::post_callback(disk_io_job const& j, int ret)
 	{
 		if (!j.callback) return;
@@ -1937,8 +1966,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 					m_log << log_time();
 #endif
 					INVARIANT_CHECK;
-					TORRENT_ASSERT(j.buffer == 0);
-					j.buffer = allocate_buffer("send buffer");
+					if (j.buffer == 0) j.buffer = allocate_buffer("send buffer");
 					TORRENT_ASSERT(j.buffer_size <= m_block_size);
 					if (j.buffer == 0)
 					{