diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/tcp/RestrictiveTCPConnection.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/tcp/RestrictiveTCPConnection.java
index 65305b82a..9edf5cb49 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/tcp/RestrictiveTCPConnection.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/tcp/RestrictiveTCPConnection.java
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ package net.i2p.router.transport.tcp;
 
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
+import java.io.BufferedOutputStream;
+import java.io.BufferedInputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.math.BigInteger;
 import java.net.Socket;
@@ -44,6 +46,9 @@ class RestrictiveTCPConnection extends TCPConnection {
     /** passed in the handshake process for the connection, and only equivilant protocols will be accepted */
     private final static long PROTO_ID = 12;
     
+    /** read / write buffer size */
+    private final static int BUF_SIZE = 4*1024;
+    
     private boolean validateVersion() throws DataFormatException, IOException {
         if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG)) _log.debug("Before validating version");
         ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream(8);
@@ -284,8 +289,8 @@ class RestrictiveTCPConnection extends TCPConnection {
             
             if (_log.shouldLog(Log.INFO))
                 _log.info("TCP connection " + _id + " established with " + _remoteIdentity.getHash().toBase64());
-            _in = new AESInputStream(_context, new BandwidthLimitedInputStream(_context, _in, _remoteIdentity), _key, _iv);
-            _out = new AESOutputStream(_context, new BandwidthLimitedOutputStream(_context, _out, _remoteIdentity), _key, _iv);
+            _in = new AESInputStream(_context, new BandwidthLimitedInputStream(_context, new BufferedInputStream(_in, BUF_SIZE), _remoteIdentity), _key, _iv);
+            _out = new AESOutputStream(_context, new BufferedOutputStream(new BandwidthLimitedOutputStream(_context, _out, _remoteIdentity), BUF_SIZE), _key, _iv);
             _socket.setSoTimeout(0);
             success = _context.clock().now();
             established();