diff --git a/libguile/fports.c b/libguile/fports.c
index 4dcc997d2..3a86a047d 100644
--- a/libguile/fports.c
+++ b/libguile/fports.c
@@ -397,10 +397,12 @@ static int
 local_fgetc (SCM port)
 {
   FILE *s = (FILE *) SCM_STREAM (port);
+#if 0
   pre_read (port);
   if (feof (s))
     return EOF;
   else
+#endif
     return fgetc (s);
 }
 
@@ -414,7 +416,9 @@ local_fgets (SCM port, int *len)
   char *p;		/* pointer to current buffer position */
   int   limit = 80;	/* current size of buffer */
 
+#if 0
   pre_read (port);
+#endif
 
   /* If this is a socket port or something where we can't rely on
      ftell to determine how much we've read, then call the generic
@@ -435,11 +439,11 @@ local_fgets (SCM port, int *len)
 
   /* If a char has been pushed onto the port with scm_ungetc,
      read that first. */
-  if (SCM_CRDYP (port))
+  while (SCM_CRDYP (port))
     {
       buf[*len] = SCM_CGETUN (port);
-      SCM_CLRDY (port);
-      if (buf[(*len)++] == '\n')
+      SCM_TRY_CLRDY (port);
+      if (buf[(*len)++] == '\n' || *len == limit - 1)
 	{
 	  buf[*len] = '\0';
 	  return buf;
@@ -519,7 +523,9 @@ local_fputc (int c, SCM port)
 {
   FILE *fp = (FILE *) SCM_STREAM (port);
 
+#if 0
   pre_write (port);
+#endif
   return fputc (c, fp);
 }
 
@@ -527,7 +533,9 @@ static int
 local_fputs (char *s, SCM port)
 {
   FILE *fp = (FILE *) SCM_STREAM (port);
+#if 0
   pre_write (port);
+#endif
   return fputs (s, fp);
 }
 
@@ -538,7 +546,9 @@ local_ffwrite (char *ptr,
 	       SCM port)
 {
   FILE *fp = (FILE *) SCM_STREAM (port);
+#if 0
   pre_write (port);
+#endif
   return ffwrite (ptr, size, nitems, fp);
 }