diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_WebBrowserComponent_linux.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_WebBrowserComponent_linux.cpp
index f2e8a95d1c..88849c2c9f 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_WebBrowserComponent_linux.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_extra/native/juce_WebBrowserComponent_linux.cpp
@@ -464,24 +464,39 @@ public:
     {
         for (;;)
         {
-            char lengthBytes[sizeof (size_t)]{};
-            const auto numLengthBytes = readIntoBuffer (lengthBytes);
+            auto len = (receivingLength ? sizeof (size_t) : bufferLength.len);
 
-            if (numLengthBytes != std::size (lengthBytes))
+            if (! receivingLength)
+                buffer.realloc (len);
+
+            auto* dst = (receivingLength ? bufferLength.data : buffer.getData());
+
+            auto actual = read (inChannel, &dst[pos], static_cast<size_t> (len - pos));
+
+            if (actual < 0)
+            {
+                if (errno == EINTR)
+                    continue;
+
+                // This isn't an abort condition. The transfer of the same file can continue after
+                // the next call to tryNextRead.
                 break;
+            }
 
-            const auto numBytesExpected = readUnaligned<size_t> (lengthBytes);
-            buffer.reserve (numBytesExpected + 1);
-            buffer.resize (numBytesExpected);
+            pos += static_cast<size_t> (actual);
 
-            if (readIntoBuffer (buffer) != numBytesExpected)
-                break;
+            if (pos == len)
+            {
+                pos = 0;
 
-            buffer.push_back (0);
-            parseJSON (StringRef (buffer.data()));
+                if (! std::exchange (receivingLength, ! receivingLength))
+                {
+                    parseJSON (String (buffer.getData(), bufferLength.len));
 
-            if (ret == ReturnAfterMessageReceived::yes)
-                return;
+                    if (ret == ReturnAfterMessageReceived::yes)
+                        return;
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         if (errno != EAGAIN && errno != EWOULDBLOCK && responder != nullptr)
@@ -536,37 +551,15 @@ private:
         }
     }
 
-    /*  Try to fill the target buffer by reading from the input channel.
-        Returns the number of bytes that were successfully read.
-    */
-    size_t readIntoBuffer (Span<char> target) const
-    {
-        size_t pos = 0;
-
-        while (pos != target.size())
-        {
-            const auto bytesThisTime = read (inChannel, target.data() + pos, target.size() - pos);
-
-            if (bytesThisTime <= 0)
-            {
-                if (bytesThisTime != 0 && errno == EINTR)
-                    continue;
-
-                break;
-            }
-
-            pos += static_cast<size_t> (bytesThisTime);
-        }
-
-        return pos;
-    }
-
     static Identifier getCmdIdentifier()    { static Identifier Id ("cmd");    return Id; }
     static Identifier getParamIdentifier()  { static Identifier Id ("params"); return Id; }
 
-    std::vector<char> buffer;
     Responder* responder = nullptr;
     int inChannel = 0;
+    size_t pos = 0;
+    bool receivingLength = true;
+    union { char data [sizeof (size_t)]; size_t len; } bufferLength;
+    HeapBlock<char> buffer;
 };
 
 #define juce_g_signal_connect(instance, detailed_signal, c_handler, data) \