diff --git a/lib/_stream_readable.js b/lib/_stream_readable.js
index e75e201e02d..9193f4f27b9 100644
--- a/lib/_stream_readable.js
+++ b/lib/_stream_readable.js
@@ -105,21 +105,51 @@ function Readable(options) {
 // similar to how Writable.write() returns true if you should
 // write() some more.
 Readable.prototype.push = function(chunk) {
-  var rs = this._readableState;
-  rs.onread(null, chunk);
-
-  // if it's past the high water mark, we can push in some more.
-  // Also, if we have no data yet, we can stand some
-  // more bytes.  This is to work around cases where hwm=0,
-  // such as the repl.  Also, if the push() triggered a
-  // readable event, and the user called read(largeNumber) such that
-  // needReadable was set, then we ought to push more, so that another
-  // 'readable' event will be triggered.
-  return rs.needReadable ||
-         rs.length < rs.highWaterMark ||
-         rs.length === 0;
+  var state = this._readableState;
+  return readableAddChunk(this, state, chunk);
 };
 
+function readableAddChunk(stream, state, chunk) {
+  state.reading = false;
+
+  var er = chunkInvalid(state, chunk);
+  if (er) {
+    stream.emit('error', er);
+  } else if (chunk === null || chunk === undefined) {
+    onreadEof(stream, state);
+  } else if (state.objectMode || chunk && chunk.length > 0) {
+    if (state.decoder)
+      chunk = state.decoder.write(chunk);
+
+    // update the buffer info.
+    state.length += state.objectMode ? 1 : chunk.length;
+    state.buffer.push(chunk);
+
+    if (state.needReadable)
+      emitReadable(stream);
+
+    maybeReadMore(stream, state);
+  }
+
+  return needMoreData(state);
+}
+
+
+
+// if it's past the high water mark, we can push in some more.
+// Also, if we have no data yet, we can stand some
+// more bytes.  This is to work around cases where hwm=0,
+// such as the repl.  Also, if the push() triggered a
+// readable event, and the user called read(largeNumber) such that
+// needReadable was set, then we ought to push more, so that another
+// 'readable' event will be triggered.
+function needMoreData(state) {
+  return !state.ended &&
+         (state.needReadable ||
+          state.length < state.highWaterMark ||
+          state.length === 0);
+}
+
 // backwards compatibility.
 Readable.prototype.setEncoding = function(enc) {
   if (!StringDecoder)
@@ -263,15 +293,20 @@ Readable.prototype.read = function(n) {
   return ret;
 };
 
+// This is the function passed to _read(n,cb) as the callback.
+// It should be called exactly once for every _read() call.
 function onread(stream, er, chunk) {
   var state = stream._readableState;
   var sync = state.sync;
 
-  // If we get something that is not a buffer, string, null, or undefined,
-  // and we're not in objectMode, then that's an error.
-  // Otherwise stream chunks are all considered to be of length=1, and the
-  // watermarks determine how many objects to keep in the buffer, rather than
-  // how many bytes or characters.
+  if (er)
+    stream.emit('error', er);
+  else
+    stream.push(chunk);
+}
+
+function chunkInvalid(state, chunk) {
+  var er = null;
   if (!Buffer.isBuffer(chunk) &&
       'string' !== typeof chunk &&
       chunk !== null &&
@@ -280,68 +315,26 @@ function onread(stream, er, chunk) {
       !er) {
     er = new TypeError('Invalid non-string/buffer chunk');
   }
+  return er;
+}
 
-  state.reading = false;
-  if (er)
-    return stream.emit('error', er);
 
-  if (chunk === null || chunk === undefined) {
-    // eof
-    state.ended = true;
-    if (state.decoder) {
-      chunk = state.decoder.end();
-      if (chunk && chunk.length) {
-        state.buffer.push(chunk);
-        state.length += state.objectMode ? 1 : chunk.length;
-      }
+function onreadEof(stream, state) {
+  state.ended = true;
+  if (state.decoder) {
+    var chunk = state.decoder.end();
+    if (chunk && chunk.length) {
+      state.buffer.push(chunk);
+      state.length += state.objectMode ? 1 : chunk.length;
     }
-
-    // if we've ended and we have some data left, then emit
-    // 'readable' now to make sure it gets picked up.
-    if (state.length > 0)
-      emitReadable(stream);
-    else
-      endReadable(stream);
-    return;
   }
 
-  // at this point, if we got a zero-length buffer or string,
-  // and we're not in object-mode, then there's really no point
-  // continuing.  it means that there is nothing to read right
-  // now, but as we have not received the EOF-signaling null,
-  // we're not ended.  we've already unset the reading flag,
-  // so just get out of here.
-  if (!state.objectMode &&
-      (chunk || typeof chunk === 'string') &&
-      0 === chunk.length)
-    return;
-
-  if (state.decoder)
-    chunk = state.decoder.write(chunk);
-
-  // update the buffer info.
-  state.length += state.objectMode ? 1 : chunk.length;
-  state.buffer.push(chunk);
-
-  // if we haven't gotten any data,
-  // and we haven't ended, then don't bother telling the user
-  // that it's time to read more data.  Otherwise, emitting 'readable'
-  // probably will trigger another stream.read(), which can trigger
-  // another _read(n,cb) before this one returns!
-  if (state.length === 0) {
-    state.reading = true;
-    stream._read(state.bufferSize, state.onread);
-    return;
-  }
-
-  if (state.needReadable)
+  // if we've ended and we have some data left, then emit
+  // 'readable' now to make sure it gets picked up.
+  if (state.length > 0)
     emitReadable(stream);
-  else if (state.sync)
-    process.nextTick(function() {
-      maybeReadMore(stream, state);
-    });
   else
-    maybeReadMore(stream, state);
+    endReadable(stream);
 }
 
 // Don't emit readable right away in sync mode, because this can trigger
@@ -365,17 +358,26 @@ function emitReadable(stream) {
 function emitReadable_(stream) {
   var state = stream._readableState;
   stream.emit('readable');
-  maybeReadMore(stream, state);
 }
 
+
+// at this point, the user has presumably seen the 'readable' event,
+// and called read() to consume some data.  that may have triggered
+// in turn another _read(n,cb) call, in which case reading = true if
+// it's in progress.
+// However, if we're not ended, or reading, and the length < hwm,
+// then go ahead and try to read some more right now preemptively.
 function maybeReadMore(stream, state) {
-  // at this point, the user has presumably seen the 'readable' event,
-  // and called read() to consume some data.  that may have triggered
-  // in turn another _read(n,cb) call, in which case reading = true if
-  // it's in progress.
-  // However, if we're not ended, or reading, and the length < hwm,
-  // then go ahead and try to read some more right now preemptively.
-  if (!state.reading && !state.ending && !state.ended &&
+  if (state.sync)
+    process.nextTick(function() {
+      maybeReadMore_(stream, state);
+    });
+  else
+    maybeReadMore_(stream, state);
+}
+
+function maybeReadMore_(stream, state) {
+  if (!state.reading && !state.ended &&
       state.length < state.highWaterMark) {
     stream.read(0);
   }