=== modified file 'src/helper.cc'
--- src/helper.cc	2012-11-24 14:30:02 +0000
+++ src/helper.cc	2012-12-04 14:09:50 +0000
@@ -915,43 +915,44 @@
 
     if (flag != COMM_OK || len == 0) {
         srv->closePipesSafely();
         return;
     }
 
     srv->roffset += len;
     srv->rbuf[srv->roffset] = '\0';
     debugs(84, 9, "helperHandleRead: '" << srv->rbuf << "'");
 
     if (!srv->stats.pending) {
         /* someone spoke without being spoken to */
         debugs(84, DBG_IMPORTANT, "helperHandleRead: unexpected read from " <<
                hlp->id_name << " #" << srv->index + 1 << ", " << (int)len <<
                " bytes '" << srv->rbuf << "'");
 
         srv->roffset = 0;
         srv->rbuf[0] = '\0';
     }
 
-    while ((t = strchr(srv->rbuf, hlp->eom))) {
+    char *msg = srv->rbuf;
+    while(*msg == '\0' && (msg - srv->rbuf) < srv->roffset) msg++;
+    while ((t = strchr(msg, hlp->eom))) {
         /* end of reply found */
-        char *msg = srv->rbuf;
         int i = 0;
         debugs(84, 3, "helperHandleRead: end of reply found");
 
         if (t > srv->rbuf && t[-1] == '\r' && hlp->eom == '\n')
             t[-1] = '\0';
 
         *t = '\0';
 
         if (hlp->childs.concurrency) {
             i = strtol(msg, &msg, 10);
 
             while (*msg && xisspace(*msg))
                 ++msg;
         }
 
         helperReturnBuffer(i, srv, hlp, msg, t);
         // only skip off the \0 _after_ passing its location to helperReturnBuffer
         ++t;
     }