diff --git a/network.c b/network.c
index 512ab16..6d71762 100644
--- a/network.c
+++ b/network.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <netinet/ip.h>
@@ -16,77 +17,112 @@
 #include "plugins.h"
 #include "rrdtool.h"
 
-#define BUFSIZE 8192
+#define BUFSIZE 1024
 
-struct fwd_addr {
+struct net_entry {
 	struct list_head list;
+	struct event_fd *event;
 	struct sockaddr_in addr;
+	int socket;
 };
 
-static int fwd_sock;
-static LIST_HEAD(fwd_list);
+static LIST_HEAD(srv_list);
+static LIST_HEAD(cli_list);
 
-// todo: never freed..
-static char *tx_buf, *rx_buf;
-static int tx_pos;
-
-int net_submit(const char *hostname, const char *pluginname, const char *filename, int ds_id, const char *data)
-{
-	if (list_empty(&fwd_list))
-		return 0;
-
-	int size = snprintf(tx_buf + tx_pos, BUFSIZE - tx_pos, "%s:%s:%s:%d %s\n",
-				hostname, pluginname, filename, ds_id, data);
-
-	if (size < 0 || size >= BUFSIZE - tx_pos) {
-		log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_submit(): arguments too long");
-		// TODO: retry with flushed buffer?
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	tx_pos += size;
-	return 0;
-}
+static char *fwd_buf;
+static int fwd_buf_len;
 
 void net_submit_flush(void)
 {
-	if (tx_pos == 0)
+	if (fwd_buf_len == 0)
 		return;
 
-	struct fwd_addr *entry;
-	list_for_each_entry(entry, &fwd_list, list)
-		sendto(fwd_sock, tx_buf, tx_pos, 0, (struct sockaddr *)&entry->addr, sizeof(entry->addr));
+	struct net_entry *entry;
+	list_for_each_entry(entry, &cli_list, list)
+		sendto(entry->socket, fwd_buf, fwd_buf_len, 0, (struct sockaddr *)&entry->addr, sizeof(entry->addr));
 
-	tx_pos = 0;
+	fwd_buf_len = 0;
+}
+
+int net_submit(const char *hostname, const char *pluginname, const char *filename, int ds_id, const char *data)
+{
+	if (list_empty(&cli_list))
+		return 0;
+
+	if (fwd_buf == NULL) {
+		fwd_buf = malloc(BUFSIZE);
+		if (fwd_buf == NULL) {
+			log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_submit(): out of memory");
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	int size = snprintf(fwd_buf + fwd_buf_len, BUFSIZE - fwd_buf_len, "%s:%s:%s:%d %s\n",
+				hostname, pluginname, filename, ds_id, data);
+
+	if (size < 0 || size >= BUFSIZE - fwd_buf_len) {
+		/* the complete buffer is already full */
+		if (fwd_buf_len == 0) {
+			log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_submit(): arguments too long");
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		/* flush & retry */
+		net_submit_flush();
+		return net_submit(hostname, pluginname, filename, ds_id, data);
+	}
+
+	fwd_buf_len += size;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int net_receive(int socket, void *privdata)
 {
-	int size = recv(socket, rx_buf, BUFSIZE, 0);
-	int rx_pos = 0;
-
-	char *delim;
-	while ((delim = memchr(rx_buf + rx_pos, '\n', size - rx_pos))) {
-		*delim = '\0';
-
-		char *data[2];
-		int ret = strsplit(rx_buf + rx_pos, " ", data, 2);
-		if (ret != 2) {
-			log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_receive(): abort data-split");
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		char *part[4];
-		ret = strsplit(data[0], ":", part, 4);
-		if (ret != 4) {
-			log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_receive(): abort header-split");
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		rrd_submit(part[0], part[1], part[2], atoi(part[3]), data[1]);
-
-		rx_pos = (delim - rx_buf) +1;
+	int recvsize;
+	if (ioctl(socket, FIONREAD, &recvsize) == -1) {
+		log_print(LOG_WARN, "net_receive(): ioctl(FIONREAD)");
+		return 0;
 	}
+
+	char *buf = malloc(recvsize);
+	if (buf == NULL) {
+		log_print(LOG_WARN, "net_receive(): out of memory");
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	int size = recv(socket, buf, recvsize, 0);
+	if (size <= 0) {
+		log_print(LOG_WARN, "net_receive(): recv()");
+		free(buf);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	char *delim = memchr(buf, '\n', size);
+	if (delim == NULL) {
+		log_print(LOG_WARN, "net_receive(): invalid data");
+		free(buf);
+		return 0;
+	}
+	*delim = '\0';
+
+	char *data[2];
+	int ret = strsplit(buf, " ", data, 2);
+	if (ret != 2) {
+		log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_receive(): abort data-split");
+		free(buf);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	char *part[4];
+	ret = strsplit(data[0], ":", part, 4);
+	if (ret != 4) {
+		log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_receive(): abort header-split");
+		free(buf);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	rrd_submit(part[0], part[1], part[2], atoi(part[3]), data[1]);
+	free(buf);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -119,49 +155,58 @@ static int parse_saddr(const char *addr, struct sockaddr_in *sa)
 	return (ret != 0) ? 0 : -1;
 }
 
+static struct net_entry * create_net_entry(const char *value)
+{
+	struct net_entry *entry = malloc(sizeof(struct net_entry));
+	if (entry == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (parse_saddr(value, &entry->addr) == -1) {
+		free(entry);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	entry->socket = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
+	if (entry->socket < 0) {
+		free(entry);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	return entry;
+}
+
 static int net_init_srv_cb(const char *value, void *privdata)
 {
-	struct sockaddr_in addr;
-	if (parse_saddr(value, &addr) == -1) {
-		log_print(LOG_WARN, "invalid listen addr: '%s'", value);
+	struct net_entry *entry = create_net_entry(value);
+	if (entry == NULL) {
+		log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_init_srv_cb(): can not create net_entry");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	int sock = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
-	if (sock < 0) {
-		log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_init_srv_cb(): socket()");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	if (bind(sock, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, sizeof(addr)) < 0) {
+	if (bind(entry->socket, (struct sockaddr *)&entry->addr, sizeof(entry->addr)) < 0) {
 		log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_init_srv_cb(): bind()");
-		close(sock);
+		close(entry->socket);
+		free(entry);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	event_add_readfd(NULL, sock, net_receive, NULL);
+	entry->event = event_add_readfd(NULL, entry->socket, net_receive, NULL);
 	log_print(LOG_INFO, "listen on %s:%d",
-		inet_ntoa(addr.sin_addr),
-		ntohs(addr.sin_port));
+		inet_ntoa(entry->addr.sin_addr),
+		ntohs(entry->addr.sin_port));
 
 	return 0;
 }
 
 static int net_init_cli_cb(const char *value, void *privdata)
 {
-	struct fwd_addr *entry = malloc(sizeof(struct fwd_addr));
+	struct net_entry *entry = create_net_entry(value);
 	if (entry == NULL) {
-		log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_init_cli_cb(): out of memory");
+		log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_init_cli_cb(): can not create net_entry");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (parse_saddr(value, &entry->addr) == -1) {
-		log_print(LOG_WARN, "invalid listen addr: '%s'", value);
-		free(entry);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	list_add(&entry->list, &fwd_list);
+	list_add(&entry->list, &cli_list);
 	log_print(LOG_INFO, "forwarding to %s:%d",
 		inet_ntoa(entry->addr.sin_addr),
 		ntohs(entry->addr.sin_port));
@@ -171,29 +216,26 @@ static int net_init_cli_cb(const char *value, void *privdata)
 
 int net_init(void)
 {
-	int srv_cnt = config_get_strings("global", "listen", net_init_srv_cb, NULL);
-	if (srv_cnt > 0) {
-		rx_buf = malloc(BUFSIZE);
-		if (rx_buf == NULL) {
-			log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_init(): out of memory");
-			return -1;
-		}
-	}
-
-	int cli_cnt = config_get_strings("global", "forward", net_init_cli_cb, NULL);
-	if (cli_cnt > 0) {
-		tx_buf = malloc(BUFSIZE);
-		if (tx_buf == NULL) {
-			log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_init(): out of memory");
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		fwd_sock = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
-		if (fwd_sock < 0) {
-			log_print(LOG_ERROR, "net_init(): socket()");
-			return -1;
-		}
-	}
-
+	config_get_strings("global", "listen", net_init_srv_cb, NULL);
+	config_get_strings("global", "forward", net_init_cli_cb, NULL);
 	return 0;
 }
+
+void net_close(void) {
+	struct net_entry *entry, *tmp;
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(entry, tmp, &cli_list, list) {
+		list_del(&entry->list);
+		close(entry->socket);
+		free(entry);
+	}
+
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(entry, tmp, &srv_list, list) {
+		list_del(&entry->list);
+		event_remove_fd(entry->event);
+		close(entry->socket);
+		free(entry);
+	}
+
+	if (fwd_buf != NULL)
+		free(fwd_buf);
+}