diff --git a/common/iobuf.c b/common/iobuf.c
index a6786b199..795ff11b1 100644
--- a/common/iobuf.c
+++ b/common/iobuf.c
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@ iobuf_alloc (int use, size_t bufsize)
   iobuf_t a;
   static int number = 0;
 
-  assert (use == IOBUF_INPUT
+  assert (use == IOBUF_INPUT || use == IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP
 	  || use == IOBUF_OUTPUT || use == IOBUF_OUTPUT_TEMP);
   if (bufsize == 0)
     {
@@ -1220,7 +1220,8 @@ iobuf_temp_with_content (const char *buffer, size_t length)
   iobuf_t a;
   int i;
 
-  a = iobuf_alloc (IOBUF_INPUT, length);
+  a = iobuf_alloc (IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP, length);
+  assert (length == a->d.size);
   /* memcpy (a->d.buf, buffer, length); */
   for (i=0; i < length; i++)
     a->d.buf[i] = buffer[i];
@@ -1619,6 +1620,12 @@ iobuf_push_filter2 (iobuf_t a,
 	 size.  */
       a->d.size = IOBUF_BUFFER_SIZE;
     }
+  else if (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP)
+    /* Same idea as above.  */
+    {
+      a->use = IOBUF_INPUT;
+      a->d.size = IOBUF_BUFFER_SIZE;
+    }
 
   /* The new filter (A) gets a new buffer.
 
@@ -1678,7 +1685,7 @@ pop_filter (iobuf_t a, int (*f) (void *opaque, int control,
   if (DBG_IOBUF)
     log_debug ("iobuf-%d.%d: pop '%s'\n",
 	       a->no, a->subno, iobuf_desc (a));
-  if (a->use == IOBUF_OUTPUT_TEMP)
+  if (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP || a->use == IOBUF_OUTPUT_TEMP)
     {
       /* This should be the last filter in the pipeline.  */
       assert (! a->chain);
@@ -1765,6 +1772,11 @@ underflow (iobuf_t a, int clear_pending_eof)
 	       (int) a->d.size, (int) (a->d.len - a->d.start),
 	       (int) (a->d.size - (a->d.len - a->d.start)));
 
+  if (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP)
+    /* By definition, there isn't more data to read into the
+       buffer.  */
+    return -1;
+
   assert (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT);
 
   /* If there is still some buffered data, then move it to the start
@@ -2056,7 +2068,7 @@ iobuf_peek (iobuf_t a, byte * buf, unsigned buflen)
   int n = 0;
 
   assert (buflen > 0);
-  assert (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT);
+  assert (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT || a->use == IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP);
 
   if (buflen > a->d.size)
     /* We can't peek more than we can buffer.  */
@@ -2097,7 +2109,7 @@ iobuf_writebyte (iobuf_t a, unsigned int c)
 {
   int rc;
 
-  if (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT)
+  if (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT || a->use == IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP)
     {
       log_bug ("iobuf_writebyte called on an input pipeline!\n");
       return -1;
@@ -2119,7 +2131,7 @@ iobuf_write (iobuf_t a, const void *buffer, unsigned int buflen)
   const unsigned char *buf = (const unsigned char *)buffer;
   int rc;
 
-  if (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT)
+  if (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT || a->use == IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP)
     {
       log_bug ("iobuf_write called on an input pipeline!\n");
       return -1;
@@ -2152,7 +2164,7 @@ iobuf_write (iobuf_t a, const void *buffer, unsigned int buflen)
 int
 iobuf_writestr (iobuf_t a, const char *buf)
 {
-  if (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT)
+  if (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT || a->use == IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP)
     {
       log_bug ("iobuf_writestr called on an input pipeline!\n");
       return -1;
@@ -2200,7 +2212,7 @@ iobuf_temp_to_buffer (iobuf_t a, byte * buffer, size_t buflen)
 void
 iobuf_flush_temp (iobuf_t temp)
 {
-  if (temp->use == IOBUF_INPUT)
+  if (temp->use == IOBUF_INPUT || temp->use == IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP)
     log_bug ("iobuf_writestr called on an input pipeline!\n");
   while (temp->chain)
     pop_filter (temp, temp->filter, NULL);
@@ -2379,10 +2391,9 @@ iobuf_seek (iobuf_t a, off_t newpos)
 	  return -1;
 	}
 #endif
+      /* Discard the buffer it is not a temp stream.  */
+      a->d.len = 0;
     }
-  /* Discard the buffer it is not a temp stream.  */
-  if (a->use != IOBUF_OUTPUT_TEMP)
-    a->d.len = 0;
   a->d.start = 0;
   a->nbytes = 0;
   a->nlimit = 0;
@@ -2409,10 +2420,6 @@ iobuf_seek (iobuf_t a, off_t newpos)
 }
 
 
-
-
-
-
 const char *
 iobuf_get_real_fname (iobuf_t a)
 {
@@ -2430,7 +2437,6 @@ iobuf_get_real_fname (iobuf_t a)
   return NULL;
 }
 
-
 const char *
 iobuf_get_fname (iobuf_t a)
 {
@@ -2462,7 +2468,6 @@ iobuf_set_partial_block_mode (iobuf_t a, size_t len)
 {
   block_filter_ctx_t *ctx = xcalloc (1, sizeof *ctx);
 
-  assert (a->use == IOBUF_INPUT || a->use == IOBUF_OUTPUT);
   ctx->use = a->use;
   if (!len)
     {
diff --git a/common/iobuf.h b/common/iobuf.h
index b65ea60d7..bce6c3162 100644
--- a/common/iobuf.h
+++ b/common/iobuf.h
@@ -124,12 +124,15 @@ enum iobuf_use
     /* Pipeline is in input mode.  The data flows from the end to the
        beginning.  That is, when reading from the pipeline, the first
        filter gets its input from the second filter, etc.  */
-    IOBUF_INPUT=1,
+    IOBUF_INPUT,
+    /* Pipeline is in input mode.  The last filter in the pipeline is
+       a temporary buffer from which the data is "read".  */
+    IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP,
     /* Pipeline is in output mode.  The data flows from the beginning
        to the end.  That is, when writing to the pipeline, the user
        writes to the first filter, which transforms the data and sends
        it to the second filter, etc.  */
-    IOBUF_OUTPUT=2,
+    IOBUF_OUTPUT,
     /* Pipeline is in output mode.  The last filter in the pipeline is
        a temporary buffer that grows as necessary.  */
     IOBUF_OUTPUT_TEMP
@@ -274,7 +277,8 @@ int  iobuf_is_pipe_filename (const char *fname);
    create a new primary source or primary sink, i.e., the last filter
    in the pipeline.
 
-   USE is IOBUF_INPUT, IOBUF_OUTPUT or IOBUF_OUTPUT_TEMP.
+   USE is IOBUF_INPUT, IOBUF_INPUT_TEMP, IOBUF_OUTPUT or
+   IOBUF_OUTPUT_TEMP.
 
    BUFSIZE is the desired internal buffer size (that is, the size of
    the typical read / write request).  */