diff --git a/include/bitcoin/network/impl/messages/json_body.ipp b/include/bitcoin/network/impl/messages/json_body.ipp
index 7d58d7016..f33fcb811 100644
--- a/include/bitcoin/network/impl/messages/json_body.ipp
+++ b/include/bitcoin/network/impl/messages/json_body.ipp
@@ -89,6 +89,13 @@ size_t CLASS::reader::put(const buffer_type& buffer, boost_code& ec) NOEXCEPT
 TEMPLATE
 void CLASS::reader::finish(boost_code& ec) NOEXCEPT
 {
+    using namespace network::error;
+    if (!done())
+    {
+        ec = to_http_code(http_error_t::partial_message);
+        return;
+    }
+
     BC_PUSH_WARNING(NO_THROW_IN_NOEXCEPT)
     parser_.finish(ec);
     BC_POP_WARNING()
@@ -107,7 +114,6 @@ void CLASS::reader::finish(boost_code& ec) NOEXCEPT
     catch (...)
     {
         // As a catch-all we blame alloc.
-        using namespace network::error;
         ec = to_http_code(http_error_t::bad_alloc);
     }
 
diff --git a/include/bitcoin/network/messages/rpc/body.hpp b/include/bitcoin/network/messages/rpc/body.hpp
index 8199f1133..bfd9c0705 100644
--- a/include/bitcoin/network/messages/rpc/body.hpp
+++ b/include/bitcoin/network/messages/rpc/body.hpp
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ struct BCT_API body
 
         size_t put(const buffer_type& buffer, boost_code& ec) NOEXCEPT override;
         void finish(boost_code& ec) NOEXCEPT override;
+        bool done() const NOEXCEPT override;
 
     private:
         const bool terminated_{};
diff --git a/src/messages/rpc/body.cpp b/src/messages/rpc/body.cpp
index 8d3ba8af7..65578e94a 100644
--- a/src/messages/rpc/body.cpp
+++ b/src/messages/rpc/body.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 #include <variant>
 #include <bitcoin/network/define.hpp>
 #include <bitcoin/network/messages/messages.hpp>
-////#include <bitcoin/network/messages/messages.hpp>
 
 namespace libbitcoin {
 namespace network {
@@ -65,33 +64,38 @@ put(const buffer_type& buffer, boost_code& ec) NOEXCEPT
     if (!terminated_)
         return parsed;
 
-    // There is no terminator.
+    // There is no terminator (terminal).
     if (is_zero(parsed))
     {
         ec = to_http_code(http_error_t::end_of_stream);
         return parsed;
     }
 
-    // There are extra characters.
-    if (size > parsed)
-    {
-        ec = to_http_code(http_error_t::unexpected_body);
-        return parsed;
-    }
-
-    // boost::json consumes whitespace, so terminator is always last.
+    // boost::json consumes whitespace, and leaves any subsequent chars
+    // unparsed, so terminator must be in the parsed segment of the buffer.
     const auto data = pointer_cast<const char>(buffer.data());
-    if (data[sub1(parsed)] == '\n')
+    for (auto index = parsed; !is_zero(index);)
     {
-        has_terminator_ = true;
-        return parsed;
+        if (data[--index] == '\n')
+        {
+            // There may be unparsed characters (ok, next message).
+            has_terminator_ = true;
+            return parsed;
+        }
     }
 
-    // There is no terminator.
-    ec = to_http_code(http_error_t::end_of_stream);
+    // There is no terminator (yet).
     return parsed;
 }
 
+template <>
+bool body<rpc::request_t>::reader::
+done() const NOEXCEPT
+{
+    // Parser may be done but with terminator still outstanding.
+    return parser_.done() && (!terminated_ || has_terminator_);
+}
+
 template <>
 void body<rpc::request_t>::reader::
 finish(boost_code& ec) NOEXCEPT
@@ -99,12 +103,6 @@ finish(boost_code& ec) NOEXCEPT
     base::reader::finish(ec);
     if (ec) return;
 
-    if (terminated_ && !has_terminator_)
-    {
-        ec = to_http_code(http_error_t::end_of_stream);
-        return;
-    }
-
     try
     {
         value_.message = value_to<rpc::request_t>(value_.model);
@@ -162,6 +160,14 @@ finish(boost_code&) NOEXCEPT
     BC_ASSERT(false);
 }
 
+template <>
+bool body<rpc::response_t>::reader::
+done() const NOEXCEPT
+{
+    BC_ASSERT(false);
+    return {};
+}
+
 // rpc::body::writer
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/net/socket.cpp b/src/net/socket.cpp
index 122c58c39..f35cbad58 100644
--- a/src/net/socket.cpp
+++ b/src/net/socket.cpp
@@ -686,18 +686,10 @@ void socket::handle_rpc_read(boost_code ec, size_t size, size_t total,
         const auto parsed = in->reader.put(data, ec);
         if (!ec)
         {
-            if (parsed < data.size())
-            {
-                handler(error::unexpected_body, total);
-                return;
-            }
-
             in->value.buffer->consume(parsed);
             if (in->reader.done())
             {
                 in->reader.finish(ec);
-
-                // Finished.
                 if (!ec)
                 {
                     handler(error::success, total);