diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 507bc24c..fbf5a521 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -45,27 +45,27 @@ Client.prototype.connect = function() {
   });
 };
 
-var Parser = function() {
+var Parser = function(buffer) {
   this.offset = 0;
+  this.buffer = buffer;
 };
 
 var p = Parser.prototype;
 
-
 p.parse =  function(buffer) {
-  switch(buffer[this.offset]) {
+  switch(this.buffer[this.offset]) {
   case UTF8.R:
-    return this.parseR(buffer);
+    return this.parseR();
   case UTF8.S:
-    return this.parseS(buffer);
+    return this.parseS();
   default:
     throw new Error("Unsupported message ID");
   }
 };
 
-p.parseR = function(buffer) {
-  var type = buffer[this.offset++];
-  var length = this.parseLength(buffer);
+p.parseR = function() {
+  var type = this.buffer[this.offset++];
+  var length = this.parseLength();
   if(length == 8) {
     return {
       name: 'AuthenticationOk',
@@ -76,18 +76,10 @@ p.parseR = function(buffer) {
   throw new Error("Unknown AuthenticatinOk message type");
 };
 p.parseS = function(buffer) {
-  var offset = 0;
-  var type = buffer[this.offset++];
-  var length = this.parseLength(buffer,this.offset);
-  offset += 4;
-  var start = this.offset;
-  while(buffer[offset++]) { }
-  var end = offset -1;
-  var parameterName = buffer.toString('utf8',start, end);
-  var start = offset;
-  while(buffer[offset++]) { }
-  var end = offset - 1;
-  var parameterValue = buffer.toString('utf8', start, end);
+  var type = this.buffer[this.offset++];
+  var length = this.parseLength(this.buffer);
+  var parameterName = this.parseCString();
+  var parameterValue = this.parseCString();
   return {
     name: 'ParameterStatus',
     id: 'S',
@@ -97,19 +89,19 @@ p.parseS = function(buffer) {
   }
 };
 
-p.parseLength =  function(buffer) {
-  var length = ((buffer[this.offset++] << 24) +
-                (buffer[this.offset++] << 16) +
-                (buffer[this.offset++] << 8) +
-                buffer[this.offset++]);
-  return length;
+p.parseLength =  function() {
+  var buffer = this.buffer;
+  return ((buffer[this.offset++] << 24) +
+          (buffer[this.offset++] << 16) +
+          (buffer[this.offset++] << 8) +
+          buffer[this.offset++]);
+
 };
 
 p.parseCString = function(buffer) {
   var start = this.offset;
-  while(buffer[this.offset++]) { };
-  var end = this.offset - 1;
-  return buffer.toString('utf8',start, end);
+  while(this.buffer[this.offset++]) { };
+  return this.buffer.toString('utf8',start, this.offset - 1);
 };
 
 
diff --git a/test/parser-tests.js b/test/parser-tests.js
index 8b3abd02..a809a276 100644
--- a/test/parser-tests.js
+++ b/test/parser-tests.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 require(__dirname+'/test-helper');
 test('Parser on single messages', function() {
   test('parses AuthenticationOk message', function() {
-    var result = new Parser().parse(Buffer([0x52, 00, 00, 00, 08, 00, 00, 00, 00]));
+    var buffer = Buffer([0x52, 00, 00, 00, 08, 00, 00, 00, 00]);
+    var result = new Parser(buffer).parse();
     assert.equal(result.name, 'AuthenticationOk');
     assert.equal(result.id, 'R');
     assert.equal(result.length, 8);
@@ -11,7 +12,8 @@ test('Parser on single messages', function() {
     var firstString = [0x63, 0x6c, 0x69, 0x65, 0x6e, 0x74, 0x5f, 0x65, 0x6e, 0x63, 0x6f, 0x64, 0x69, 0x6e, 0x67, 0];
     var secondString = [0x55, 0x54, 0x46, 0x38, 0];
     var bytes = [0x53, 0, 0, 0, 0x19].concat(firstString).concat(secondString);
-    var result = new Parser().parse(Buffer(bytes));
+    var buffer = Buffer(bytes);
+    var result = new Parser(buffer).parse();
     assert.equal(result.name, 'ParameterStatus');
     assert.equal(result.id, 'S');
     assert.equal(result.length, 25);
@@ -20,13 +22,20 @@ test('Parser on single messages', function() {
   });
 
   test('parses normal CString', function() {
-    var result = new Parser().parseCString(Buffer([33,00]));
+    var result = new Parser(Buffer([33,0])).parseCString();
     assert.equal(result,"!");
   });
 
   test('parses empty CString', function() {
-    var result = new Parser().parseCString(Buffer([0]));
+    var result = new Parser(Buffer([0])).parseCString();
     assert.equal(result, '');
   });
+
+  test('parses length', function() {
+    var parser = new Parser(Buffer([0,0,0,3]));
+    var result = parser.parseLength();
+    assert.equal(result, 3);
+    assert.equal(parser.offset, 4);
+  });
 });