diff --git a/src/core/Makefile.am b/src/core/Makefile.am
index c1e12337..cce6b945 100644
--- a/src/core/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/core/Makefile.am
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ libcore_a_SOURCES = \
 	servers-setup.c \
 	settings.c \
 	signals.c \
-	special-vars.c
+	special-vars.c \
+	write-buffer.c
 
 structure_headers = \
 	chatnet-rec.h \
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ noinst_HEADERS = \
 	signals.h \
 	special-vars.h \
 	window-item-def.h \
+	write-buffer.h \
 	$(structure_headers)
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
diff --git a/src/core/core.c b/src/core/core.c
index fd6c96b0..fd7459db 100644
--- a/src/core/core.c
+++ b/src/core/core.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "chatnets.h"
 #include "commands.h"
 #include "expandos.h"
+#include "write-buffer.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "rawlog.h"
 #include "ignore.h"
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ void core_init(void)
         expandos_init();
 	ignore_init();
 	servers_init();
+        write_buffer_init();
 	log_init();
 	rawlog_init();
 
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ void core_deinit(void)
 
 	rawlog_deinit();
 	log_deinit();
+        write_buffer_deinit();
 	servers_deinit();
 	ignore_deinit();
         expandos_deinit();
diff --git a/src/core/log.c b/src/core/log.c
index 55e0c5f6..58d95b1d 100644
--- a/src/core/log.c
+++ b/src/core/log.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "misc.h"
 #include "servers.h"
 #include "log.h"
+#include "write-buffer.h"
 
 #include "lib-config/iconfig.h"
 #include "settings.h"
@@ -71,8 +72,8 @@ static void log_write_timestamp(int handle, const char *format,
 
 	tm = localtime(&stamp);
 	if (strftime(str, sizeof(str), format, tm) > 0) {
-		write(handle, str, strlen(str));
-		if (suffix != NULL) write(handle, suffix, strlen(suffix));
+		write_buffer(handle, str, strlen(str));
+		if (suffix != NULL) write_buffer(handle, suffix, strlen(suffix));
 	}
 }
 
@@ -158,6 +159,7 @@ void log_stop_logging(LOG_REC *log)
 	fcntl(log->handle, F_SETLK, &lock);
 #endif
 
+	write_buffer_flush();
 	close(log->handle);
 	log->handle = -1;
 }
@@ -214,7 +216,7 @@ void log_write_rec(LOG_REC *log, const char *str)
 	log->last = now;
 
 	log_write_timestamp(log->handle, log_timestamp, str, now);
-	write(log->handle, "\n", 1);
+	write_buffer(log->handle, "\n", 1);
 
 	signal_emit("log written", 2, log, str);
 }
diff --git a/src/core/rawlog.c b/src/core/rawlog.c
index d935d1ac..4e47040c 100644
--- a/src/core/rawlog.c
+++ b/src/core/rawlog.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include "modules.h"
 #include "signals.h"
 #include "misc.h"
-
+#include "write-buffer.h"
 #include "settings.h"
 
 static int rawlog_lines;
@@ -45,7 +45,10 @@ void rawlog_destroy(RAWLOG_REC *rawlog)
 	g_slist_foreach(rawlog->lines, (GFunc) g_free, NULL);
 	g_slist_free(rawlog->lines);
 
-	if (rawlog->logging) close(rawlog->handle);
+	if (rawlog->logging) {
+		write_buffer_flush();
+		close(rawlog->handle);
+	}
 	g_free(rawlog);
 }
 
@@ -61,8 +64,8 @@ static void rawlog_add(RAWLOG_REC *rawlog, char *str)
 	}
 
 	if (rawlog->logging) {
-		write(rawlog->handle, str, strlen(str));
-		write(rawlog->handle, "\n", 1);
+		write_buffer(rawlog->handle, str, strlen(str));
+		write_buffer(rawlog->handle, "\n", 1);
 	}
 
 	rawlog->lines = g_slist_append(rawlog->lines, str);
@@ -125,6 +128,7 @@ void rawlog_open(RAWLOG_REC *rawlog, const char *fname)
 void rawlog_close(RAWLOG_REC *rawlog)
 {
 	if (rawlog->logging) {
+		write_buffer_flush();
 		close(rawlog->handle);
 		rawlog->logging = 0;
 	}
diff --git a/src/core/write-buffer.c b/src/core/write-buffer.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..762fc24e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/write-buffer.c
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+/*
+ write-buffer.c : irssi
+
+    Copyright (C) 2001 Timo Sirainen
+
+    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+*/
+
+#include "module.h"
+#include "signals.h"
+#include "commands.h"
+#include "settings.h"
+#include "write-buffer.h"
+
+#define BUFFER_BLOCK_SIZE 2048
+
+typedef struct {
+	char *active_block;
+        int active_block_pos;
+
+	GSList *blocks;
+} BUFFER_REC;
+
+static GSList *empty_blocks;
+static GHashTable *buffers;
+static int block_count;
+
+static int write_buffer_max_blocks;
+static int timeout_tag;
+
+static void write_buffer_new_block(BUFFER_REC *rec)
+{
+	char *block;
+
+	if (empty_blocks == NULL)
+		block = g_malloc(BUFFER_BLOCK_SIZE);
+	else {
+		block = empty_blocks->data;
+                empty_blocks = g_slist_remove(empty_blocks, block);
+	}
+
+        block_count++;
+	rec->active_block = block;
+        rec->active_block_pos = 0;
+	rec->blocks = g_slist_append(rec->blocks, block);
+}
+
+int write_buffer(int handle, const void *data, int size)
+{
+	BUFFER_REC *rec;
+        const char *cdata = data;
+	int next_size;
+
+	if (write_buffer_max_blocks <= 0) {
+		/* no write buffer */
+                return write(handle, data, size);
+	}
+
+	if (size <= 0)
+		return size;
+
+	rec = g_hash_table_lookup(buffers, GINT_TO_POINTER(handle));
+	if (rec == NULL) {
+		rec = g_new0(BUFFER_REC, 1);
+                write_buffer_new_block(rec);
+		g_hash_table_insert(buffers, GINT_TO_POINTER(handle), rec);
+	}
+
+	while (size > 0) {
+                if (rec->active_block_pos == BUFFER_BLOCK_SIZE)
+			write_buffer_new_block(rec);
+
+		next_size = size < BUFFER_BLOCK_SIZE-rec->active_block_pos ?
+			size : BUFFER_BLOCK_SIZE-rec->active_block_pos;
+		memcpy(rec->active_block+rec->active_block_pos,
+		       cdata, next_size);
+
+		rec->active_block_pos += next_size;
+		cdata += next_size;
+                size -= next_size;
+	}
+
+	if (block_count > write_buffer_max_blocks)
+                write_buffer_flush();
+
+        return size;
+}
+
+static int write_buffer_flush_rec(void *handlep, BUFFER_REC *rec)
+{
+	GSList *tmp;
+        int handle, size;
+
+        handle = GPOINTER_TO_INT(handlep);
+	for (tmp = rec->blocks; tmp != NULL; tmp = tmp->next) {
+		size = tmp->data != rec->active_block ? BUFFER_BLOCK_SIZE :
+			rec->active_block_pos;
+		write(handle, tmp->data, size);
+	}
+
+        empty_blocks = g_slist_concat(empty_blocks, rec->blocks);
+	g_free(rec);
+        return TRUE;
+}
+
+void write_buffer_flush(void)
+{
+	g_slist_foreach(empty_blocks, (GFunc) g_free, NULL);
+	g_slist_free(empty_blocks);
+        empty_blocks = NULL;
+
+	g_hash_table_foreach_remove(buffers,
+				    (GHRFunc) write_buffer_flush_rec, NULL);
+        block_count = 0;
+}
+
+static void read_settings(void)
+{
+	int msecs;
+
+	if (timeout_tag != -1)
+                g_source_remove(timeout_tag);
+
+	write_buffer_flush();
+
+	write_buffer_max_blocks = settings_get_int("write_buffer_kb") *
+		1024/BUFFER_BLOCK_SIZE;
+
+	if (settings_get_int("write_buffer_mins") > 0) {
+                msecs = settings_get_int("write_buffer_mins")*60*1000;
+		timeout_tag = g_timeout_add(msecs,
+					    (GSourceFunc) write_buffer_flush,
+					    NULL);
+	}
+}
+
+static void cmd_flushbuffer(void)
+{
+        write_buffer_flush();
+}
+
+void write_buffer_init(void)
+{
+	settings_add_int("misc", "write_buffer_mins", 0);
+	settings_add_int("misc", "write_buffer_kb", 0);
+
+	buffers = g_hash_table_new((GHashFunc) g_direct_hash,
+				   (GCompareFunc) g_direct_equal);
+
+        empty_blocks = NULL;
+        block_count = 0;
+
+	timeout_tag = -1;
+	read_settings();
+	signal_add("setup changed", (SIGNAL_FUNC) read_settings);
+        command_bind("flushbuffer", NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) cmd_flushbuffer);
+}
+
+void write_buffer_deinit(void)
+{
+	if (timeout_tag != -1)
+		g_source_remove(timeout_tag);
+
+        write_buffer_flush();
+        g_hash_table_destroy(buffers);
+
+	g_slist_foreach(empty_blocks, (GFunc) g_free, NULL);
+        g_slist_free(empty_blocks);
+
+	signal_remove("setup changed", (SIGNAL_FUNC) read_settings);
+	command_unbind("flushbuffer",  (SIGNAL_FUNC) cmd_flushbuffer);
+}
diff --git a/src/core/write-buffer.h b/src/core/write-buffer.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ef527440
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/write-buffer.h
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#ifndef __WRITE_BUFFER_H
+#define __WRITE_BUFFER_H
+
+int write_buffer(int handle, const void *data, int size);
+void write_buffer_flush(void);
+
+void write_buffer_init(void);
+void write_buffer_deinit(void);
+
+#endif