diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/autorun.c b/src/fe-common/core/autorun.c
index f114ac23..d9b21f54 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/autorun.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/autorun.c
@@ -20,37 +20,36 @@
 
 #include "module.h"
 #include "signals.h"
-#include "line-split.h"
 #include "special-vars.h"
 
 #include "fe-windows.h"
 
 void autorun_startup(void)
 {
-	char tmpbuf[1024], *str, *path;
-	LINEBUF_REC *buffer = NULL;
-	int f, ret, recvlen;
+	char *path;
+	GIOChannel *handle;
+	GString *buf;
+	gsize tpos;
 
 	/* open ~/.irssi/startup and run all commands in it */
 	path = g_strdup_printf("%s/startup", get_irssi_dir());
-	f = open(path, O_RDONLY);
+	handle = g_io_channel_new_file(path, "r", NULL);
 	g_free(path);
-	if (f == -1) {
+	if (handle == NULL) {
 		/* file not found */
 		return;
 	}
 
-	do {
-		recvlen = read(f, tmpbuf, sizeof(tmpbuf));
-
-		ret = line_split(tmpbuf, recvlen, &str, &buffer);
-		if (ret > 0 && *str != '#') {
-			eval_special_string(str, "",
+	buf = g_string_sized_new(512);
+	while (g_io_channel_read_line_string(handle, buf, &tpos, NULL) == G_IO_STATUS_NORMAL) {
+		buf->str[tpos] = '\0';
+		if (buf->str[0] != '#') {
+			eval_special_string(buf->str, "",
 					    active_win->active_server,
 					    active_win->active);
 		}
-	} while (ret > 0);
-	line_split_free(buffer);
+	}
+	g_string_free(buf, TRUE);
 
-	close(f);
+	g_io_channel_close(handle);
 }
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/fe-core-commands.c b/src/fe-common/core/fe-core-commands.c
index e20254ba..33c9d8aa 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/fe-core-commands.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/fe-core-commands.c
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include "commands.h"
 #include "levels.h"
 #include "misc.h"
-#include "line-split.h"
 #include "settings.h"
 #include "irssi-version.h"
 #include "servers.h"
@@ -114,11 +113,12 @@ static void cmd_version(char *data)
 /* SYNTAX: CAT <file> */
 static void cmd_cat(const char *data)
 {
-	LINEBUF_REC *buffer = NULL;
 	char *fname, *fposstr;
-	char tmpbuf[1024], *str;
 	void *free_arg;
-	int f, ret, recvlen, fpos;
+	int fpos;
+	GIOChannel *handle;
+	GString *buf;
+	gsize tpos;
 
 	if (!cmd_get_params(data, &free_arg, 2, &fname, &fposstr))
 		return;
@@ -127,29 +127,26 @@ static void cmd_cat(const char *data)
 	fpos = atoi(fposstr);
         cmd_params_free(free_arg);
 
-	f = open(fname, O_RDONLY);
+	handle = g_io_channel_new_file(fname, "r", NULL);
 	g_free(fname);
 
-	if (f == -1) {
+	if (handle == NULL) {
 		/* file not found */
 		printtext(NULL, NULL, MSGLEVEL_CLIENTERROR,
 			  "%s", g_strerror(errno));
 		return;
 	}
 
-        lseek(f, fpos, SEEK_SET);
-	do {
-		recvlen = read(f, tmpbuf, sizeof(tmpbuf));
-
-		ret = line_split(tmpbuf, recvlen, &str, &buffer);
-		if (ret > 0) {
+	g_io_channel_seek_position(handle, fpos, G_SEEK_SET, NULL);
+	buf = g_string_sized_new(512);
+	while (g_io_channel_read_line_string(handle, buf, &tpos, NULL) == G_IO_STATUS_NORMAL) {
+		buf->str[tpos] = '\0';
 			printtext(NULL, NULL, MSGLEVEL_CLIENTCRAP |
-				  MSGLEVEL_NEVER, "%s", str);
+			  MSGLEVEL_NEVER, "%s", buf->str);
 		}
-	} while (ret > 0);
-	line_split_free(buffer);
+	g_string_free(buf, TRUE);
 
-	close(f);
+	g_io_channel_close(handle);
 }
 
 /* SYNTAX: BEEP */
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/fe-help.c b/src/fe-common/core/fe-help.c
index be45e77b..178a9d3f 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/fe-help.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/fe-help.c
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 #include "commands.h"
 #include "levels.h"
 #include "misc.h"
-#include "line-split.h"
 #include "settings.h"
 
 #include "printtext.h"
@@ -117,46 +116,42 @@ static void help_category(GSList *cmdlist, int items)
 static int show_help_file(const char *file)
 {
         const char *helppath;
-	char tmpbuf[1024], *str, *path, **paths, **tmp;
-	LINEBUF_REC *buffer = NULL;
-	int f, ret, recvlen;
+	char *path, **paths, **tmp;
+	GIOChannel *handle;
+	GString *buf;
+	gsize tpos;
 
         helppath = settings_get_str("help_path");
 
 	paths = g_strsplit(helppath, ":", -1);
 
-	f = -1;
+	handle = NULL;
 	for (tmp = paths; *tmp != NULL; tmp++) {
 		/* helpdir/command or helpdir/category/command */
 		path = g_strdup_printf("%s/%s", *tmp, file);
-		f = open(path, O_RDONLY);
+		handle = g_io_channel_new_file(path, "r", NULL);
 		g_free(path);
 
-		if (f != -1)
+		if (handle != NULL)
 			break;
 
 	}
 
 	g_strfreev(paths);
 
-	if (f == -1)
+	if (handle == NULL)
 		return FALSE;
 
+	buf = g_string_sized_new(512);
 	/* just print to screen whatever is in the file */
-	do {
-		recvlen = read(f, tmpbuf, sizeof(tmpbuf));
-
-		ret = line_split(tmpbuf, recvlen, &str, &buffer);
-		if (ret > 0) {
-			str = g_strconcat("%|", str, NULL);
-			printtext_string(NULL, NULL, MSGLEVEL_CLIENTCRAP, str);
-			g_free(str);
+	while (g_io_channel_read_line_string(handle, buf, &tpos, NULL) == G_IO_STATUS_NORMAL) {
+		buf->str[tpos] = '\0';
+		g_string_prepend(buf, "%|");
+		printtext_string(NULL, NULL, MSGLEVEL_CLIENTCRAP, buf->str);
 		}
-	}
-	while (ret > 0);
-	line_split_free(buffer);
+	g_string_free(buf, TRUE);
 
-	close(f);
+	g_io_channel_close(handle);
 	return TRUE;
 }