diff --git a/src/kiss.c b/src/kiss.c
index dc0ab5d..68a1e3a 100644
--- a/src/kiss.c
+++ b/src/kiss.c
@@ -68,14 +68,14 @@ void patty_kiss_tnc_close(patty_kiss_tnc *tnc) {
 }
 
 static ssize_t tnc_buffer(patty_kiss_tnc *tnc) {
-    size_t fillsz = tnc->bufsz - tnc->buflen;
+     size_t fillsz  = tnc->bufsz - tnc->buflen;
+    ssize_t readlen = 0;
 
     /*
      * If the buffer needs to be filled, then fill it.
      */
     if (fillsz) {
         void *dest = ((unsigned char *)tnc->buf) + tnc->buflen;
-        ssize_t readlen;
 
         if ((readlen = read(tnc->fd, dest, fillsz)) < 0) {
             errno = EIO;
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ static ssize_t tnc_buffer(patty_kiss_tnc *tnc) {
         tnc->buflen += readlen;
     }
 
-    return tnc->buflen;
+    return readlen;
 
 error_io:
     return -1;