diff --git a/lib/krb5/read_message.c b/lib/krb5/read_message.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dffc25d42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/krb5/read_message.c
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#include "krb5_locl.h"
+
+RCSID("$Id$");
+
+krb5_error_code
+krb5_read_message (krb5_context context,
+		   krb5_pointer p_fd,
+		   krb5_data *data)
+{
+    krb5_error_code ret;
+    u_int32_t len;
+    u_int8_t buf[4];
+    int fd = *((int *)p_fd);
+
+    if (krb5_net_read (context, fd, buf, 4) != 4)
+	return errno;
+    len = (buf[0] << 24) | (buf[1] << 16) | (buf[2] << 8) | buf[3];
+    ret = krb5_data_alloc (data, len);
+    if (ret)
+	return ret;
+    if (krb5_net_read (context, fd, data->data, len) != len) {
+	krb5_data_free (data);
+	return errno;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/lib/krb5/write_message.c b/lib/krb5/write_message.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..14e3174a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/krb5/write_message.c
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#include "krb5_locl.h"
+
+RCSID("$Id$");
+
+krb5_error_code
+krb5_write_message (krb5_context context,
+		    krb5_pointer p_fd,
+		    krb5_data *data)
+{
+    u_int32_t len;
+    u_int8_t buf[4];
+    int fd = *((int *)p_fd);
+
+    len = data->length;
+    buf[0] = (len >> 24) & 0xFF;
+    buf[1] = (len >> 16) & 0xFF;
+    buf[2] = (len >>  8) & 0xFF;
+    buf[3] = (len >>  0) & 0xFF;
+    if (krb5_net_write (context, fd, buf, 4) != 4
+	|| krb5_net_write (context, fd, data->data, len) != len)
+	return errno;
+    return 0;
+}