diff --git a/archival/gunzip.c b/archival/gunzip.c
index c4e84260b..430bc630e 100644
--- a/archival/gunzip.c
+++ b/archival/gunzip.c
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ extern int gunzip_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		/* Open input file */
 		in_file = xfopen(if_name, "r");
 
+		/* set the buffer size */
+		setvbuf(in_file, NULL, _IOFBF, 0x8000);
+
 		/* Get the time stamp on the input file. */
 		if (stat(if_name, &stat_buf) < 0) {
 			error_msg_and_die("Couldn't stat file %s", if_name);
diff --git a/archival/tar.c b/archival/tar.c
index 31443ee22..cf65798ff 100644
--- a/archival/tar.c
+++ b/archival/tar.c
@@ -284,6 +284,10 @@ extern int tar_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		/* unzip tarFd in a seperate process */
 		if (unzipFlag == TRUE) {
 			comp_file = fdopen(tarFd, "r");
+
+			/* set the buffer size */
+			setvbuf(comp_file, NULL, _IOFBF, 0x8000);
+
 			if ((tarFd = fileno(gz_open(comp_file, &pid))) == EXIT_FAILURE) {
 				error_msg_and_die("Couldnt unzip file");
 			}
diff --git a/gunzip.c b/gunzip.c
index c4e84260b..430bc630e 100644
--- a/gunzip.c
+++ b/gunzip.c
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ extern int gunzip_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		/* Open input file */
 		in_file = xfopen(if_name, "r");
 
+		/* set the buffer size */
+		setvbuf(in_file, NULL, _IOFBF, 0x8000);
+
 		/* Get the time stamp on the input file. */
 		if (stat(if_name, &stat_buf) < 0) {
 			error_msg_and_die("Couldn't stat file %s", if_name);
diff --git a/libbb/unarchive.c b/libbb/unarchive.c
index 5c5bb49f3..80dddb226 100644
--- a/libbb/unarchive.c
+++ b/libbb/unarchive.c
@@ -568,6 +568,9 @@ char *deb_extract(const char *package_filename, FILE *out_stream,
 	/* open the debian package to be worked on */
 	deb_stream = wfopen(package_filename, "r");
 
+	/* set the buffer size */
+	setvbuf(deb_stream, NULL, _IOFBF, 0x8000);
+
 	/* check ar magic */
 	fread(ar_magic, 1, 8, deb_stream);
 	if (strncmp(ar_magic,"!<arch>",7) != 0) {
diff --git a/tar.c b/tar.c
index 31443ee22..cf65798ff 100644
--- a/tar.c
+++ b/tar.c
@@ -284,6 +284,10 @@ extern int tar_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		/* unzip tarFd in a seperate process */
 		if (unzipFlag == TRUE) {
 			comp_file = fdopen(tarFd, "r");
+
+			/* set the buffer size */
+			setvbuf(comp_file, NULL, _IOFBF, 0x8000);
+
 			if ((tarFd = fileno(gz_open(comp_file, &pid))) == EXIT_FAILURE) {
 				error_msg_and_die("Couldnt unzip file");
 			}