diff --git a/beast/http/body.h b/beast/http/body.h
index 16bf77db0..69ac0b85a 100644
--- a/beast/http/body.h
+++ b/beast/http/body.h
@@ -50,17 +50,16 @@ public:
     body (body const&) = delete;
     body& operator= (body const&) = delete;
 
+    template <class = void>
+    void
+    clear();
+
     void
     write (void const* data, std::size_t bytes);
 
     template <class ConstBufferSequence>
     void
-    write (ConstBufferSequence const& buffers)
-    {
-        for (auto const& buffer : buffers)
-            write (boost::asio::buffer_cast <void const*> (buffer),
-                boost::asio::buffer_size (buffer));
-    }
+    write (ConstBufferSequence const& buffers);
 
     std::size_t
     size() const;
@@ -92,8 +91,9 @@ body::body()
 
 inline
 body::body (body&& other)
+    : buf_ (std::move(other.buf_))
 {
-    buf_ = std::move(other.buf_);
+    other.clear();
 }
 
 inline
@@ -101,9 +101,17 @@ body&
 body::operator= (body&& other)
 {
     buf_ = std::move(other.buf_);
+    other.clear();
     return *this;
 }
 
+template <class>
+void
+body::clear()
+{
+    buf_ = std::make_unique <buffer_type>();
+}
+
 inline
 void
 body::write (void const* data, std::size_t bytes)
@@ -112,6 +120,15 @@ body::write (void const* data, std::size_t bytes)
         boost::asio::const_buffers_1 (data, bytes)));
 }
 
+template <class ConstBufferSequence>
+void
+body::write (ConstBufferSequence const& buffers)
+{
+    for (auto const& buffer : buffers)
+        write (boost::asio::buffer_cast <void const*> (buffer),
+            boost::asio::buffer_size (buffer));
+}
+
 inline
 std::size_t
 body::size() const
diff --git a/beast/http/message.h b/beast/http/message.h
index 9f0ec6a66..66f398784 100644
--- a/beast/http/message.h
+++ b/beast/http/message.h
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 #define BEAST_HTTP_MESSAGE_H_INCLUDED
 
 #include <beast/http/basic_parser.h>
-#include <beast/http/body.h>
 #include <beast/http/method.h>
 #include <beast/http/headers.h>
 #include <beast/utility/ci_char_traits.h>
@@ -72,9 +71,8 @@ public:
 
 #endif
 
-    // Memberspaces
+    // Memberspace
     beast::http::headers headers;
-    beast::http::body body;
 
     bool
     request() const
@@ -213,7 +211,6 @@ message::message (message&& other)
     , keep_alive_ (other.keep_alive_)
     , upgrade_ (other.upgrade_)
     , headers (std::move(other.headers))
-    , body (std::move(other.body))
 {
 }
 
@@ -230,33 +227,32 @@ message::operator= (message&& other)
     keep_alive_ = other.keep_alive_;
     upgrade_ = other.upgrade_;
     headers = std::move(other.headers);
-    body = std::move(other.body);
     return *this;    
 }
 #endif
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-template <class AsioStreamBuf>
+template <class Streambuf>
 void
-write (AsioStreamBuf& stream, std::string const& s)
+write (Streambuf& stream, std::string const& s)
 {
     stream.commit (boost::asio::buffer_copy (
         stream.prepare (s.size()), boost::asio::buffer(s)));
 }
 
-template <class AsioStreamBuf>
+template <class Streambuf>
 void
-write (AsioStreamBuf& stream, char const* s)
+write (Streambuf& stream, char const* s)
 {
     auto const len (::strlen(s));
     stream.commit (boost::asio::buffer_copy (
         stream.prepare (len), boost::asio::buffer (s, len)));
 }
 
-template <class AsioStreamBuf>
+template <class Streambuf>
 void
-write (AsioStreamBuf& stream, message const& m)
+write (Streambuf& stream, message const& m)
 {
     if (m.request())
     {
@@ -311,4 +307,4 @@ to_string (message const& m)
 } // http
 } // beast
 
-#endif
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif
diff --git a/beast/http/parser.h b/beast/http/parser.h
index 769f73d92..8d0e8ad81 100644
--- a/beast/http/parser.h
+++ b/beast/http/parser.h
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 #define BEAST_HTTP_PARSER_H_INCLUDED
 
 #include <beast/http/message.h>
+#include <beast/http/body.h>
+#include <functional>
 #include <string>
 #include <utility>
 
@@ -34,15 +36,33 @@ class parser : public beast::http::basic_parser
 {
 private:
     std::reference_wrapper <message> message_;
+    std::function<void(void const*, std::size_t)> write_body_;
 
 public:
     /** Construct a parser for HTTP request or response.
-        The result is stored in the passed message.
+        The headers plus request or status line are stored in message.
+        The content-body, if any, is passed as a series of calls to
+        the write_body function. Transfer encodings are applied before
+        any data is passed to the write_body function.
     */
-    parser (message& m, bool request)
+    parser (std::function<void(void const*, std::size_t)> write_body,
+            message& m, bool request)
+        : beast::http::basic_parser (request)
+        , message_(m)
+        , write_body_(std::move(write_body)) 
+    {
+        message_.get().request(request);
+    }
+
+    parser (message& m, body& b, bool request)
         : beast::http::basic_parser (request)
         , message_(m)
     {
+        write_body_ = [&b](void const* data, std::size_t size)
+            {
+                b.write(data, size);
+            };
+
         message_.get().request(request);
     }
 
@@ -135,7 +155,7 @@ parser::operator= (parser&& other)
 
 template <class>
 void
-parser::do_start ()
+parser::do_start()
 {
 }
 
@@ -176,7 +196,7 @@ template <class>
 void
 parser::do_body (void const* data, std::size_t bytes)
 {
-    message_.get().body.write (data, bytes);
+    write_body_(data, bytes);
 }
 
 template <class>
diff --git a/beast/http/tests/parser.test.cpp b/beast/http/tests/parser.test.cpp
index d81946383..c8e8ace4f 100644
--- a/beast/http/tests/parser.test.cpp
+++ b/beast/http/tests/parser.test.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <beast/http/message.h>
 #include <beast/http/parser.h>
 #include <beast/unit_test/suite.h>
+#include <utility>
 
 namespace beast {
 namespace http {
@@ -31,7 +32,8 @@ public:
     request (std::string const& text)
     {
         message m;
-        parser p (m, true);
+        body b;
+        parser p (m, b, true);
         auto result (p.write (boost::asio::buffer(text)));
         p.write_eof();
         return std::make_pair (std::move(m), result.first);
@@ -65,7 +67,8 @@ public:
                 "\r\n"
                 ;
             message m;
-            parser p (m, true);
+            body b;
+            parser p (m, b, true);
             auto result (p.write (boost::asio::buffer(text)));
             expect (! result.first);
             auto result2 (p.write_eof());
@@ -80,7 +83,8 @@ public:
                 "\r\n"
                 ;
             message m;
-            parser p (m, true);
+            body b;
+            parser p (m, b, true);
             auto result = p.write (boost::asio::buffer(text));
             if (expect (result.first))
                 expect (result.first.message() == "invalid HTTP method");