diff --git a/c/Makefile b/c/Makefile
index 49a744250..b695d07c8 100644
--- a/c/Makefile
+++ b/c/Makefile
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ lib/mlr_globals.c \
 lib/string_builder.c \
 input/stdio_byte_reader.c \
 input/file_reader_mmap.c \
+input/line_readers.c \
 containers/parse_trie.c \
 experimental/getlines.c
 
diff --git a/c/experimental/getlines.c b/c/experimental/getlines.c
index c444613d0..03d020cd7 100644
--- a/c/experimental/getlines.c
+++ b/c/experimental/getlines.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "input/lrec_readers.h"
 #include "lib/string_builder.h"
 #include "input/byte_readers.h"
+#include "input/line_readers.h"
 #include "input/peek_file_reader.h"
 #include "containers/parse_trie.h"
 
@@ -44,6 +45,29 @@ static int read_file_mlr_get_line(char* filename, int do_write) {
 	return bc;
 }
 
+// ================================================================
+static int read_file_mlr_getcdelim(char* filename, int do_write) {
+	FILE* fp = fopen_or_die(filename);
+	char irs = '\n';
+	int bc = 0;
+	while (1) {
+		char* line = NULL;
+		size_t linecap = 0;
+		ssize_t linelen = mlr_getcdelim(&line, &linecap, irs, fp);
+		if (linelen < 0) {
+			break;
+		}
+		bc += linelen;
+		if (do_write) {
+			fputs(line, stdout);
+			fputc('\n', stdout);
+		}
+		free(line);
+	}
+	fclose(fp);
+	return bc;
+}
+
 // ================================================================
 static char* read_line_fgetc(FILE* fp, char* irs, int irs_len) {
 	char* line = mlr_malloc_or_die(FIXED_LINE_LEN);
@@ -347,6 +371,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	int bc;
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < nreps; i++) {
+
 		s = get_systime();
 		bc = read_file_mlr_get_line(filename, do_write);
 		e = get_systime();
@@ -354,6 +379,13 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 		printf("type=getdelim,t=%.6lf,n=%d\n", t, bc);
 		fflush(stdout);
 
+		s = get_systime();
+		bc = read_file_mlr_getcdelim(filename, do_write);
+		e = get_systime();
+		t = e - s;
+		printf("type=mlr_getcdelim,t=%.6lf,n=%d\n", t, bc);
+		fflush(stdout);
+
 		s = get_systime();
 		bc = read_file_fgetc_fixed_len(filename, do_write);
 		e = get_systime();
diff --git a/c/input/line_readers.c b/c/input/line_readers.c
index eb04a5881..9841173b6 100644
--- a/c/input/line_readers.c
+++ b/c/input/line_readers.c
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ size_t mlr_getcdelim(char ** restrict ppline, size_t * restrict plinecap, int de
 	size_t linecap = INITIAL_SIZE;
 	char* pline = mlr_malloc_or_die(INITIAL_SIZE);
 	char* p = pline;
-	int len = 0;
+	int eof = FALSE;
 
 	while (TRUE) {
-		if (len >= linecap) {
+		if ((p-pline) >= linecap) {
 			linecap = linecap << 1;
 			// xxx mlr_realloc_or_die
 			pline = realloc(pline, linecap);
@@ -24,18 +24,27 @@ size_t mlr_getcdelim(char ** restrict ppline, size_t * restrict plinecap, int de
 		}
 		int c = getc_unlocked(fp);
 		if (c == EOF) {
+			if (p == pline)
+				eof = TRUE;
+			*(p++) = 0;
 			break;
 		} else if (c == delimiter) {
 			*(p++) = 0;
+			break;
 		} else {
 			*(p++) = c;
 		}
 	}
 
-	*ppline = pline;
-	*plinecap = linecap;
-	len = p - pline;
-	return len;
+	if (eof) {
+		free(pline);
+		*ppline = NULL;
+		return -1;
+	} else {
+		*ppline = pline;
+		*plinecap = linecap;
+		return p - pline;
+	}
 }
 
 size_t mlr_getsdelim(char ** restrict ppline, size_t * restrict plinecap, char* delimiter, FILE * restrict fp) {