diff --git a/src/http11.rs b/src/http11.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ae8e9291fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/http11.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,243 @@
+//! Adapts the HTTP/1.1 implementation into the `HttpMessage` API.
+use std::io::{self, Write, BufWriter, Read};
+use std::net::Shutdown;
+
+use method::{Method};
+use header::{ContentLength, TransferEncoding};
+use header::Encoding::Chunked;
+use http::{HttpWriter, LINE_ENDING};
+use http::HttpReader::{SizedReader, ChunkedReader, EofReader};
+use http::HttpWriter::{ChunkedWriter, SizedWriter, EmptyWriter};
+use buffer::BufReader;
+use http::{self, HttpReader};
+
+use message::{
+    HttpMessage,
+    RequestHead,
+    ResponseHead,
+};
+use net::NetworkStream;
+use header;
+use version;
+
+/// An implementation of the `HttpMessage` trait for HTTP/1.1.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Http11Message {
+    stream: Option<Box<NetworkStream + Send>>,
+    writer: Option<HttpWriter<BufWriter<Box<NetworkStream + Send>>>>,
+    reader: Option<HttpReader<BufReader<Box<NetworkStream + Send>>>>,
+}
+
+impl Write for Http11Message {
+    #[inline]
+    fn write(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        match self.writer {
+            None => Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other,
+                                          "Not in a writable state")),
+            Some(ref mut writer) => writer.write(buf),
+        }
+    }
+    #[inline]
+    fn flush(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
+        match self.writer {
+            None => Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other,
+                                          "Not in a writable state")),
+            Some(ref mut writer) => writer.flush(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Read for Http11Message {
+    #[inline]
+    fn read(&mut self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        match self.reader {
+            None => Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other,
+                                          "Not in a readable state")),
+            Some(ref mut reader) => reader.read(buf),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl HttpMessage for Http11Message {
+    fn set_outgoing(&mut self, mut head: RequestHead) -> ::Result<RequestHead> {
+        if self.stream.is_none() {
+            return Err(From::from(io::Error::new(
+                        io::ErrorKind::Other,
+                        "Message not idle, cannot start new outgoing")));
+        }
+        let mut stream = BufWriter::new(self.stream.take().unwrap());
+
+        let mut uri = head.url.serialize_path().unwrap();
+        if let Some(ref q) = head.url.query {
+            uri.push('?');
+            uri.push_str(&q[..]);
+        }
+
+        let version = version::HttpVersion::Http11;
+        debug!("request line: {:?} {:?} {:?}", head.method, uri, version);
+        try!(write!(&mut stream, "{} {} {}{}",
+                    head.method, uri, version, LINE_ENDING));
+
+        let stream = match head.method {
+            Method::Get | Method::Head => {
+                debug!("headers={:?}", head.headers);
+                try!(write!(&mut stream, "{}{}", head.headers, LINE_ENDING));
+                EmptyWriter(stream)
+            },
+            _ => {
+                let mut chunked = true;
+                let mut len = 0;
+
+                match head.headers.get::<header::ContentLength>() {
+                    Some(cl) => {
+                        chunked = false;
+                        len = **cl;
+                    },
+                    None => ()
+                };
+
+                // can't do in match above, thanks borrowck
+                if chunked {
+                    let encodings = match head.headers.get_mut::<header::TransferEncoding>() {
+                        Some(&mut header::TransferEncoding(ref mut encodings)) => {
+                            //TODO: check if chunked is already in encodings. use HashSet?
+                            encodings.push(header::Encoding::Chunked);
+                            false
+                        },
+                        None => true
+                    };
+
+                    if encodings {
+                        head.headers.set::<header::TransferEncoding>(
+                            header::TransferEncoding(vec![header::Encoding::Chunked]))
+                    }
+                }
+
+                debug!("headers={:?}", head.headers);
+                try!(write!(&mut stream, "{}{}", head.headers, LINE_ENDING));
+
+                if chunked {
+                    ChunkedWriter(stream)
+                } else {
+                    SizedWriter(stream, len)
+                }
+            }
+        };
+
+        self.writer = Some(stream);
+
+        Ok(head)
+    }
+
+    fn get_incoming(&mut self) -> ::Result<ResponseHead> {
+        try!(self.flush_outgoing());
+        if self.stream.is_none() {
+            // The message was already in the reading state...
+            // TODO Decide what happens in case we try to get a new incoming at that point
+            return Err(From::from(
+                    io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other,
+                    "Read already in progress")));
+        }
+
+        let stream = self.stream.take().unwrap();
+        let mut stream = BufReader::new(stream);
+
+        let head = try!(http::parse_response(&mut stream));
+        let raw_status = head.subject;
+        let headers = head.headers;
+
+        let body = if headers.has::<TransferEncoding>() {
+            match headers.get::<TransferEncoding>() {
+                Some(&TransferEncoding(ref codings)) => {
+                    if codings.len() > 1 {
+                        trace!("TODO: #2 handle other codings: {:?}", codings);
+                    };
+
+                    if codings.contains(&Chunked) {
+                        ChunkedReader(stream, None)
+                    } else {
+                        trace!("not chuncked. read till eof");
+                        EofReader(stream)
+                    }
+                }
+                None => unreachable!()
+            }
+        } else if headers.has::<ContentLength>() {
+            match headers.get::<ContentLength>() {
+                Some(&ContentLength(len)) => SizedReader(stream, len),
+                None => unreachable!()
+            }
+        } else {
+            trace!("neither Transfer-Encoding nor Content-Length");
+            EofReader(stream)
+        };
+
+        self.reader = Some(body);
+
+        Ok(ResponseHead {
+            headers: headers,
+            raw_status: raw_status,
+            version: head.version,
+        })
+    }
+
+    fn close_connection(&mut self) -> ::Result<()> {
+        try!(self.get_mut().close(Shutdown::Both));
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+impl Http11Message {
+    /// Consumes the `Http11Message` and returns the underlying `NetworkStream`.
+    pub fn into_inner(mut self) -> Box<NetworkStream + Send> {
+        if self.stream.is_some() {
+            self.stream.take().unwrap()
+        } else if self.writer.is_some() {
+            self.writer.take().unwrap().into_inner().into_inner().unwrap()
+        } else if self.reader.is_some() {
+            self.reader.take().unwrap().into_inner().into_inner()
+        } else {
+            panic!("Http11Message lost its underlying stream somehow");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Gets a mutable reference to the underlying `NetworkStream`, regardless of the state of the
+    /// `Http11Message`.
+    pub fn get_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Box<NetworkStream + Send> {
+        if self.stream.is_some() {
+            self.stream.as_mut().unwrap()
+        } else if self.writer.is_some() {
+            self.writer.as_mut().unwrap().get_mut().get_mut()
+        } else if self.reader.is_some() {
+            self.reader.as_mut().unwrap().get_mut().get_mut()
+        } else {
+            panic!("Http11Message lost its underlying stream somehow");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Creates a new `Http11Message` that will use the given `NetworkStream` for communicating to
+    /// the peer.
+    pub fn with_stream(stream: Box<NetworkStream + Send>) -> Http11Message {
+        Http11Message {
+            stream: Some(stream),
+            writer: None,
+            reader: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Flushes the current outgoing content and moves the stream into the `stream` property.
+    ///
+    /// TODO It might be sensible to lift this up to the `HttpMessage` trait itself...
+    pub fn flush_outgoing(&mut self) -> ::Result<()> {
+        match self.writer {
+            None => return Ok(()),
+            Some(_) => {},
+        };
+
+        let writer = self.writer.take().unwrap();
+        let raw = try!(writer.end()).into_inner().unwrap(); // end() already flushes
+        self.stream = Some(raw);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index ba0a97f973..8be18b091d 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ pub mod status;
 pub mod uri;
 pub mod version;
 pub mod message;
+pub mod http11;
 
 
 /// Re-exporting the mime crate, for convenience.