diff --git a/src/libutil/serialise.cc b/src/libutil/serialise.cc
index 33ae1ea38..21803edd0 100644
--- a/src/libutil/serialise.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/serialise.cc
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ size_t FdSource::readUnbuffered(unsigned char * data, size_t len)
     ssize_t n;
     do {
         checkInterrupt();
-        n = ::read(fd, (char *) data, bufSize);
+        n = ::read(fd, (char *) data, len);
     } while (n == -1 && errno == EINTR);
     if (n == -1) { _good = false; throw SysError("reading from file"); }
     if (n == 0) { _good = false; throw EndOfFile("unexpected end-of-file"); }
diff --git a/src/libutil/serialise.hh b/src/libutil/serialise.hh
index 6e703c52a..14b62fdb6 100644
--- a/src/libutil/serialise.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/serialise.hh
@@ -77,10 +77,12 @@ struct BufferedSource : Source
 
     size_t read(unsigned char * data, size_t len) override;
 
-    /* Underlying read call, to be overridden. */
-    virtual size_t readUnbuffered(unsigned char * data, size_t len) = 0;
 
     bool hasData();
+
+protected:
+    /* Underlying read call, to be overridden. */
+    virtual size_t readUnbuffered(unsigned char * data, size_t len) = 0;
 };
 
 
@@ -134,8 +136,9 @@ struct FdSource : BufferedSource
         return *this;
     }
 
-    size_t readUnbuffered(unsigned char * data, size_t len) override;
     bool good() override;
+protected:
+    size_t readUnbuffered(unsigned char * data, size_t len) override;
 private:
     bool _good = true;
 };
diff --git a/src/nix-daemon/nix-daemon.cc b/src/nix-daemon/nix-daemon.cc
index 35603af70..3dd8cec29 100644
--- a/src/nix-daemon/nix-daemon.cc
+++ b/src/nix-daemon/nix-daemon.cc
@@ -197,7 +197,8 @@ struct TunnelSource : BufferedSource
 {
     Source & from;
     TunnelSource(Source & from) : from(from) { }
-    size_t readUnbuffered(unsigned char * data, size_t len)
+protected:
+    size_t readUnbuffered(unsigned char * data, size_t len) override
     {
         to << STDERR_READ << len;
         to.flush();