diff --git a/libscio.hpp b/libscio.hpp
index c5ffbe1..051e0ce 100644
--- a/libscio.hpp
+++ b/libscio.hpp
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ namespace sc {
 			int port;
 		};
 
-		class socketstream : public fdstream {
+		class socketstream : public std::iostream {
 			public:
 				socketstream();
 				socketstream(int domain, int type);
@@ -130,15 +130,15 @@ namespace sc {
 				socket_address address_from_endpoint(const struct sockaddr* endpoint) const;
 
 				// getters & setters
-				int socket() const { return _socket; }
-				void socket(int sock);
+				int socket() const { return _iobuf.fd(); }
+				void socket(int sock) { _iobuf.fd(sock); }
 				int domain() const { return _domain; }
 				void domain(int dom) { _domain = dom; }
 				int type() const { return _type; }
 				void type(int typ) { _type = typ; }
 		
 			protected:
-				int _socket {-1};
+				fdiobuf _iobuf {-1};
 				int _domain {0};
 				int _type {0};
 				struct sockaddr_storage _sa;
diff --git a/socketstream.cpp b/socketstream.cpp
index 2996ce5..54a32e1 100644
--- a/socketstream.cpp
+++ b/socketstream.cpp
@@ -19,42 +19,42 @@
 using namespace sc::io;
 
 socketstream::socketstream(int domain, int type)
-	: fdstream(), _domain(domain), _type(type) {
-	this->socket(::socket(_domain, _type, 0));
-	throw_if_min1_msg(_socket, "could not create socket");
+	: std::iostream(&_iobuf), _domain(domain), _type(type) {
+	_iobuf.fd(::socket(_domain, _type, 0));
+	throw_if_min1_msg(_iobuf.fd(), "could not create socket");
 	std::memset(&_sa, 0, sizeof(struct sockaddr_storage));
 }
 
-socketstream::socketstream() : fdstream() {
+socketstream::socketstream() : std::iostream(&_iobuf) {
 	std::memset(&_sa, 0, sizeof(struct sockaddr_storage));
 }
 
-socketstream::socketstream(socketstream&& other) : fdstream(other._socket) {
-	this->socket(other._socket);
+socketstream::socketstream(socketstream&& other) : std::iostream(&_iobuf) {
+	_iobuf.fd(other._iobuf.fd());
 	_domain = other._domain;
 	_type = other._type;
 	std::memcpy(&_sa, &other._sa, sizeof(struct sockaddr_storage));
 
-	other._socket = -1;
+	other._iobuf.fd(-1);
 	std::memset(&other._sa, 0, sizeof(struct sockaddr_storage));
 }
 
 socketstream& socketstream::operator=(socketstream&& other) {
 	if (this != &other) {
-		this->socket(other._socket);
+		_iobuf.fd(other._iobuf.fd());
 		_domain = other._domain;
 		_type = other._type;
 		std::memcpy(&_sa, &other._sa, sizeof(struct sockaddr_storage));
 
-		other._socket = -1;
+		other._iobuf.fd(-1);
 		std::memset(&other._sa, 0, sizeof(struct sockaddr_storage));
 	}
 	return *this;
 }
 
 socketstream::~socketstream() {
-	if (_socket != -1) {
-		close(_socket);
+	if (_iobuf.fd() != -1) {
+		::close(_iobuf.fd());
 	}
 }
 
@@ -89,28 +89,28 @@ void socketstream::make_server(const socket_address& sa) {
 			throw_if_min1_msg(-1, "unsupported socket domain");
 	}
 	struct sockaddr* addr = reinterpret_cast<struct sockaddr*>(&_sa);
-	throw_if_min1(::bind(_socket, addr, addr_sz));
+	throw_if_min1(::bind(_iobuf.fd(), addr, addr_sz));
 	if (_type == SOCK_STREAM) {
-		throw_if_min1(::listen(_socket, SOMAXCONN));
+		throw_if_min1(::listen(_iobuf.fd(), SOMAXCONN));
 	}
 }
 
 socketstream socketstream::accept() const {
 	socketstream peer;
 	socklen_t len = sizeof(struct sockaddr_storage);
-	int active_socket = ::accept(_socket, reinterpret_cast<struct sockaddr*>(&peer._sa), &len);
+	int active_socket = ::accept(_iobuf.fd(), reinterpret_cast<struct sockaddr*>(&peer._sa), &len);
 	throw_if_min1(active_socket);
-	peer._socket = active_socket;
+	peer._iobuf.fd(active_socket);
 	peer._domain = _domain;
 	peer._type = _type;
-	peer.fd(active_socket);
+	peer._iobuf.fd(active_socket);
 	return peer;
 }
 
 void socketstream::connect(const socket_address& host) {
 	endpoint_from_address(host, &_sa);
 	struct sockaddr* addr = reinterpret_cast<struct sockaddr*>(&_sa);
-	throw_if_min1(::connect(_socket, addr, sizeof(_sa)));
+	throw_if_min1(::connect(_iobuf.fd(), addr, sizeof(_sa)));
 }
 
 std::string socketstream::address() const {
@@ -187,8 +187,3 @@ socket_address socketstream::address_from_endpoint(const struct sockaddr* endpoi
 	}
 	return sa;
 }
-
-void socketstream::socket(int sock) {
-	_socket = sock;
-	fd(sock);
-}