diff --git a/build-aux/build-lib.sh b/build-aux/build-lib.sh
index bf498547..22caf6e9 100755
--- a/build-aux/build-lib.sh
+++ b/build-aux/build-lib.sh
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ lib/mes/__mes_debug.c
 lib/posix/execv.c
 lib/posix/getenv.c
 lib/posix/isatty.c
+lib/posix/read.c
 lib/posix/setenv.c
 lib/posix/wait.c
 lib/stdio/fgetc.c
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ lib/linux/getcwd.c
 lib/linux/gettimeofday.c
 lib/linux/ioctl.c
 lib/linux/open.c
-lib/linux/read.c
+lib/linux/_read.c
 lib/linux/time.c
 lib/linux/unlink.c
 lib/linux/waitpid.c
diff --git a/include/mes/lib.h b/include/mes/lib.h
index 4af3da00..7145dab1 100644
--- a/include/mes/lib.h
+++ b/include/mes/lib.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ int _open3 (char const *file_name, int flags, int mask);
 int oputc (int c);
 int oputs (char const *s);
 char *search_path (char const *file_name);
+ssize_t _read (int fd, void *buffer, size_t size);
 
 extern char *__brk;
 extern void (*__call_at_exit) (void);
diff --git a/lib/linux/_read.c b/lib/linux/_read.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6c5ff42f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/linux/_read.c
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/* -*-comment-start: "//";comment-end:""-*-
+ * GNU Mes --- Maxwell Equations of Software
+ * Copyright © 2016,2017,2018,2019 Jan (janneke) Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
+ *
+ * This file is part of GNU Mes.
+ *
+ * GNU Mes is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at
+ * your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * GNU Mes is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with GNU Mes.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include <linux/syscall.h>
+#include <syscall.h>
+#include <mes/lib.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+
+ssize_t
+_read (int filedes, void *buffer, size_t size)
+{
+  return _sys_call3 (SYS_read, (int) filedes, (long) buffer, (long) size);
+}
diff --git a/lib/posix/read.c b/lib/posix/read.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5fbda534
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/posix/read.c
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/* -*-comment-start: "//";comment-end:""-*-
+ * GNU Mes --- Maxwell Equations of Software
+ * Copyright © 2016,2017,2018,2019 Jan (janneke) Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
+ *
+ * This file is part of GNU Mes.
+ *
+ * GNU Mes is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at
+ * your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * GNU Mes is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with GNU Mes.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include <mes/lib.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+
+ssize_t
+read (int filedes, void *buffer, size_t size)
+{
+  ssize_t bytes = _read (filedes, buffer, size);
+  if (__mes_debug () > 4)
+    {
+      if (bytes == 1)
+        {
+          eputs ("read fd=");
+          eputs (itoa ((int) filedes));
+          eputs (" c=");
+          eputc (*(char *) buffer);
+          eputs ("\n");
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          eputs ("read fd=");
+          eputs (itoa ((int) filedes));
+          eputs (" bytes=");
+          eputs (itoa (bytes));
+          eputs ("\n");
+        }
+    }
+  return bytes;
+}