diff --git a/lib/zlib.js b/lib/zlib.js
index 7837f3f7bc..b0826a8f54 100644
--- a/lib/zlib.js
+++ b/lib/zlib.js
@@ -150,7 +150,10 @@ function zlibBuffer(engine, buffer, callback) {
   }
 
   function onEnd() {
-    callback(null, Buffer.concat(buffers, nread));
+    var buf = Buffer.concat(buffers, nread);
+    buffers = [];
+    callback(null, buf);
+    engine._clear();
   }
 
   engine.on('error', onError);
@@ -353,6 +356,10 @@ Zlib.prototype.end = function end(chunk, cb) {
   return ret;
 };
 
+Zlib.prototype._clear = function() {
+  return this._binding.clear();
+};
+
 Zlib.prototype._process = function() {
   if (this._hadError) return;
 
diff --git a/src/node_zlib.cc b/src/node_zlib.cc
index deacb713d9..406c042b91 100644
--- a/src/node_zlib.cc
+++ b/src/node_zlib.cc
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ static Persistent<String> callback_sym;
 static Persistent<String> onerror_sym;
 
 enum node_zlib_mode {
-  DEFLATE = 1,
+  NONE,
+  DEFLATE,
   INFLATE,
   GZIP,
   GUNZIP,
@@ -60,17 +61,40 @@ class ZCtx : public ObjectWrap {
 
   ZCtx(node_zlib_mode mode) : ObjectWrap(), dictionary_(NULL), mode_(mode) {}
 
+
   ~ZCtx() {
+    Clear();
+  }
+
+
+  void Clear() {
+    assert(!write_in_progress_ && "write in progress");
+    assert(init_done_ && "clear before init");
+    assert(mode_ <= UNZIP);
+
     if (mode_ == DEFLATE || mode_ == GZIP || mode_ == DEFLATERAW) {
       (void)deflateEnd(&strm_);
     } else if (mode_ == INFLATE || mode_ == GUNZIP || mode_ == INFLATERAW ||
                mode_ == UNZIP) {
       (void)inflateEnd(&strm_);
     }
+    mode_ = NONE;
+
+    if (dictionary_ != NULL) {
+      delete[] dictionary_;
+      dictionary_ = NULL;
+    }
+  }
+
 
-    if (dictionary_ != NULL) delete[] dictionary_;
+  static Handle<Value> Clear(const Arguments& args) {
+    HandleScope scope;
+    ZCtx *ctx = ObjectWrap::Unwrap<ZCtx>(args.This());
+    ctx->Clear();
+    return scope.Close(Undefined());
   }
 
+
   // write(flush, in, in_off, in_len, out, out_off, out_len)
   static Handle<Value> Write(const Arguments& args) {
     HandleScope scope;
@@ -78,6 +102,7 @@ class ZCtx : public ObjectWrap {
 
     ZCtx *ctx = ObjectWrap::Unwrap<ZCtx>(args.This());
     assert(ctx->init_done_ && "write before init");
+    assert(ctx->mode_ != NONE && "already finalized");
 
     assert(!ctx->write_in_progress_ && "write already in progress");
     ctx->write_in_progress_ = true;
@@ -450,6 +475,7 @@ void InitZlib(Handle<Object> target) {
 
   NODE_SET_PROTOTYPE_METHOD(z, "write", ZCtx::Write);
   NODE_SET_PROTOTYPE_METHOD(z, "init", ZCtx::Init);
+  NODE_SET_PROTOTYPE_METHOD(z, "clear", ZCtx::Clear);
   NODE_SET_PROTOTYPE_METHOD(z, "reset", ZCtx::Reset);
 
   z->SetClassName(String::NewSymbol("Zlib"));