diff --git a/src/docker/docker.v b/src/docker/docker.v
index 305e8253..ce01e7ef 100644
--- a/src/docker/docker.v
+++ b/src/docker/docker.v
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@ import net.urllib
 import net.http
 import json
 
-const socket = '/var/run/docker.sock'
-
-const buf_len = 1024
-
 // send writes a request to the Docker socket, waits for a response & returns
 // it.
 fn send(req &string) ?http.Response {
diff --git a/src/docker/socket.v b/src/docker/socket.v
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a72f144
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/docker/socket.v
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+module docker
+
+import net.unix
+import io
+import net.http
+
+const socket = '/var/run/docker.sock'
+
+const buf_len = 10 * 1024
+
+pub struct DockerDaemon {
+mut:
+	socket &unix.StreamConn
+	reader &io.BufferedReader
+}
+
+pub fn new_conn() ?DockerDaemon {
+	s := unix.connect_stream(socket) ?
+
+	d := DockerDaemon{socket: s, reader: io.new_buffered_reader(reader: s)}
+
+	return d
+}
+
+fn (mut d DockerDaemon) send_request(req &string) ? {
+	d.socket.write_string(req) ?
+	d.socket.wait_for_write() ?
+}
+
+// read_response_head consumes the socket's contents until it encounters
+// '\n\n', after which it parses the response as an HTTP response.
+fn (mut d DockerDaemon) read_response_head() ?http.Response {
+	mut c := 0
+	mut buf := [buf_len]u8{len: docker.buf_len}
+	mut res := []u8{}
+
+	for {
+		c = d.socket.read(mut buf) ?
+		res << buf[..c]
+
+		if res#[-2..] == [u8(`\n`), `\n`] {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	return http.parse_response(res.bytestr())
+}