diff --git a/connectors/cdc-connector/cdc_connector.cpp b/connectors/cdc-connector/cdc_connector.cpp
index aa014b56e..00eb808dc 100644
--- a/connectors/cdc-connector/cdc_connector.cpp
+++ b/connectors/cdc-connector/cdc_connector.cpp
@@ -186,7 +186,6 @@ Connection::Connection(const std::string& address,
     m_timeout(timeout),
     m_connected(false)
 {
-    m_buf_ptr = m_buffer.begin();
 }
 
 Connection::~Connection()
@@ -283,8 +282,9 @@ bool Connection::connect(const std::string& table, const std::string& gtid)
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    m_error += ". Data received so far: ";
+                    m_error += ". Data received so far: '";
                     std::copy(m_buffer.begin(), m_buffer.end(), std::back_inserter(m_error));
+                    m_error += "'";
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -545,11 +545,13 @@ bool Connection::read_row(std::string& dest)
     {
         if (!m_buffer.empty())
         {
-            std::vector<char>::iterator it = std::find(m_buf_ptr, m_buffer.end(), '\n');
+            std::deque<char>::iterator it = std::find(m_buffer.begin(), m_buffer.end(), '\n');
+
             if (it != m_buffer.end())
             {
-                dest.assign(m_buf_ptr, it);
-                m_buf_ptr = it + 1;
+                dest.assign(m_buffer.begin(), it);
+                m_buffer.erase(m_buffer.begin(), std::next(it));
+                assert(m_buffer.empty() || m_buffer[0] != '\n');
                 break;
             }
         }
@@ -572,22 +574,14 @@ bool Connection::read_row(std::string& dest)
             break;
         }
 
-        if (!m_connected)
-        {
-            // This is here to work around a missing newline in MaxScale error messages
-            buf[rc] = '\0';
-
-            if (is_error(buf))
-            {
-                rval = false;
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-
-        m_buffer.erase(m_buffer.begin(), m_buf_ptr);
         assert(std::find(m_buffer.begin(), m_buffer.end(), '\n') == m_buffer.end());
-        m_buffer.insert(m_buffer.end(), buf, buf + rc);
-        m_buf_ptr = m_buffer.begin();
+        std::copy(buf, buf + rc, std::back_inserter(m_buffer));
+
+        if (is_error(&m_buffer[0]))
+        {
+            rval = false;
+            break;
+        }
     }
 
     if (is_error(dest.c_str()))
diff --git a/connectors/cdc-connector/cdc_connector.h b/connectors/cdc-connector/cdc_connector.h
index fa01ac28b..e91c371f1 100644
--- a/connectors/cdc-connector/cdc_connector.h
+++ b/connectors/cdc-connector/cdc_connector.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <tr1/memory>
 #include <vector>
+#include <deque>
 #include <map>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <jansson.h>
@@ -137,8 +138,7 @@ private:
     SValueVector m_keys;
     SValueVector m_types;
     int m_timeout;
-    std::vector<char> m_buffer;
-    std::vector<char>::iterator m_buf_ptr;
+    std::deque<char> m_buffer;
     SRow m_first_row;
     bool m_connected;