diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 02265964b3..446b7ab34a 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -3,10 +3,20 @@
 var net = require("net"),
     util = require("./lib/util").util,
     events = require("events"),
-    reply_parser = require("./lib/parser/javascript"),
+    reply_parser,
     default_port = 6379,
     default_host = "127.0.0.1";
 
+// Try to use hiredis for reply parsing and fall back on the Javascript-based
+// reply parsing code when its not available.
+try {
+    if (process.env["DISABLE_HIREDIS"])
+        throw new Error(); // Fall back to the Javascript reply parsing code
+    reply_parser = require("./lib/parser/hiredis");
+} catch(err) {
+    reply_parser = require("./lib/parser/javascript");
+}
+
 // can can set this to true to enable for all connections
 exports.debug_mode = false;
 
diff --git a/lib/parser/hiredis.js b/lib/parser/hiredis.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9a7709b4c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/parser/hiredis.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+var events = require("events"),
+    util = require("../util").util,
+    hiredis = require("hiredis");
+
+function HiredisReplyParser() {
+    this.reset();
+    events.EventEmitter.call(this);
+}
+
+util.inherits(HiredisReplyParser, events.EventEmitter);
+
+exports.Parser = HiredisReplyParser;
+exports.debug_mode = false;
+exports.type = "hiredis";
+
+HiredisReplyParser.prototype.reset = function() {
+    this.reader = new hiredis.Reader({ return_buffers: true });
+}
+
+HiredisReplyParser.prototype.execute = function(data) {
+    var reply;
+    this.reader.feed(data);
+    try {
+        while ((reply = this.reader.get()) !== undefined) {
+            if (reply && reply.constructor == Error) {
+                this.emit("reply error", reply);
+            } else {
+                this.emit("reply", reply);
+            }
+        }
+    } catch(err) {
+        this.emit("error", err);
+    }
+}
+