diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f9abd29c..3ae69ce2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -482,6 +482,7 @@ Non-standard predicates
 	cpu_time/1                  # cpu_time(-Var) elapsed CPU time in secs as float
 
 	current_key/1
+	string_concat/3				# string_concat(+string,+string,?string)
 	string_length/2
 	sleep/1                     # sleep time in secs
 	split/4                     # split(+string,+sep,?left,?right)
diff --git a/library/http.pl b/library/http.pl
index 68662200..70e6022e 100644
--- a/library/http.pl
+++ b/library/http.pl
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@
 	getline(S, Line),
 	hex_chars(Len, Line),
 	Len > 0,
+	!,
 	bread(S, Len, Tmp2),
 	getline(S, _),
-	append(Tmp, Tmp2, Tmp3),
-	!,
+	string_concat(Tmp, Tmp2, Tmp3),
 	read_chunks(S, Tmp3, Data).
 read_chunks(_, Data, Data).
 
diff --git a/src/bif_predicates.c b/src/bif_predicates.c
index 2fc8eaf4..b747b3f8 100644
--- a/src/bif_predicates.c
+++ b/src/bif_predicates.c
@@ -5448,6 +5448,23 @@ static bool bif_call_nth_2(query *q)
 	return true;
 }
 
+static bool bif_string_concat_3(query *q)
+{
+	GET_FIRST_ARG(p1,atom);
+	GET_NEXT_ARG(p2,atom);
+	GET_NEXT_ARG(p3,atom_or_var);
+	SB(pr);
+	SB_strcpy(pr, C_STR(q, p1));
+	SB_strcat(pr, C_STR(q, p2));
+	const char *src = SB_cstr(pr);
+	cell tmp;
+	make_string(&tmp, src);
+	SB_free(pr);
+	int ok  = unify(q, p3, p3_ctx, &tmp, q->st.curr_frame);
+	unshare_cell(&tmp);
+	return ok;
+}
+
 static bool bif_string_length_2(query *q)
 {
 	GET_FIRST_ARG(p1,atom_or_list_or_nil);
@@ -6661,6 +6678,7 @@ builtins g_other_bifs[] =
 	{"limit", 2, bif_limit_2, "+integer,:callable", false, false, BLAH},
 	{"offset", 2, bif_offset_2, "+integer,+callable", false, false, BLAH},
 	{"unifiable", 3, bif_sys_unifiable_3, "+term,+term,-list", false, false, BLAH},
+	{"string_concat", 3, bif_string_concat_3, "+string,+string,?string", false, false, BLAH},
 	{"string_length", 2, bif_string_length_2, "+string,?integer", false, false, BLAH},
 	{"crypto_n_random_bytes", 2, bif_crypto_n_random_bytes_2, "+integer,-codes", false, false, BLAH},
 	{"cyclic_term", 1, bif_cyclic_term_1, "+term", false, false, BLAH},