diff --git a/swift/obj/ssync_sender.py b/swift/obj/ssync_sender.py
index 0657b0fd59..3c099bfa2c 100644
--- a/swift/obj/ssync_sender.py
+++ b/swift/obj/ssync_sender.py
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ class Sender(object):
                 self.daemon.node_timeout, 'connect receive'):
             self.response = self.connection.getresponse()
             if self.response.status != http.HTTP_OK:
+                self.response.read()
                 raise exceptions.ReplicationException(
                     'Expected status %s; got %s' %
                     (http.HTTP_OK, self.response.status))
diff --git a/test/unit/obj/test_ssync_sender.py b/test/unit/obj/test_ssync_sender.py
index 11cd06f22e..c73bf6a609 100644
--- a/test/unit/obj/test_ssync_sender.py
+++ b/test/unit/obj/test_ssync_sender.py
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ class FakeResponse(object):
             self.fp = StringIO.StringIO(
                 '%x\r\n%s\r\n0\r\n\r\n' % (len(chunk_body), chunk_body))
 
+    def read(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        return ''
+
     def close(self):
         self.close_called = True