diff --git a/net/Buffer.hpp b/net/Buffer.hpp
index 5905a4b5e..6d8a3a738 100644
--- a/net/Buffer.hpp
+++ b/net/Buffer.hpp
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ public:
     {
     }
 
+    typedef std::vector<char>::iterator iterator;
+    typedef std::vector<char>::const_iterator const_iterator;
+
     std::size_t size() const { return _size; }
     bool empty() const { return _size == 0; }
 
@@ -93,6 +96,43 @@ public:
         if (_buffer.size() > 0)
             Util::dumpHex(os, _buffer, legend, prefix);
     }
+
+    // various std::vector API compatibility functions
+
+    void clear()
+    {
+        _buffer.clear();
+        _offset = 0;
+        _size = 0;
+    }
+
+    iterator begin() { return _buffer.begin() + _offset; }
+
+    const_iterator begin() const { return _buffer.begin() + _offset; }
+
+    iterator end() { return _buffer.end(); }
+
+    const_iterator end() const { return _buffer.end(); }
+
+    char operator[](int index) const { return _buffer[_offset + index]; }
+
+    char& operator[](int index) { return _buffer[_offset + index]; }
+
+    const char* data() const { return _buffer.data() + _offset; }
+
+    char* data() { return _buffer.data() + _offset; }
+
+    iterator erase(iterator first, iterator last)
+    {
+        if (first == begin())
+        {
+            eraseFirst(last - begin());
+            return begin();
+        }
+        iterator ret = _buffer.erase(first, last);
+        _size = _buffer.size() - _offset;
+        return ret;
+    }
 };
 
 /* vim:set shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 expandtab: */
diff --git a/net/HttpRequest.hpp b/net/HttpRequest.hpp
index f106d665b..dd8d44825 100644
--- a/net/HttpRequest.hpp
+++ b/net/HttpRequest.hpp
@@ -1230,14 +1230,14 @@ private:
         LOG_TRC('#' << socket->getFD() << " handleIncomingMessage.");
 
         bool close = false;
-        std::vector<char>& data = socket->getInBuffer();
+        Buffer& data = socket->getInBuffer();
 
         // Consume the incoming data by parsing and processing the body.
         const int64_t read = _response->readData(data.data(), data.size());
         if (read > 0)
         {
             // Remove consumed data.
-            data.erase(data.begin(), data.begin() + read);
+            data.eraseFirst(read);
             close = !isConnected();
         }
         else if (read < 0)
diff --git a/net/Socket.hpp b/net/Socket.hpp
index fc6cda830..a014ea054 100644
--- a/net/Socket.hpp
+++ b/net/Socket.hpp
@@ -1126,7 +1126,7 @@ public:
             {
                 assert (len <= ssize_t(sizeof(buf)));
                 _bytesRecvd += len;
-                _inBuffer.insert(_inBuffer.end(), &buf[0], &buf[len]);
+                _inBuffer.append(&buf[0], len);
             }
             // else poll will handle errors.
         }
@@ -1149,7 +1149,7 @@ public:
             assert(len == available);
             _bytesRecvd += len;
             assert(_inBuffer.size() == 0);
-            _inBuffer.insert(_inBuffer.end(), buf.data(), buf.data() + len);
+            _inBuffer.append(buf.data(), len);
         }
 #endif
 
@@ -1209,7 +1209,7 @@ public:
         if (toErase < count)
             LOG_ERR('#' << getFD() << ": attempted to remove: " << count << " which is > size: " << _inBuffer.size() << " clamped to " << toErase);
         if (toErase > 0)
-            _inBuffer.erase(_inBuffer.begin(), _inBuffer.begin() + count);
+            _inBuffer.eraseFirst(count);
     }
 
     /// Compacts chunk headers away leaving just the data we want
@@ -1230,10 +1230,7 @@ public:
         recv = _bytesRecvd;
     }
 
-    std::vector<char>& getInBuffer()
-    {
-        return _inBuffer;
-    }
+    Buffer& getInBuffer() { return _inBuffer; }
 
     Buffer& getOutBuffer()
     {
@@ -1513,7 +1510,7 @@ private:
     /// Client handling the actual data.
     std::shared_ptr<ProtocolHandlerInterface> _socketHandler;
 
-    std::vector<char> _inBuffer;
+    Buffer _inBuffer;
     Buffer _outBuffer;
 
     uint64_t _bytesSent;
diff --git a/net/WebSocketHandler.hpp b/net/WebSocketHandler.hpp
index 8ea079013..3a901f1a8 100644
--- a/net/WebSocketHandler.hpp
+++ b/net/WebSocketHandler.hpp
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ private:
             std::vector<char> ctrlPayload;
 
             readPayload(data, payloadLen, mask, ctrlPayload);
-            socket->getInBuffer().erase(socket->getInBuffer().begin(), socket->getInBuffer().begin() + headerLen + payloadLen);
+            socket->getInBuffer().eraseFirst(headerLen + payloadLen);
             LOG_TRC('#' << socket->getFD() << ": Incoming WebSocket frame code " << static_cast<unsigned>(code) <<
                 ", fin? " << fin << ", mask? " << hasMask << ", payload length: " << payloadLen <<
                 ", residual socket data: " << socket->getInBuffer().size() << " bytes.");
@@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ protected:
         assert(socket && "socket must be valid");
         assert(_isClient && "Upgrade handshakes are finished by clients.");
 
-        std::vector<char>& data = socket->getInBuffer();
+        Buffer& data = socket->getInBuffer();
 
         LOG_TRC('#' << socket->getFD() << " Incoming client websocket upgrade response: "
                     << std::string(data.data(), data.size()));
diff --git a/test/HttpTestServer.hpp b/test/HttpTestServer.hpp
index 326c3db64..1184c76c6 100644
--- a/test/HttpTestServer.hpp
+++ b/test/HttpTestServer.hpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ private:
 
         LOG_TRC('#' << socket->getFD() << " handleIncomingMessage.");
 
-        std::vector<char>& data = socket->getInBuffer();
+        Buffer& data = socket->getInBuffer();
         LOG_TRC('#' << socket->getFD() << " handleIncomingMessage: buffer has ["
                     << std::string(data.data(), data.size()));
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ private:
         assert(read > 0 && "Must have read some data!");
 
         // Remove consumed data.
-        data.erase(data.begin(), data.begin() + read);
+        data.eraseFirst(read);
 
         LOG_TRC('#' << socket->getFD() << " handleIncomingMessage: removed " << read
                     << " bytes to have " << data.size() << " in the buffer.");
diff --git a/tools/WebSocketDump.cpp b/tools/WebSocketDump.cpp
index 28a9c3a22..bb9d170c5 100644
--- a/tools/WebSocketDump.cpp
+++ b/tools/WebSocketDump.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ private:
             return;
         }
 
-        std::vector<char>& in = socket->getInBuffer();
+        Buffer& in = socket->getInBuffer();
         LOG_TRC('#' << socket->getFD() << " handling incoming " << in.size() << " bytes.");
 
         // Find the end of the header, if any.
diff --git a/wsd/ProxyProtocol.cpp b/wsd/ProxyProtocol.cpp
index 467f45cd4..8eaffd811 100644
--- a/wsd/ProxyProtocol.cpp
+++ b/wsd/ProxyProtocol.cpp
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ void DocumentBroker::handleProxyRequest(
 bool ProxyProtocolHandler::parseEmitIncoming(
     const std::shared_ptr<StreamSocket> &socket)
 {
-    std::vector<char> &in = socket->getInBuffer();
+    Buffer& in = socket->getInBuffer();
 
 #if 0 // protocol debugging.
     std::stringstream oss;
@@ -150,14 +150,14 @@ bool ProxyProtocolHandler::parseEmitIncoming(
         // far from efficient:
         std::vector<char> data;
         data.insert(data.begin(), in.begin(), in.begin() + len + 1);
-        in.erase(in.begin(), in.begin() + len);
+        in.eraseFirst(len);
 
         if (in.size() < 1 || in[0] != '\n')
         {
             LOG_ERR("Missing final newline");
             return false;
         }
-        in.erase(in.begin(), in.begin() + 1);
+        in.eraseFirst(1);
 
         if (serial != _inSerial + 1)
             LOG_ERR("Serial mismatch " << serial << " vs. " << (_inSerial + 1));