diff --git a/headers/private/app/PortLink.h b/headers/private/app/PortLink.h
index 00b1daa5a8..7fc1b811f8 100644
--- a/headers/private/app/PortLink.h
+++ b/headers/private/app/PortLink.h
@@ -7,9 +7,26 @@
 #include <Rect.h>
 #include <List.h>
 
-class PortLinkData;
 class PortMessage;
 
+/*!
+	\class PortLinkData PortLink.cpp
+	\brief Internal data storage class
+	
+	PortLinkData objects serve to hold attached data whilst it is waiting to be Flattened() 
+	and then Flushed(). There is no need for this to be used outside the PortLink class. 
+*/
+class PortLinkData
+{
+public:
+	PortLinkData(void);
+	~PortLinkData(void);
+	status_t Set(const void *data, size_t size);
+	char *buffer;
+	size_t buffersize;
+};
+
+
 class PortLink
 {
 public:
@@ -35,7 +52,29 @@ public:
 	status_t FlushWithReply(PortMessage *msg,bigtime_t timeout=B_INFINITE_TIMEOUT);
 	
 	status_t Attach(const void *data, size_t size);
-	template <class Type> status_t Attach(Type data);
+	template <class Type> status_t Attach(Type data)
+		{
+			int32 size=sizeof(Type);
+
+		#ifdef CAPACITY_CHECKING
+			if(bufferlength+size>capacity)
+				return B_NO_MEMORY;
+		#endif
+	
+			// create a new storage object and stash the data
+			PortLinkData *pld=new PortLinkData;
+			if(pld->Set(&data,size)==B_OK)
+			{
+				attachlist->AddItem(pld);
+				bufferlength+=size;
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				delete pld;
+				return B_ERROR;
+			}
+			return B_OK;
+		}
 	void MakeEmpty(void);
 protected:	
 	void FlattenData(int8 **buffer,int32 *size);
diff --git a/headers/private/app/PortMessage.h b/headers/private/app/PortMessage.h
index 4d6c5e96c2..687979f16e 100644
--- a/headers/private/app/PortMessage.h
+++ b/headers/private/app/PortMessage.h
@@ -48,7 +48,23 @@ public:
 	ssize_t BufferSize(void) { return _buffersize; }
 	
 	status_t Read(void *data, ssize_t size);
-	template <class Type> status_t Read(Type *data);
+	template <class Type> status_t Read(Type *data)
+		{
+			int32 size = sizeof(Type);
+
+			if(!data)
+				return B_BAD_VALUE;
+
+			if( !_buffer || 
+				(_buffersize < size) ||
+				(_index+size > _buffer+_buffersize) )
+				return B_NO_MEMORY;
+	
+			*data=*((Type*)_index);
+			_index+=size;
+	
+			return B_OK;
+		}
 
 	void Rewind(void);