diff --git a/src/fold/fold.rs b/src/fold/fold.rs
index f411d2a7c..ca761173f 100644
--- a/src/fold/fold.rs
+++ b/src/fold/fold.rs
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ fn handle_obsolete(args: &[String]) -> (Vec<String>, Option<String>) {
     (args, None)
 }
 
+#[inline]
 fn fold(filenames: Vec<String>, bytes: bool, spaces: bool, width: uint) {
     for filename in filenames.iter() {
         let filename: &str = filename.as_slice();
@@ -112,27 +113,20 @@ fn fold(filenames: Vec<String>, bytes: bool, spaces: bool, width: uint) {
     }
 }
 
+#[inline]
 fn fold_file<T: io::Reader>(file: BufferedReader<T>, bytes: bool, spaces: bool, width: uint) {
     let mut file = file;
     for line in file.lines() {
         let line_string = safe_unwrap!(line);
         let mut line = line_string.as_slice();
-        let len = line.len();
-        if line.char_at(len - 1) == '\n' {
-            if len == 1 {
-                println!("");
-                continue;
-            } else {
-                line = line.slice_to(len - 1);
-            }
-        }
         if bytes {
+            let len = line.len();
             let mut i = 0;
-            while i < line.len() {
-                let width = if line.len() - i >= width { width } else { line.len() - i };
+            while i < len {
+                let width = if len - i >= width { width } else { len - i };
                 let slice = {
                     let slice = line.slice(i, i + width);
-                    if spaces && i + width < line.len() {
+                    if spaces && i + width < len {
                         match slice.rfind(|ch: char| ch.is_whitespace()) {
                             Some(m) => slice.slice_to(m + 1),
                             None => slice
@@ -141,10 +135,24 @@ fn fold_file<T: io::Reader>(file: BufferedReader<T>, bytes: bool, spaces: bool,
                         slice
                     }
                 };
-                println!("{}", slice);
+                print!("{}", slice);
                 i += slice.len();
             }
         } else {
+            let mut len = line.char_len();
+            let newline =
+                if len == 0 {
+                    continue;
+                } else if len == 1 && line.char_at(len - 1) == '\n' {
+                    println!("");
+                    continue;
+                } else if line.char_at(len - 1) == '\n' {
+                    line = line.slice_to(line.len() - 1);
+                    len -= 1;
+                    true
+                } else {
+                    false
+                };
             let mut output = String::new();
             let mut count = 0;
             for (i, ch) in line.chars().enumerate() {
@@ -152,11 +160,11 @@ fn fold_file<T: io::Reader>(file: BufferedReader<T>, bytes: bool, spaces: bool,
                     let (val, ncount) = {
                         let slice = output.as_slice();
                         let (out, val, ncount) =
-                            if spaces && i + 1 < line.len() {
-                                match slice.rfind(|ch: char| ch.is_whitespace()) {
+                            if spaces && i + 1 < len {
+                                match rfind_whitespace(slice) {
                                     Some(m) => {
-                                        let routput = slice.slice_from(m + 1).to_string();
-                                        let ncount = routput.as_slice().chars().fold(0u, |out, ch: char| {
+                                        let routput = slice.slice_chars(m + 1, slice.char_len());
+                                        let ncount = routput.chars().fold(0u, |out, ch: char| {
                                             out + match ch {
                                                 '\t' => 8,
                                                 '\x08' => if out > 0 { -1 } else { 0 },
@@ -164,17 +172,17 @@ fn fold_file<T: io::Reader>(file: BufferedReader<T>, bytes: bool, spaces: bool,
                                                 _ => 1
                                             }
                                         });
-                                        (slice.slice_to(m + 1), routput, ncount)
+                                        (slice.slice_chars(0, m + 1), routput, ncount)
                                     },
-                                    None => (slice, "".to_string(), 0)
+                                    None => (slice, "", 0)
                                 }
                             } else {
-                                (slice, "".to_string(), 0)
+                                (slice, "", 0)
                             };
                         println!("{}", out);
-                        (val, ncount)
+                        (val.into_string(), ncount)
                     };
-                    output = val.into_string();
+                    output = val;
                     count = ncount;
                 }
                 match ch {
@@ -204,8 +212,22 @@ fn fold_file<T: io::Reader>(file: BufferedReader<T>, bytes: bool, spaces: bool,
                 output.push(ch);
             }
             if count > 0 {
-                print!("{}", output);
+                if newline {
+                    println!("{}", output);
+                } else {
+                    print!("{}", output);
+                }
             }
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[inline]
+fn rfind_whitespace(slice: &str) -> Option<uint> {
+    for (i, ch) in slice.chars().rev().enumerate() {
+        if ch.is_whitespace() {
+            return Some(slice.char_len() - (i + 1));
+        }
+    }
+    None
+}