diff --git a/code/inventory/scan.c b/code/inventory/scan.c
index f6ccba1..d86fa9e 100644
--- a/code/inventory/scan.c
+++ b/code/inventory/scan.c
@@ -56,20 +56,20 @@ GLDEF_C INT main(VOID)
 
     p_printf("\nScan a barcode. System screen to exit.\n\n");
 
+    /* Read ONE byte per call: with tmask=0 a multi-byte P_FREAD waits for the
+       full requested count and would block on a short scan. Streaming single
+       bytes returns each character as it arrives, whatever the terminator. */
     for (;;) {
-        n = p_read(chan, buf, sizeof(buf));
+        n = p_read(chan, buf, 1);
         if (n < 0) {
-            p_printf("read err %d\n", n);
+            p_printf("<err %d>", n);
             continue;
         }
         if (n == 0)
             continue;
-        p_printf("n=%d:", n);
-        for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
-            p_printf(" %d", buf[i]);
-        p_printf("  \"");
-        for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
-            p_putch(buf[i] >= ' ' ? buf[i] : '.');
-        p_printf("\"\n");
+        i = buf[0];
+        p_printf(" %d", i);
+        if (i == 13 || i == 10)
+            p_printf(" <EOL>\n");
     }
 }