diff -r 0ff181ca7558 Lib/nntplib.py
--- a/Lib/nntplib.py	Wed Dec 14 20:37:53 2016 +0100
+++ b/Lib/nntplib.py	Wed Dec 14 21:56:55 2016 +0100
@@ -87,9 +87,9 @@
 
 # maximal line length when calling readline(). This is to prevent
 # reading arbitrary length lines. RFC 3977 limits NNTP line length to
-# 512 characters, including CRLF. We have selected 2048 just to be on
+# 512 characters, including CRLF. We have selected 4096 just to be on
 # the safe side.
-_MAXLINE = 2048
+_MAXLINE = 4096
 
 
 # Exceptions raised when an error or invalid response is received
@@ -429,7 +429,8 @@
         """Internal: return one line from the server, stripping _CRLF.
         Raise EOFError if the connection is closed.
         Returns a bytes object."""
-        line = self.file.readline(_MAXLINE +1)
+        line = self.file.readline()
+
         if len(line) > _MAXLINE:
             raise NNTPDataError('line too long')
         if self.debugging > 1:
@@ -468,6 +469,7 @@
         """
 
         openedFile = None
+        exception = None
         try:
             # If a string was passed then open a file with that name
             if isinstance(file, (str, bytes)):
@@ -482,25 +484,35 @@
                 # XXX lines = None instead?
                 terminators = (b'.' + _CRLF, b'.\n')
                 while 1:
-                    line = self._getline(False)
-                    if line in terminators:
-                        break
-                    if line.startswith(b'..'):
-                        line = line[1:]
-                    file.write(line)
+                    try:
+                        line = self._getline(False)
+                    except NNTPDataError as e:
+                        exception = e
+                    else:
+                        if line in terminators:
+                            break
+                        if line.startswith(b'..'):
+                            line = line[1:]
+                        file.write(line)
             else:
                 terminator = b'.'
                 while 1:
-                    line = self._getline()
-                    if line == terminator:
-                        break
-                    if line.startswith(b'..'):
-                        line = line[1:]
-                    lines.append(line)
+                    try:
+                        line = self._getline()
+                    except NNTPDataError as e:
+                        exception = e
+                    else:
+                        if line == terminator:
+                            break
+                        if line.startswith(b'..'):
+                            line = line[1:]
+                        lines.append(line)
         finally:
             # If this method created the file, then it must close it
             if openedFile:
                 openedFile.close()
+            if exception:
+                raise exception
 
         return resp, lines