diff --git a/gelf/message.go b/gelf/message.go
index 414b1f9..b1683b9 100644
--- a/gelf/message.go
+++ b/gelf/message.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ type Message struct {
 	Version  string                 `json:"version"`
 	Host     string                 `json:"host"`
 	Short    string                 `json:"short_message"`
-	Full     string                 `json:"full_message,omitempty"`
 	TimeUnix float64                `json:"timestamp"`
 	Level    int32                  `json:"level,omitempty"`
 	Facility string                 `json:"facility,omitempty"`
@@ -94,8 +93,6 @@ func (m *Message) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 			m.Host, ok = v.(string)
 		case "short_message":
 			m.Short, ok = v.(string)
-		case "full_message":
-			m.Full, ok = v.(string)
 		case "timestamp":
 			m.TimeUnix, ok = v.(float64)
 		case "level":
@@ -127,22 +124,10 @@ func constructMessage(p []byte, hostname string, facility string, file string, l
 	// remove trailing and leading whitespace
 	p = bytes.TrimSpace(p)
 
-	// If there are newlines in the message, use the first line
-	// for the short message and set the full message to the
-	// original input.  If the input has no newlines, stick the
-	// whole thing in Short.
-	short := p
-	full := []byte("")
-	if i := bytes.IndexRune(p, '\n'); i > 0 {
-		short = p[:i]
-		full = p
-	}
-
 	m = &Message{
 		Version:  "1.1",
 		Host:     hostname,
-		Short:    string(short),
-		Full:     string(full),
+		Short:    string(p),
 		TimeUnix: float64(time.Now().Unix()),
 		Level:    6, // info
 		Facility: facility,
diff --git a/gelf/message_test.go b/gelf/message_test.go
index d9260cf..c7fcaa5 100644
--- a/gelf/message_test.go
+++ b/gelf/message_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ func TestWrongFieldTypes(t *testing.T) {
 		"version":       `{"version": 1.1}`,
 		"host":          `{"host": ["a", "b"]}`,
 		"short_message": `{"short_message": {"a": "b"}}`,
-		"full_message":  `{"full_message": null}`,
 		"timestamp":     `{"timestamp": "12345"}`,
 		"level":         `{"level": false}`,
 		"facility":      `{"facility": true}`,
@@ -25,3 +24,11 @@ func TestWrongFieldTypes(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 }
+
+func Test_constructMessage_WritesMultilineMessageToShortMessageField(t *testing.T) {
+	msgText := "hello\nthere"
+	msg := constructMessage([]byte(msgText), "", "", "", 0)
+	if msg.Short != msgText {
+		t.Errorf("Short field of message \"%s\" does not coincide with message text \"%s\"", msg.Short, msgText)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/gelf/reader.go b/gelf/reader.go
index ff719fc..4dbb677 100644
--- a/gelf/reader.go
+++ b/gelf/reader.go
@@ -50,15 +50,7 @@ func (r *Reader) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
 		return -1, err
 	}
 
-	var data string
-
-	if msg.Full == "" {
-		data = msg.Short
-	} else {
-		data = msg.Full
-	}
-
-	return strings.NewReader(data).Read(p)
+	return strings.NewReader(msg.Short).Read(p)
 }
 
 func (r *Reader) ReadMessage() (*Message, error) {
diff --git a/gelf/tcpwriter_test.go b/gelf/tcpwriter_test.go
index d575430..5ce783d 100644
--- a/gelf/tcpwriter_test.go
+++ b/gelf/tcpwriter_test.go
@@ -51,16 +51,11 @@ func TestNewTCPWriterConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func assertMessages(msg *Message, short, full string, t *testing.T) {
+func assertMessages(msg *Message, short string, t *testing.T) {
 	if msg.Short != short {
 		t.Errorf("msg.Short: expected %s, got %s", short, msg.Short)
 		return
 	}
-
-	if msg.Full != full {
-		t.Errorf("msg.Full: expected %s, got %s", full, msg.Full)
-	}
-
 }
 
 func TestWriteSmallMultiLineTCP(t *testing.T) {
@@ -72,7 +67,7 @@ func TestWriteSmallMultiLineTCP(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	assertMessages(msg, "awesomesauce", msgData, t)
+	assertMessages(msg, msgData, t)
 }
 
 func TestWriteSmallOneLineTCP(t *testing.T) {
@@ -85,7 +80,7 @@ func TestWriteSmallOneLineTCP(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	assertMessages(msg, msgDataTrunc, "", t)
+	assertMessages(msg, msgDataTrunc, t)
 
 	fileExpected := "/go-gelf/gelf/tcpwriter_test.go"
 	if !strings.HasSuffix(msg.Extra["_file"].(string), fileExpected) {
@@ -114,7 +109,7 @@ func TestWriteBigMessageTCP(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	assertMessages(msg, "awesomesauce", msgData, t)
+	assertMessages(msg, msgData, t)
 }
 
 func TestWriteMultiPacketMessageTCP(t *testing.T) {
@@ -131,7 +126,7 @@ func TestWriteMultiPacketMessageTCP(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	assertMessages(msg, "awesomesauce", msgData, t)
+	assertMessages(msg, msgData, t)
 }
 
 func TestExtraDataTCP(t *testing.T) {
@@ -145,13 +140,11 @@ func TestExtraDataTCP(t *testing.T) {
 		"_line": 186,
 	}
 
-	short := "quick"
-	full := short + "\nwith more detail"
+	short := "quick" + "\nwith more detail"
 	m := Message{
 		Version:  "1.0",
 		Host:     "fake-host",
 		Short:    string(short),
-		Full:     string(full),
 		TimeUnix: float64(time.Now().Unix()),
 		Level:    6, // info
 		Facility: "writer_test",
@@ -165,7 +158,7 @@ func TestExtraDataTCP(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	assertMessages(msg, short, full, t)
+	assertMessages(msg, short, t)
 
 	if len(msg.Extra) != 3 {
 		t.Errorf("extra extra fields in %v", msg.Extra)
@@ -198,8 +191,8 @@ func TestWrite2MessagesWithConnectionDropTCP(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	assertMessages(msg1, "First message", msgData1, t)
-	assertMessages(msg2, "Second message", msgData2, t)
+	assertMessages(msg1, msgData1, t)
+	assertMessages(msg2, msgData2, t)
 }
 
 func TestWrite2MessagesWithServerDropTCP(t *testing.T) {
@@ -212,7 +205,7 @@ func TestWrite2MessagesWithServerDropTCP(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	assertMessages(msg1, "First message", msgData1, t)
+	assertMessages(msg1, msgData1, t)
 }
 
 func setupConnections() (*TCPReader, chan string, chan string, *TCPWriter, error) {
diff --git a/gelf/udpwriter_test.go b/gelf/udpwriter_test.go
index 1ecde90..ca95c6f 100644
--- a/gelf/udpwriter_test.go
+++ b/gelf/udpwriter_test.go
@@ -76,16 +76,7 @@ func TestWriteSmallMultiLine(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("sendAndRecv: %s", err)
 			return
 		}
-
-		if msg.Short != "awesomesauce" {
-			t.Errorf("msg.Short: expected %s, got %s", "awesomesauce", msg.Full)
-			return
-		}
-
-		if msg.Full != msgData {
-			t.Errorf("msg.Full: expected %s, got %s", msgData, msg.Full)
-			return
-		}
+		assertMessages(msg, msgData, t)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -100,17 +91,7 @@ func TestWriteSmallOneLine(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// we should remove the trailing newline
-	if msg.Short != msgDataTrunc {
-		t.Errorf("msg.Short: expected %s, got %s",
-			msgDataTrunc, msg.Short)
-		return
-	}
-
-	if msg.Full != "" {
-		t.Errorf("msg.Full: expected %s, got %s", msgData, msg.Full)
-		return
-	}
+	assertMessages(msg, msgDataTrunc, t)
 
 	fileExpected := "/go-gelf/gelf/udpwriter_test.go"
 	if !strings.HasSuffix(msg.Extra["_file"].(string), fileExpected) {
@@ -159,15 +140,7 @@ func TestWriteBigChunked(t *testing.T) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		if msg.Short != "awesomesauce" {
-			t.Errorf("msg.Short: expected %s, got %s", msgData, msg.Full)
-			return
-		}
-
-		if msg.Full != msgData {
-			t.Errorf("msg.Full: expected %s, got %s", msgData, msg.Full)
-			return
-		}
+		assertMessages(msg, msgData, t)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -183,13 +156,11 @@ func TestExtraData(t *testing.T) {
 		"_line": 186,
 	}
 
-	short := "quick"
-	full := short + "\nwith more detail"
+	short := "quick\nwith more detail"
 	m := Message{
 		Version:  "1.0",
 		Host:     "fake-host",
 		Short:    string(short),
-		Full:     string(full),
 		TimeUnix: float64(time.Now().Unix()),
 		Level:    6, // info
 		Facility: "udpwriter_test",
@@ -204,15 +175,7 @@ func TestExtraData(t *testing.T) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		if msg.Short != short {
-			t.Errorf("msg.Short: expected %s, got %s", short, msg.Full)
-			return
-		}
-
-		if msg.Full != full {
-			t.Errorf("msg.Full: expected %s, got %s", full, msg.Full)
-			return
-		}
+		assertMessages(msg, short, t)
 
 		if len(msg.Extra) != 3 {
 			t.Errorf("extra extra fields in %v", msg.Extra)
@@ -253,7 +216,6 @@ func BenchmarkWriteBestSpeed(b *testing.B) {
 			Version:  "1.1",
 			Host:     w.hostname,
 			Short:    "short message",
-			Full:     "full message",
 			TimeUnix: float64(time.Now().Unix()),
 			Level:    6, // info
 			Facility: w.Facility,
@@ -279,7 +241,6 @@ func BenchmarkWriteNoCompression(b *testing.B) {
 			Version:  "1.1",
 			Host:     w.hostname,
 			Short:    "short message",
-			Full:     "full message",
 			TimeUnix: float64(time.Now().Unix()),
 			Level:    6, // info
 			Facility: w.Facility,
@@ -305,7 +266,6 @@ func BenchmarkWriteDisableCompressionCompletely(b *testing.B) {
 			Version:  "1.1",
 			Host:     w.hostname,
 			Short:    "short message",
-			Full:     "full message",
 			TimeUnix: float64(time.Now().Unix()),
 			Level:    6, // info
 			Facility: w.Facility,
@@ -331,7 +291,6 @@ func BenchmarkWriteDisableCompressionAndPreencodeExtra(b *testing.B) {
 			Version:  "1.1",
 			Host:     w.hostname,
 			Short:    "short message",
-			Full:     "full message",
 			TimeUnix: float64(time.Now().Unix()),
 			Level:    6, // info
 			Facility: w.Facility,