diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index b5d37fe4..129cbef1 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -333,67 +333,26 @@ func (c *Conn) SelectValueTo(w io.Writer, sql string, arguments ...interface{})
 		}
 	}()
 
-	err = c.sendQuery(sql, arguments...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	var numRowsFound int64
-	var softErr error
 
-	for {
-		var t byte
-		var r *MsgReader
+	qr, _ := c.Query(sql, arguments...)
 
-		t, r, err = c.rxMsg()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
+	for qr.NextRow() {
+		if len(qr.fields) != 1 {
+			qr.Close()
+			return UnexpectedColumnCountError{ExpectedCount: 1, ActualCount: int16(len(qr.fields))}
 		}
 
-		if t == dataRow {
-			numRowsFound++
-
-			if numRowsFound > 1 {
-				softErr = NotSingleRowError{RowCount: numRowsFound}
-			}
-
-			if softErr != nil {
-				// Read and discard rest of message
-				continue
-			}
-
-			softErr = c.rxDataRowValueTo(w, r)
-		} else {
-			switch t {
-			case readyForQuery:
-				c.rxReadyForQuery(r)
-				return softErr
-			case rowDescription:
-			case commandComplete:
-			case bindComplete:
-			default:
-				if e := c.processContextFreeMsg(t, r); e != nil && softErr == nil {
-					softErr = e
-				}
-			}
+		numRowsFound++
+		if numRowsFound != 1 {
+			qr.Close()
+			return NotSingleRowError{RowCount: numRowsFound}
 		}
+
+		var rr RowReader
+		rr.CopyBytes(qr, w)
 	}
-}
-
-func (c *Conn) rxDataRowValueTo(w io.Writer, r *MsgReader) error {
-	columnCount := r.ReadInt16()
-	if columnCount != 1 {
-		return UnexpectedColumnCountError{ExpectedCount: 1, ActualCount: columnCount}
-	}
-
-	valueSize := r.ReadInt32()
-	if valueSize == -1 {
-		return errors.New("SelectValueTo cannot handle null")
-	}
-
-	r.CopyN(w, valueSize)
-
-	return r.Err()
+	return qr.Err()
 }
 
 // Prepare creates a prepared statement with name and sql. sql can contain placeholders
@@ -554,9 +513,9 @@ func (rr *RowReader) ReadInt32(qr *QueryResult) int32 {
 		return 0
 	}
 
-	// TODO - do something about nulls
 	if size == -1 {
-		panic("Can't handle nulls")
+		qr.Fatal(errors.New("Unexpected null"))
+		return 0
 	}
 
 	return decodeInt4(qr, fd, size)
@@ -568,9 +527,9 @@ func (rr *RowReader) ReadInt64(qr *QueryResult) int64 {
 		return 0
 	}
 
-	// TODO - do something about nulls
 	if size == -1 {
-		panic("Can't handle nulls")
+		qr.Fatal(errors.New("Unexpected null"))
+		return 0
 	}
 
 	return decodeInt8(qr, fd, size)
@@ -584,9 +543,9 @@ func (rr *RowReader) ReadTime(qr *QueryResult) time.Time {
 		return zeroTime
 	}
 
-	// TODO - do something about nulls
 	if size == -1 {
-		panic("Can't handle nulls")
+		qr.Fatal(errors.New("Unexpected null"))
+		return zeroTime
 	}
 
 	return decodeTimestampTz(qr, fd, size)
@@ -600,9 +559,9 @@ func (rr *RowReader) ReadDate(qr *QueryResult) time.Time {
 		return zeroTime
 	}
 
-	// TODO - do something about nulls
 	if size == -1 {
-		panic("Can't handle nulls")
+		qr.Fatal(errors.New("Unexpected null"))
+		return zeroTime
 	}
 
 	return decodeDate(qr, fd, size)
@@ -614,6 +573,11 @@ func (rr *RowReader) ReadString(qr *QueryResult) string {
 		return ""
 	}
 
+	if size == -1 {
+		qr.Fatal(errors.New("Unexpected null"))
+		return ""
+	}
+
 	return decodeText(qr, fd, size)
 }
 
@@ -634,6 +598,20 @@ func (rr *RowReader) ReadValue(qr *QueryResult) interface{} {
 	}
 }
 
+func (rr *RowReader) CopyBytes(qr *QueryResult, w io.Writer) {
+	_, size, ok := qr.NextColumn()
+	if !ok {
+		return
+	}
+
+	if size == -1 {
+		qr.Fatal(errors.New("Unexpected null"))
+		return
+	}
+
+	qr.MsgReader().CopyN(w, size)
+}
+
 type QueryResult struct {
 	pool      *ConnPool
 	conn      *Conn
diff --git a/conn_test.go b/conn_test.go
index 86c0554f..60896848 100644
--- a/conn_test.go
+++ b/conn_test.go
@@ -462,6 +462,42 @@ func TestConnQueryReadTooManyValues(t *testing.T) {
 	ensureConnValid(t, conn)
 }
 
+func TestQueryResultCopyBytes(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	conn := mustConnect(t, *defaultConnConfig)
+	defer closeConn(t, conn)
+
+	var mimeType string
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+
+	qr, err := conn.Query("select 'application/json', '[1,2,3,4,5]'::json")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("conn.Query failed: ", err)
+	}
+
+	for qr.NextRow() {
+		var rr pgx.RowReader
+		mimeType = rr.ReadString(qr)
+		rr.CopyBytes(qr, &buf)
+	}
+	qr.Close()
+
+	if qr.Err() != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("conn.Query failed: ", err)
+	}
+
+	if mimeType != "application/json" {
+		t.Errorf(`Expected mimeType to be "application/json", but it was "%v"`, mimeType)
+	}
+
+	if bytes.Compare(buf.Bytes(), []byte("[1,2,3,4,5]")) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("CopyBytes did not write expected data: %v", string(buf.Bytes()))
+	}
+
+	ensureConnValid(t, conn)
+}
+
 func TestConnectionSelectValue(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -546,14 +582,11 @@ func TestConnectionSelectValueTo(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Null
 	err = conn.SelectValueTo(&buf, "select null")
-	if err == nil || err.Error() != "SelectValueTo cannot handle null" {
+	if err == nil || err.Error() != "Unexpected null" {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected null error: %#v", err)
 	}
-	if conn.IsAlive() {
-		mustSelectValue(t, conn, "select 1") // ensure it really is alive and usable
-	} else {
-		t.Fatal("SelectValueTo null error should not have killed connection")
-	}
+
+	ensureConnValid(t, conn)
 }
 
 func TestPrepare(t *testing.T) {