diff --git a/phpseclib/Net/SSH2.php b/phpseclib/Net/SSH2.php
index 87ae1764..59a2630e 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Net/SSH2.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Net/SSH2.php
@@ -2830,6 +2830,7 @@ class Net_SSH2
             }
 
             $this->channel_status[NET_SSH2_CHANNEL_EXEC] = NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_REQUEST;
+
             if (!$this->_get_channel_packet(NET_SSH2_CHANNEL_EXEC)) {
                 user_error('Unable to request pseudo-terminal');
                 return $this->_disconnect(NET_SSH2_DISCONNECT_BY_APPLICATION);
@@ -2956,6 +2957,13 @@ class Net_SSH2
             return false;
         }
 
+        $this->channel_status[NET_SSH2_CHANNEL_SHELL] = NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_REQUEST;
+
+        if (!$this->_get_channel_packet(NET_SSH2_CHANNEL_SHELL)) {
+            user_error('Unable to request pseudo-terminal');
+            return $this->_disconnect(NET_SSH2_DISCONNECT_BY_APPLICATION);
+        }
+
         $packet = pack(
             'CNNa*C',
             NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_REQUEST,
@@ -2968,7 +2976,12 @@ class Net_SSH2
             return false;
         }
 
-        $this->channel_status[NET_SSH2_CHANNEL_SHELL] = NET_SSH2_MSG_IGNORE;
+        $response = $this->_get_channel_packet(NET_SSH2_CHANNEL_SHELL);
+        if ($response === false) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        $this->channel_status[NET_SSH2_CHANNEL_SHELL] = NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_DATA;
 
         $this->bitmap |= NET_SSH2_MASK_SHELL;
 
@@ -3386,7 +3399,7 @@ class Net_SSH2
 
         if (!is_resource($this->fsock) || feof($this->fsock)) {
             $this->bitmap = 0;
-            user_error('Connection closed prematurely');
+            user_error('Connection closed (by server) prematurely');
             return false;
         }
 
@@ -3741,7 +3754,20 @@ class Net_SSH2
     function _get_channel_packet($client_channel, $skip_extended = false)
     {
         if (!empty($this->channel_buffers[$client_channel])) {
-            return array_shift($this->channel_buffers[$client_channel]);
+            switch ($this->channel_status[$client_channel]) {
+                case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_REQUEST:
+                    foreach ($this->channel_buffers[$client_channel] as $i=>$packet) {
+                        switch (ord($packet[0])) {
+                            case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_SUCCESS:
+                            case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_FAILURE:
+                                unset($this->channel_buffers[$client_channel][$i]);
+                                return substr($packet, 1);
+                        }
+                    }
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    return substr(array_shift($this->channel_buffers[$client_channel]), 1);
+            }
         }
 
         while (true) {
@@ -3818,7 +3844,7 @@ class Net_SSH2
                         if (!isset($this->channel_buffers[$channel])) {
                             $this->channel_buffers[$channel] = array();
                         }
-                        $this->channel_buffers[$channel][] = $data;
+                        $this->channel_buffers[$channel][] = chr($type) . $data;
 
                         continue 2;
                     case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_REQUEST:
@@ -3908,22 +3934,23 @@ class Net_SSH2
                                 return $this->_get_channel_packet($client_channel, $skip_extended);
                         }
                         break;
-                    case NET_SSH2_MSG_IGNORE:
-                        switch ($type) {
-                            case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_SUCCESS:
-                                //$this->channel_status[$channel] = NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_DATA;
-                                continue 3;
-                            case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_FAILURE:
-                                user_error('Error opening channel');
-                                return $this->_disconnect(NET_SSH2_DISCONNECT_BY_APPLICATION);
-                        }
-                        break;
                     case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_REQUEST:
                         switch ($type) {
                             case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_SUCCESS:
                                 return true;
                             case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_FAILURE:
                                 return false;
+                            case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_DATA:
+                                if (strlen($response) < 4) {
+                                    return false;
+                                }
+                                extract(unpack('Nlength', $this->_string_shift($response, 4)));
+                                $data = $this->_string_shift($response, $length);
+                                if (!isset($this->channel_buffers[$channel])) {
+                                    $this->channel_buffers[$channel] = array();
+                                }
+                                $this->channel_buffers[$channel][] = chr($type) . $data;
+                                return $this->_get_channel_packet($client_channel, $skip_extended);
                             default:
                                 user_error('Unable to fulfill channel request');
                                 return $this->_disconnect(NET_SSH2_DISCONNECT_BY_APPLICATION);
@@ -3937,10 +3964,6 @@ class Net_SSH2
 
             switch ($type) {
                 case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_DATA:
-                    //if ($this->channel_status[$channel] == NET_SSH2_MSG_IGNORE) {
-                    //    $this->channel_status[$channel] = NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_DATA;
-                    //}
-
                     /*
                     if ($channel == NET_SSH2_CHANNEL_EXEC) {
                         // SCP requires null packets, such as this, be sent.  further, in the case of the ssh.com SSH server
@@ -3970,7 +3993,7 @@ class Net_SSH2
                     if (!isset($this->channel_buffers[$channel])) {
                         $this->channel_buffers[$channel] = array();
                     }
-                    $this->channel_buffers[$channel][] = $data;
+                    $this->channel_buffers[$channel][] = chr($type) . $data;
                     break;
                 case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_CLOSE:
                     $this->curTimeout = 5;
@@ -3989,7 +4012,7 @@ class Net_SSH2
                 case NET_SSH2_MSG_CHANNEL_EOF:
                     break;
                 default:
-                    user_error('Error reading channel data');
+                    user_error("Error reading channel data ($type)");
                     return $this->_disconnect(NET_SSH2_DISCONNECT_BY_APPLICATION);
             }
         }