diff --git a/telethon/network/mtproto_sender.py b/telethon/network/mtproto_sender.py
index 4345908e..602353c0 100644
--- a/telethon/network/mtproto_sender.py
+++ b/telethon/network/mtproto_sender.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import gzip
 from datetime import timedelta
-from threading import RLock
+from threading import RLock, Thread
 
 from .. import helpers as utils
 from ..crypto import AES
@@ -31,9 +31,16 @@ class MtProtoSender:
         # TODO There might be a better way to handle msgs_ack requests
         self.logging_out = False
 
+        # Reading and writing shouldn't be related. Call .recv() forever here.
+        # TODO Maybe this could be disabled with some "constant_read=bool".
+        self._recv_thread = Thread(
+            name='ReadThread', daemon=True, target=self._recv_thread_impl
+        )
+
     def connect(self):
         """Connects to the server"""
         self.connection.connect()
+        self._recv_thread.start()
 
     def is_connected(self):
         return self.connection.is_connected()
@@ -76,57 +83,30 @@ class MtProtoSender:
 
             del self._need_confirmation[:]
 
-    def receive(self, request=None, updates=None, **kwargs):
-        """Receives the specified MTProtoRequest ("fills in it"
-           the received data). This also restores the updates thread.
+    def _recv_thread_impl(self):
+        while self.is_connected():
+            try:
+                self._receive_message()
+            except TimeoutError:
+                # No problem.
+                pass
+
+    def _receive_message(self, **kwargs):
+        """Receives a single message from the connected endpoint.
 
            An optional named parameter 'timeout' can be specified if
            one desires to override 'self.connection.timeout'.
-
-           If 'request' is None, a single item will be read into
-           the 'updates' list (which cannot be None).
-
-           If 'request' is not None, any update received before
-           reading the request's result will be put there unless
-           it's None, in which case updates will be ignored.
         """
-        if request is None and updates is None:
-            raise ValueError('Both the "request" and "updates"'
-                             'parameters cannot be None at the same time.')
+        # TODO Don't ignore updates
+        self._logger.debug('Receiving a message...')
+        body = self.connection.recv(**kwargs)
+        message, remote_msg_id, remote_seq = self._decode_msg(body)
 
-        with self._lock:
-            self._logger.debug('receive() acquired the lock')
-            # Don't stop trying to receive until we get the request we wanted
-            # or, if there is no request, until we read an update
-            while (request and not request.confirm_received) or \
-                    (not request and not updates):
-                self._logger.debug('Trying to .receive() the request result...')
-                body = self.connection.recv(**kwargs)
-                message, remote_msg_id, remote_seq = self._decode_msg(body)
+        with BinaryReader(message) as reader:
+            self._process_msg(
+                remote_msg_id, remote_seq, reader, updates=None)
 
-                with BinaryReader(message) as reader:
-                    self._process_msg(
-                        remote_msg_id, remote_seq, reader, updates)
-
-            # We're done receiving, remove the request from pending, if any
-            if request:
-                try:
-                    self._pending_receive.remove(request)
-                except ValueError: pass
-
-            self._logger.debug('Request result received')
-        self._logger.debug('receive() released the lock')
-
-    def receive_updates(self, **kwargs):
-        """Wrapper for .receive(request=None, updates=[])"""
-        updates = []
-        self.receive(updates=updates, **kwargs)
-        return updates
-
-    def cancel_receive(self):
-        """Cancels any pending receive operation
-           by raising a ReadCancelledError"""
-        self.connection.cancel_receive()
+        self._logger.debug('Received message.')
 
     # endregion
 
diff --git a/telethon/telegram_bare_client.py b/telethon/telegram_bare_client.py
index 22075dc5..716f70ab 100644
--- a/telethon/telegram_bare_client.py
+++ b/telethon/telegram_bare_client.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import logging
-import pyaes
+from time import sleep
 from datetime import timedelta
 from hashlib import md5
 from os import path
@@ -318,7 +318,8 @@ class TelegramBareClient:
 
         try:
             self._sender.send(request)
-            self._sender.receive(request, updates=updates)
+            while not request.confirm_received:
+                sleep(0.1)  # TODO Use a proper lock
             return request.result
 
         except ConnectionResetError:
diff --git a/telethon/telegram_client.py b/telethon/telegram_client.py
index 3eb056da..5c09f415 100644
--- a/telethon/telegram_client.py
+++ b/telethon/telegram_client.py
@@ -184,9 +184,6 @@ class TelegramClient(TelegramBareClient):
 
            *args will be ignored.
         """
-        if self._updates_thread_receiving.is_set():
-            self._sender.cancel_receive()
-
         try:
             self._lock.acquire()
 
@@ -918,7 +915,8 @@ class TelegramClient(TelegramBareClient):
         else:
             self._updates_thread_running.clear()
             if self._updates_thread_receiving.is_set():
-                self._sender.cancel_receive()
+                # self._sender.cancel_receive()
+                pass
 
     def _updates_thread_method(self):
         """This method will run until specified and listen for incoming updates"""
@@ -944,7 +942,8 @@ class TelegramClient(TelegramBareClient):
                         self._next_ping_at = time() + self.ping_interval
                         self(PingRequest(utils.generate_random_long()))
 
-                    updates = self._sender.receive_updates(timeout=timeout)
+                    #updates = self._sender.receive_updates(timeout=timeout)
+                    updates = []
 
                     self._updates_thread_receiving.clear()
                     self._logger.debug(