diff --git a/shapefile.py b/shapefile.py
index f63d9c8..1a08904 100644
--- a/shapefile.py
+++ b/shapefile.py
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ def __dbfHeader(self):
         self.__recStruct = Struct(fmt)
 
     def __recordFmt(self):
-        """Calculates the size of a .shp geometry record."""
+        """Calculates the format and size of a .dbf record."""
         if not self.numRecords:
             self.__dbfHeader()
         fmt = ''.join(['%ds' % fieldinfo[2] for fieldinfo in self.fields])
@@ -549,11 +549,13 @@ def records(self):
         """Returns all records in a dbf file."""
         if not self.numRecords:
             self.__dbfHeader()
+        records = []
         f = self.__getFileObj(self.dbf)
         f.seek(self.__dbfHeaderLength())
-        flat = unpack(self.__recStruct.format * self.numRecords, f.read(self.__recStruct.size * self.numRecords))
-        rowlen = len(self.fields) - 1
-        records = list(izip(*(iter(flat),) * rowlen))
+        for i in range(self.numRecords):
+            r = self.__record()
+            if r:
+                records.append(r)
         return records
 
     def iterRecords(self):