diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 87f2495..9ad5977 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@ Originally forked from [promise-streams](https://github.com/spion/promise-stream
 - `FilterStream` similar to `Array.prototype.filter` Easy stream filtering of data
 - `ReduceStream` similar to `Array.prototype.reduce` but a stream that emits each step and `.promise()` resolves to the end result
 
-- `bstream.wait(stream)` resolves when the stream finishes
-- `bstream.collect(stream)` Concats strings and buffers, returns an array of objects.
-- `bstream.pipe(source, target, [target,])` Returns a promise for when the last target stream finishes
+- `bluestream.wait(stream)` resolves when the stream finishes
+- `bluestream.collect(stream)` Concats strings and buffers, returns an array of objects.
+- `bluestream.readAsync(stream, numberOfBytesOrObjects)` Reads a number of bytes or objects from a stream
+- `bluestream.pipe(source, target, [target,])` Returns a promise for when the last target stream finishes
 
 # Examples
 
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ Options:
 
 The other options are also passed to node's Write stream constructor.
 
-#### ps.filter
+#### filter
 
 `([opts:Options,] fn: async (data[, enc]) => boolean) => FilterStream`
 
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ indicate whether the data value should pass to the next stream
 
 Options: Same as `ps.transform`
 
-#### ps.reduce
+#### reduce
 
 `([opts:Options,] fn: (acc, data[, enc]) => Promise) => ReduceStream`
 
@@ -170,25 +171,31 @@ process.stdin.pipe(split()).pipe(es.reduce(function(acc, el) {
 });
 ```
 
-#### ps.wait
+#### wait
 
 `(s: Stream) => Promise`
 
 Wait for the stream to end. Also captures errors.
 
-#### ps.pipe
+#### pipe
 
 `(source: Stream, destination: Stream) => Promise`
 
 Pipes s1 to s2 and forwards all errors to the resulting promise. The promise is
 fulfilled without a value when the destination stream ends.
 
-#### ps.collect
+#### collect
 
 `(source: Stream) => Promise`
 
 Returns a Buffer, string or array of all the data events concatenated together. If no events null is returned.
 
+#### readAsync
+
+`(source: Stream, count: Number) => Promise`
+
+Returns a count of bytes in a Buffer, characters in a string or objects in an array. If no data arrives before the stream ends `null` is returned.
+
 #### PromiseStream.promise
 
 `() => Promise`
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index f00487a..3bd1392 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -1,34 +1,37 @@
+import { collect } from './collect'
 import { FilterStream, filter } from './filter'
+import { pipe } from './pipe'
+import { readAsync } from './readAsync'
 import { ReadStream, read } from './read'
 import { ReduceStream, reduce } from './reduce'
 import { TransformStream, transform, map } from './transform'
-import { WriteStream, write } from './write'
 import { wait } from './utils'
-import { pipe } from './pipe'
-import { collect } from './collect'
+import { WriteStream, write } from './write'
 
+export { collect } from './collect'
 export { FilterStream, filter } from './filter'
+export { pipe } from './pipe'
+export { readAsync } from './readAsync'
 export { ReadStream, read } from './read'
 export { ReduceStream, reduce } from './reduce'
 export { TransformStream, transform, map } from './transform'
-export { WriteStream, write } from './write'
 export { wait } from './utils'
-export { pipe } from './pipe'
-export { collect } from './collect'
+export { WriteStream, write } from './write'
 
 export default {
-  FilterStream,
+  collect,
   filter,
-  ReadStream,
+  FilterStream,
+  map,
+  pipe,
   read,
-  ReduceStream,
+  readAsync,
+  ReadStream,
   reduce,
-  TransformStream,
+  ReduceStream,
   transform,
-  map,
-  WriteStream,
-  write,
+  TransformStream,
   wait,
-  pipe,
-  collect
+  write,
+  WriteStream
 }
diff --git a/lib/readAsync.js b/lib/readAsync.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3961a12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/readAsync.js
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import { defer } from './utils'
+
+const readOnceAsync = async (stream, count) => {
+  const data = stream.read(count)
+  if (data !== null) {
+    return data
+  }
+  return new Promise(resolve => {
+    stream.once('readable', () => {
+      const data = stream.read(count)
+      if (data === null) {
+        return resolve(stream.read())
+      }
+      resolve(data)
+    })
+  })
+}
+
+export const readAsync = async (stream, count) => {
+  if (!(stream && stream._readableState)) {
+    throw new TypeError('"stream" is not a readable stream')
+  }
+  if (stream._readableState.flowing) {
+    throw new TypeError('"stream" is in flowing mode, this is probably not what you want as data loss could occur. Please use stream.pause() to pause the stream before calling readAsync.')
+  }
+
+  const objectMode = stream._readableState.objectMode
+  const { resolve, reject, promise } = defer()
+
+  const cleanup = () => {
+    stream.removeListener('error', reject)
+  }
+
+  stream.once('error', reject)
+
+  if (objectMode) {
+    const objects = []
+    for (let index = 0; index < (count || 1); index++) {
+      const obj = await readOnceAsync(stream)
+      if (obj === null) {
+        cleanup()
+        if (objects.length === 0) {
+          return null
+        }
+        return objects
+      }
+      objects.push(obj)
+    }
+    cleanup()
+    resolve(objects)
+  } else {
+    const data = await readOnceAsync(stream, count)
+    cleanup()
+    return data
+  }
+  return promise
+}
diff --git a/test/readAsync-test.js b/test/readAsync-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dffae17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/readAsync-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import fs from 'fs'
+import path from 'path'
+import { readAsync, read, write, collect } from '../lib'
+
+function nextTick (data) {
+  return new Promise(resolve => process.nextTick(() => resolve(data)))
+}
+
+function bufferStream () {
+  return fs.createReadStream(path.join(__dirname, 'test.txt'))
+}
+
+function stringStream () {
+  return fs.createReadStream(path.join(__dirname, 'test.txt'), 'utf8')
+}
+
+function objectStream (arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]) {
+  return read(() => {
+    const value = arr.shift()
+    return (value ? { value } : null)
+  })
+}
+
+describe('#readAsync', () => {
+  it(`rejects if it's not a readable stream`, async () => {
+    const writeStream = write(() => {})
+    await readAsync(writeStream, 1).then(() => {
+      assert.isTrue(false, 'The promise should have rejected')
+    }, err => {
+      assert.isNotNull(err)
+      assert.equal(writeStream._eventsCount, 1)
+    })
+  })
+  it('resolvers a buffer with a number bytes from a buffer stream', async () => {
+    const stream = bufferStream()
+    assert.deepEqual(await readAsync(stream, 4), Buffer.from('1\n2\n'))
+    assert.deepEqual(await readAsync(stream, 4), Buffer.from('3\n4\n'))
+    assert.equal(stream._eventsCount, 1)
+  })
+  it('resolvers a string with a number characters from a string stream', async () => {
+    const stream = stringStream()
+    assert.equal(await readAsync(stream, 4), '1\n2\n')
+    assert.equal(await readAsync(stream, 4), '3\n4\n')
+    assert.equal(stream._eventsCount, 1)
+  })
+  it('reads the number of objects from an object stream', async () => {
+    const stream = objectStream()
+    const objects = await readAsync(stream, 3)
+    assert.deepEqual(objects, [{ value: 1 }, { value: 2 }, { value: 3 }])
+    assert.equal(stream._eventsCount, 1)
+  })
+  it('resolvers early if the stream ends before there is enough bytes', async () => {
+    const file = await collect(bufferStream())
+    const stream = bufferStream()
+    const readBytes = await readAsync(stream, 500)
+    assert.equal(readBytes.length, file.length)
+    assert.deepEqual(readBytes, file)
+    assert.equal(stream._eventsCount, 1)
+  })
+  it('resolvers early if the stream ends before there is enough objects', async () => {
+    const stream = objectStream()
+    const objects = await readAsync(stream, 10)
+    assert.deepEqual(objects, [{ value: 1 }, { value: 2 }, { value: 3 }, { value: 4 }, { value: 5 }, { value: 6 }])
+    assert.equal(stream._eventsCount, 1)
+  })
+  it('resolves null if there was no data and the stream closed', async () => {
+    const stream = read({ objectMode: false }, () => null)
+    assert.isNull(await readAsync(stream, 5))
+    assert.equal(stream._eventsCount, 1)
+    const stream2 = read(() => null)
+    assert.isNull(await readAsync(stream2, 5))
+    assert.equal(stream2._eventsCount, 1)
+  })
+  it('resolves null if the stream has already ended', async () => {
+    const stream = read(() => null)
+    stream.read()
+    stream.read()
+    assert.isNull(await readAsync(stream, 5))
+    assert.equal(stream._eventsCount, 1)
+  })
+  it('rejects if the stream errors', async () => {
+    const stream = read(() => 1)
+    const error = new Error('Foo!')
+    nextTick().then(() => stream.emit('error', error))
+    await readAsync(stream, 5).then(() => {
+      assert.isTrue(false, 'The promise should have rejected')
+    }, err => {
+      assert.isNotNull(err)
+      assert.deepEqual(err, error)
+      assert.equal(stream._eventsCount, 1)
+    })
+  })
+  it('rejects if the stream is already in flowing mode', async () => {
+    const stream = read(() => nextTick(1))
+    stream.resume()
+    await readAsync(stream, 1).then(() => {
+      assert.isTrue(false, 'The promise should have rejected')
+    }, err => {
+      stream.pause()
+      assert.isNotNull(err)
+      assert.equal(stream._eventsCount, 1)
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/types/index.d.ts b/types/index.d.ts
index 27a38a8..d6a9346 100644
--- a/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/index.d.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ export function pipe(...streams: (ReadStream|WriteStream|TransformStream)[]): Pr
 
 export function read(opts: StreamOptions, readFn: Function): ReadStream;
 
+export function readAsync(stream: ReadableStream, count: Number): (Object[]|Buffer|String|null);
+
 export function reduce(opts: StreamOptions, fn?: Function, initial?: any): ReduceStream;
 
 export function transform(opts: StreamOptions, fn?: Function): TransformStream;