diff --git a/base/stream.jl b/base/stream.jl
index e81f65685df72..33d884018d5ad 100644
--- a/base/stream.jl
+++ b/base/stream.jl
@@ -1559,6 +1559,64 @@ function wait_readnb(s::BufferStream, nb::Int)
     end
 end
 
+function readavailable(this::BufferStream)
+    bytes = lock(this.cond) do
+        wait_readnb(this, 1)
+        buf = this.buffer
+        @assert buf.seekable == false
+        take!(buf)
+    end
+    return bytes
+end
+
+function read(stream::BufferStream)
+    bytes = lock(stream.cond) do
+        wait_close(stream)
+        take!(stream.buffer)
+    end
+    return bytes
+end
+
+function readbytes!(s::BufferStream, a::Vector{UInt8}, nb::Int)
+    sbuf = s.buffer
+    @assert sbuf.seekable == false
+    @assert sbuf.maxsize >= nb
+
+    function wait_locked(s, buf, nb)
+        while bytesavailable(buf) < nb
+            s.readerror === nothing || throw(s.readerror)
+            isopen(s) || break
+            s.status != StatusEOF || break
+            wait_readnb(s, nb)
+        end
+    end
+
+    bytes = lock(s.cond) do
+        if nb <= SZ_UNBUFFERED_IO # Under this limit we are OK with copying the array from the stream's buffer
+            wait_locked(s, sbuf, nb)
+        end
+        if bytesavailable(sbuf) >= nb
+            nread = readbytes!(sbuf, a, nb)
+        else
+            initsize = length(a)
+            newbuf = PipeBuffer(a, maxsize=nb)
+            newbuf.size = newbuf.offset # reset the write pointer to the beginning
+            nread = try
+                s.buffer = newbuf
+                write(newbuf, sbuf)
+                wait_locked(s, newbuf, nb)
+                bytesavailable(newbuf)
+            finally
+                s.buffer = sbuf
+            end
+            _take!(a, _unsafe_take!(newbuf))
+            length(a) >= initsize || resize!(a, initsize)
+        end
+        return nread
+    end
+    return bytes
+end
+
 show(io::IO, s::BufferStream) = print(io, "BufferStream(bytes waiting=", bytesavailable(s.buffer), ", isopen=", isopen(s), ")")
 
 function readuntil(s::BufferStream, c::UInt8; keep::Bool=false)