diff --git a/lib/zip/ioextras.rb b/lib/zip/ioextras.rb
index 5e26f9e..dc2475a 100755
--- a/lib/zip/ioextras.rb
+++ b/lib/zip/ioextras.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ module IOExtras  #:nodoc:
 
   CHUNK_SIZE = 32768
 
+  RANGE_ALL = 0..-1
+
   def self.copy_stream(ostream, istream)
     s = ''
     ostream.write(istream.read(CHUNK_SIZE, s)) until istream.eof? 
@@ -30,6 +32,32 @@ module IOExtras  #:nodoc:
 
     attr_accessor :lineno
 
+    def read(numberOfBytes = nil, buf = nil)
+      buf = "" unless (buf)
+
+      if numberOfBytes
+        if numberOfBytes <= @outputBuffer.length
+          buf[RANGE_ALL] = @outputBuffer.slice!(0, numberOfBytes)
+        else
+          if @outputBuffer.length > 0
+            buf[RANGE_ALL] = @outputBuffer + sysread(numberOfBytes - @outputBuffer.length, buf)
+            @outputBuffer.slice!(RANGE_ALL)
+          else
+            buf[RANGE_ALL] = sysread(nil, buf)
+          end
+        end
+      else
+        if @outputBuffer.length > 0
+          buf[RANGE_ALL] = @outputBuffer + sysread(nil, buf)
+          @outputBuffer.slice!(RANGE_ALL)
+        else
+          buf[RANGE_ALL] = sysread(nil, buf)
+        end
+      end
+
+      buf
+    end
+
     def readlines(aSepString = $/)
       retVal = []
       each_line(aSepString) { |line| retVal << line }
diff --git a/lib/zip/zip.rb b/lib/zip/zip.rb
index 9788861..4d674f9 100755
--- a/lib/zip/zip.rb
+++ b/lib/zip/zip.rb
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ module Zip
     end
 
     # Modeled after IO.read
-    def read(numberOfBytes = nil)
-      @decompressor.read(numberOfBytes)
+    def sysread(numberOfBytes = nil, buf = nil)
+      @decompressor.sysread(numberOfBytes, buf)
     end
 
     protected
@@ -170,7 +170,8 @@ module Zip
       @hasReturnedEmptyString = ! EMPTY_FILE_RETURNS_EMPTY_STRING_FIRST
     end
     
-    def read(numberOfBytes = nil)
+    # BUG: do something with buf
+    def sysread(numberOfBytes = nil, buf = nil)
       readEverything = (numberOfBytes == nil)
       while (readEverything || @outputBuffer.length < numberOfBytes)
 	break if internal_input_finished?
@@ -221,7 +222,7 @@ module Zip
     end
     
     # TODO: Specialize to handle different behaviour in ruby > 1.7.0 ?
-    def read(numberOfBytes = nil)
+    def sysread(numberOfBytes = nil, buf = nil)
       if input_finished?
 	hasReturnedEmptyStringVal=@hasReturnedEmptyString
 	@hasReturnedEmptyString=true
@@ -233,11 +234,11 @@ module Zip
 	numberOfBytes = @charsToRead-@readSoFar
       end
       @readSoFar += numberOfBytes
-      @inputStream.read(numberOfBytes)
+      @inputStream.read(numberOfBytes, buf)
     end
     
     def produce_input
-      read(Decompressor::CHUNK_SIZE)
+      sysread(Decompressor::CHUNK_SIZE)
     end
     
     def input_finished?
@@ -247,7 +248,7 @@ module Zip
   
   class NullDecompressor  #:nodoc:all
     include Singleton
-    def read(numberOfBytes = nil)
+    def sysread(numberOfBytes = nil, buf = nil)
       nil
     end
     
diff --git a/test/ziptest.rb b/test/ziptest.rb
index 6a45dab..d1684be 100755
--- a/test/ziptest.rb
+++ b/test/ziptest.rb
@@ -276,12 +276,12 @@ module DecompressorTests
   end
 
   def test_readEverything
-    assert_equal(@refText, @decompressor.read)
+    assert_equal(@refText, @decompressor.sysread)
   end
     
   def test_readInChunks
     chunkSize = 5
-    while (decompressedChunk = @decompressor.read(chunkSize))
+    while (decompressedChunk = @decompressor.sysread(chunkSize))
       assert_equal(@refText.slice!(0, chunkSize), decompressedChunk)
     end
     assert_equal(0, @refText.size)
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ module DecompressorTests
     assert(@refLines.length > 40)
 
     
-    assert_equal(@refText[0...100], @decompressor.read(100))
+    assert_equal(@refText[0...100], @decompressor.sysread(100))
 
     assert(! @decompressor.input_finished?)
     buf = @decompressor.produce_input
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ class DeflaterTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     File.open(fileName, "rb") {
       |file|
       inflater = Inflater.new(file)
-      txt = inflater.read
+      txt = inflater.sysread
     }
   end