diff --git a/src/io/read/mod.rs b/src/io/read/mod.rs
index 53fc94b..59e9bfb 100644
--- a/src/io/read/mod.rs
+++ b/src/io/read/mod.rs
@@ -303,6 +303,44 @@ extension_trait! {
         {
             take::Take { inner: self, limit }
         }
+
+        #[doc = r#"
+            Creates a "by reference" adaptor for this instance of `Read`.
+           
+            The returned adaptor also implements `Read` and will simply borrow this
+            current reader.
+           
+            # Examples
+           
+            [`File`][file]s implement `Read`:
+           
+            [file]: ../fs/struct.File.html
+           
+            ```no_run
+            use async_std::io;
+            use async_std::prelude::*;
+            use async_std::fs::File;
+           
+            fn main() -> io::Result<()> { async_std::task::block_on(async {
+                let mut f = File::open("foo.txt").await?;
+                let mut buffer = Vec::new();
+                let mut other_buffer = Vec::new();
+           
+                {
+                    let reference = f.by_ref();
+           
+                    // read at most 5 bytes
+                    reference.take(5).read_to_end(&mut buffer).await?;
+           
+                } // drop our &mut reference so we can use f again
+           
+                // original file still usable, read the rest
+                f.read_to_end(&mut other_buffer).await?;
+                Ok(())
+            }) }
+            ```
+        "#]
+        fn by_ref(&mut self) -> &mut Self where Self: Sized { self }
     }
 
     impl<T: Read + Unpin + ?Sized> Read for Box<T> {
@@ -349,3 +387,31 @@ extension_trait! {
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use crate::io;
+    use crate::prelude::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_read_by_ref() -> io::Result<()> {
+        crate::task::block_on(async {
+            let mut f = io::Cursor::new(vec![0u8, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]);
+            let mut buffer = Vec::new();
+            let mut other_buffer = Vec::new();
+
+            {
+                let reference = f.by_ref();
+
+                // read at most 5 bytes
+                assert_eq!(reference.take(5).read_to_end(&mut buffer).await?, 5);
+                assert_eq!(&buffer, &[0, 1, 2, 3, 4])
+            } // drop our &mut reference so we can use f again
+
+            // original file still usable, read the rest
+            assert_eq!(f.read_to_end(&mut other_buffer).await?, 4);
+            assert_eq!(&other_buffer, &[5, 6, 7, 8]);
+            Ok(())
+        })
+    }
+}