diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 264fa4e25..040fb70a5 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ Gulp.prototype.src = require('./lib/createInputStream');
 Gulp.prototype.dest = require('./lib/createOutputStream');
 Gulp.prototype.watch = require('./lib/watchFile');
 Gulp.prototype.createGlobStream = require('glob-stream').create;
-Gulp.prototype.readFile = require('./lib/readFile');
+
+Gulp.prototype.formatFile = require('./lib/formatFile');
+Gulp.prototype.bufferFile = require('./lib/bufferFile');
+Gulp.prototype.streamFile = require('./lib/streamFile');
 
 var gulp = new Gulp();
 gulp.Gulp = Gulp;
diff --git a/lib/bufferFile.js b/lib/bufferFile.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3c3a28837
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/bufferFile.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+var fs = require('fs');
+
+module.exports = function (file, cb) {
+  fs.readFile(file.path, function (err, data) {
+    if (err) return cb(err);
+    file.contents = data;
+    cb(null, file);
+  });
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/createInputStream.js b/lib/createInputStream.js
index 347f5d30a..197a985f1 100644
--- a/lib/createInputStream.js
+++ b/lib/createInputStream.js
@@ -1,11 +1,32 @@
-var es = require('event-stream'),
-  gs = require('glob-stream'),
-  readFile = require('./readFile');
+var es = require('event-stream');
+var gs = require('glob-stream');
+var formatFile = require('./formatFile');
+
+var bufferFile = require('./bufferFile');
+var streamFile = require('./streamFile');
 
 module.exports = function(glob, opt) {
   if (!opt) opt = {};
+  if (typeof opt.read !== 'boolean') opt.read = true;
+  if (typeof opt.buffer !== 'boolean') opt.buffer = true;
+
+  var globStream = gs.create(glob, opt.glob);
+  var stream = globStream.pipe(es.map(formatFile));
+
+  // dont read anything - just pass names
+  if (!opt.read) {
+    return stream;
+  }
+
+  // read and pass full contents
+  if (opt.buffer) {
+    return stream.pipe(es.map(bufferFile));
+  }
+
+  // dont buffer anything - just pass streams
+  if (!opt.buffer) {
+    return stream.pipe(es.map(streamFile));
+  }
 
-  var globStream = gs.create(glob, opt);
-  var stream = globStream.pipe(es.map(readFile));
   return stream;
 };
diff --git a/lib/createOutputStream.js b/lib/createOutputStream.js
index fc580b6b9..316bc598e 100644
--- a/lib/createOutputStream.js
+++ b/lib/createOutputStream.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-var es = require('event-stream'),
-  fs = require('fs'),
-  path = require('path'),
-  mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
+var es = require('event-stream');
+var fs = require('fs');
+var path = require('path');
+var mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
 
 module.exports = function(folder, opt) {
   if (!opt) opt = {};
diff --git a/lib/formatFile.js b/lib/formatFile.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c649db224
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/formatFile.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+var realBase = require('gulp-util').realBase;
+
+module.exports = function (file, cb) {
+  cb(null, {
+    shortened: realBase(file.base, file.path),
+    base: file.base,
+    path: file.path
+  });
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/readFile.js b/lib/readFile.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 7c2a1b54d..000000000
--- a/lib/readFile.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-var fs = require('fs'),
-  realBase = require('gulp-util').realBase;
-
-module.exports = function (file, cb) {
-  fs.readFile(file.path, function (err, data) {
-    if (err) return cb(err);
-    cb(null, {
-      shortened: realBase(file.base, file.path),
-      base: file.base,
-      path: file.path,
-      contents: data
-    });
-  });
-};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/streamFile.js b/lib/streamFile.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f191fa399
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/streamFile.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+var fs = require('fs');
+
+module.exports = function (file, cb) {
+  file.contents = fs.createReadStream(file.path);
+  cb(null, file);
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/watchFile.js b/lib/watchFile.js
index e10e959d3..e58f77308 100644
--- a/lib/watchFile.js
+++ b/lib/watchFile.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-var gaze = require('gaze'),
-  EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
+var gaze = require('gaze');
+var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 
 module.exports = function(glob, cb) {
   var out = new EventEmitter();
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e94d48606..a08cbb9ce 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
    "name":"gulp",
    "description":"The streaming build system",
-   "version":"1.1.0",
+   "version":"1.2.0",
    "homepage":"http://github.com/wearefractal/gulp",
    "repository":"git://github.com/wearefractal/gulp.git",
    "author":"Fractal <contact@wearefractal.com> (http://wearefractal.com/)",
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
       "optimist":"0.6.0",
       "gulp-util":"1.0.0",
       "gaze":"0.4.2",
-      "orchestrator": "0.0.5"
+      "orchestrator": "0.0.6"
    },
    "devDependencies":{
       "mocha":"*",
diff --git a/test/file-utils.js b/test/file-utils.js
index d016d4a2f..47fd54366 100644
--- a/test/file-utils.js
+++ b/test/file-utils.js
@@ -1,23 +1,73 @@
 var gulp = require('../');
 var should = require('should');
-var join = require('path').join;
+var path = require('path');
+var join = path.join;
+var dirname = path.dirname;
 require('mocha');
 
-describe('gulp readFile', function() {
-  describe('readFile()', function() {
-    it('should return a valid file struct', function(done) {
+describe('gulp bufferFile', function() {
+  describe('bufferFile()', function() {
+    it('should return a valid file file', function(done) {
       var fname = join(__dirname, "./fixtures/test.coffee");
-      gulp.readFile({path:fname,base:fname}, function(err, struct) {
+      var base = dirname(fname);
+      gulp.bufferFile({path:fname,base:base}, function(err, file) {
         should.not.exist(err);
-        should.exist(struct);
-        should.exist(struct.path);
-        should.exist(struct.contents);
-        should.exist(struct.base);
-        struct.path.should.equal(fname);
-        struct.base.should.equal(fname);
-        String(struct.contents).should.equal("this is a test");
+        should.exist(file);
+        should.exist(file.path);
+        should.exist(file.contents);
+        should.exist(file.base);
+        file.path.should.equal(fname);
+        file.base.should.equal(base);
+        String(file.contents).should.equal("this is a test");
         done();
       });
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe('gulp streamFile', function() {
+  describe('streamFile()', function() {
+    it('should return a valid file file', function(done) {
+      var fname = join(__dirname, "./fixtures/test.coffee");
+      var base = dirname(fname);
+      gulp.streamFile({path:fname,base:base}, function(err, file) {
+        should.not.exist(err);
+        should.exist(file);
+        should.exist(file.path);
+        should.exist(file.contents);
+        should.exist(file.base);
+        file.path.should.equal(fname);
+        file.base.should.equal(base);
+
+        var buf = "";
+        file.contents.on('data', function(d){
+          buf += d;
+        });
+        file.contents.on('end', function(){
+          buf.should.equal("this is a test");
+          done();
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+describe('gulp formatFile', function() {
+  describe('formatFile()', function() {
+    it('should return a valid file file', function(done) {
+      var fname = join(__dirname, "./fixtures/test.coffee");
+      var base = dirname(fname);
+      gulp.formatFile({path:fname,base:base}, function(err, file) {
+        should.not.exist(err);
+        should.exist(file);
+        should.exist(file.shortened);
+        should.exist(file.path);
+        should.exist(file.base);
+        file.path.should.equal(fname);
+        file.base.should.equal(base);
+        file.shortened.should.equal("test.coffee");
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/src.js b/test/src.js
index d9b7e1731..80537d5be 100644
--- a/test/src.js
+++ b/test/src.js
@@ -25,6 +25,37 @@ describe('gulp input stream', function() {
         done();
       });
     });
+    it('should return a input stream with no contents when read is false', function(done) {
+      var stream = gulp.src(join(__dirname, "./fixtures/*.coffee"), {read: false});
+      stream.on('error', done);
+      stream.on('data', function(file) {
+        should.exist(file);
+        should.exist(file.path);
+        should.not.exist(file.contents);
+        join(file.path,'').should.equal(join(__dirname, "./fixtures/test.coffee"));
+      });
+      stream.on('end', function() {
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+    it('should return a input stream with contents as stream when buffer is false', function(done) {
+      var stream = gulp.src(join(__dirname, "./fixtures/*.coffee"), {buffer: false});
+      stream.on('error', done);
+      stream.on('data', function(file) {
+        should.exist(file);
+        should.exist(file.path);
+        should.exist(file.contents);
+        var buf = "";
+        file.contents.on('data', function(d){
+          buf += d;
+        });
+        file.contents.on('end', function(){
+          buf.should.equal("this is a test");
+          done();
+        });
+        join(file.path,'').should.equal(join(__dirname, "./fixtures/test.coffee"));
+      });
+    });
     it('should return a input stream from a deep glob', function(done) {
       var stream = gulp.src(join(__dirname, "./fixtures/**/*.jade"));
       stream.on('error', done);