diff --git a/examples/stdin-stdout-stderr.coffee b/examples/stdin-stdout-stderr.coffee
index 6bee88d8..60723e01 100644
--- a/examples/stdin-stdout-stderr.coffee
+++ b/examples/stdin-stdout-stderr.coffee
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ line = system.stdin.readLine()
 system.stdout.writeLine JSON.stringify line
 
 # This is essentially a `readAll`
-system.stdout.writeLine 'system.stdin.read(): (ctrl+D to end)'
-input = system.stdin.read()
+system.stdout.writeLine 'system.stdin.read(5): (ctrl+D to end)'
+input = system.stdin.read 5
 system.stdout.writeLine JSON.stringify input
 
 phantom.exit 0
diff --git a/examples/stdin-stdout-stderr.js b/examples/stdin-stdout-stderr.js
index 03734bed..80a43d38 100644
--- a/examples/stdin-stdout-stderr.js
+++ b/examples/stdin-stdout-stderr.js
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ var line = system.stdin.readLine();
 system.stdout.writeLine(JSON.stringify(line));
 
 // This is essentially a `readAll`
-system.stdout.writeLine('system.stdin.read(): (ctrl+D to end)');
-var input = system.stdin.read();
+system.stdout.writeLine('system.stdin.read(5): (ctrl+D to end)');
+var input = system.stdin.read(5);
 system.stdout.writeLine(JSON.stringify(input));
 
 phantom.exit(0);
diff --git a/src/filesystem.cpp b/src/filesystem.cpp
index 24a809ef..0b4f932e 100644
--- a/src/filesystem.cpp
+++ b/src/filesystem.cpp
@@ -59,8 +59,18 @@ File::~File()
 //      encounters \0 or similar
 
 // public slots:
-QString File::read()
+QString File::read(const QVariant &n)
 {
+    // Default to 1024 (used when n is "null")
+    qint64 bytesToRead = 1024;
+
+    // If parameter can be converted to a qint64, do so and use that value instead
+    if (n.canConvert(QVariant::LongLong)) {
+        bytesToRead = n.toLongLong();
+    }
+
+    const bool isReadAll = 0 > bytesToRead;
+
     if ( !m_file->isReadable() ) {
         qDebug() << "File::read - " << "Couldn't read:" << m_file->fileName();
         return QString();
@@ -71,17 +81,31 @@ QString File::read()
     }
     if ( m_fileStream ) {
         // text file
-        const qint64 pos = m_fileStream->pos();
-        m_fileStream->seek(0);
-        const QString ret = m_fileStream->readAll();
-        m_fileStream->seek(pos);
+        QString ret;
+        if (isReadAll) {
+            // This code, for some reason, reads the whole file from 0 to EOF,
+            // and then resets to the position the file was at prior to reading
+            const qint64 pos = m_fileStream->pos();
+            m_fileStream->seek(0);
+            ret = m_fileStream->readAll();
+            m_fileStream->seek(pos);
+        } else {
+            ret = m_fileStream->read(bytesToRead);
+        }
         return ret;
     } else {
         // binary file
-        const qint64 pos = m_file->pos();
-        m_file->seek(0);
-        const QByteArray data = m_file->readAll();
-        m_file->seek(pos);
+        QByteArray data;
+        if (isReadAll) {
+            // This code, for some reason, reads the whole file from 0 to EOF,
+            // and then resets to the position the file was at prior to reading
+            const qint64 pos = m_file->pos();
+            m_file->seek(0);
+            data = m_file->readAll();
+            m_file->seek(pos);
+        } else {
+            data = m_file->read(bytesToRead);
+        }
         QString ret(data.size());
         for(int i = 0; i < data.size(); ++i) {
             ret[i] = data.at(i);
diff --git a/src/filesystem.h b/src/filesystem.h
index e61a13e3..aa4ded10 100644
--- a/src/filesystem.h
+++ b/src/filesystem.h
@@ -49,7 +49,12 @@ public:
     virtual ~File();
 
 public slots:
-    QString read();
+    /**
+     * @param n Number of bytes to read (a negative value means read up to EOF)
+     * NOTE: The use of QVariant here is necessary to catch JavaScript `null`.
+     * @see <a href="http://wiki.commonjs.org/wiki/IO/A#Instance_Methods">IO/A spec</a>
+     */
+    QString read(const QVariant &n = -1);
     bool write(const QString &data);
 
     bool seek(const qint64 pos);
diff --git a/test/fs-spec-01.js b/test/fs-spec-01.js
index 5eaab969..c759cd6a 100644
--- a/test/fs-spec-01.js
+++ b/test/fs-spec-01.js
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@ describe("Basic Files API (read, write, remove, ...)", function() {
         expect(content).toEqual("hello\nworld\n");
     });
 
+    it("should be able to read specific number of bytes from a specific position in a file", function() {
+        var content = "";
+        try{
+            var f = fs.open(FILENAME, "r");
+            f.seek(3);
+            content = f.read(5);
+            f.close();
+        } catch (e) { }
+        expect(content).toEqual("lo\nwo");
+    });
+
     it("should be able to read/write/append content from a file", function() {
         var content = "";
         try{