diff --git a/src/imemfile.cpp b/src/imemfile.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..196d3e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/imemfile.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#include "libscio.hpp"
+
+sc::io::imemfile::imemfile(const std::string& path) : std::istream {&_buf},
+                                                      _file {path},
+                                                      _buf {_file.mapping(), _file.size()} {}
+
+sc::io::imemfile::imemfile(imemfile&& other) : std::istream {&_buf},
+                                               _file {std::move(other._file)},
+                                               _buf {std::move(other._buf)} {}
+
+void sc::io::imemfile::open(const std::string& path, std::ios_base::openmode /* mode */) {
+    _file.open(path);
+    _buf.init(_file.mapping(), _file.size());
+}
diff --git a/src/libscio.hpp b/src/libscio.hpp
index 36f49cd..3b4c582 100644
--- a/src/libscio.hpp
+++ b/src/libscio.hpp
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ namespace sc {
 
         class mapped_file {
             public:
-                mapped_file();
+                mapped_file() = default;
                 mapped_file(const std::string& path);
 
                 // no copying
@@ -301,6 +301,7 @@ namespace sc {
                 // it's an error to open an already opened mapped_file
                 // open() is meant to be used after default constructor
                 void open(const std::string& path);
+                bool is_open() const { return _fd != -1; }
 
                 // direct (read-only) access to mapped memory
                 char* mapping() const { return _mapping; }
@@ -312,6 +313,67 @@ namespace sc {
                 size_t _length {0};
         };
 
+        class memstreambuf : public std::streambuf {
+            public:
+                memstreambuf() = default;
+                void init(char* mem, size_t size);
+
+                memstreambuf(char* mem, size_t size);
+
+                void mem(char* m) { _mem = m; }
+                char* mem() const { return _mem; }
+                void size(size_t sz) { _size = sz; }
+                size_t size() const { return _size; }
+
+            protected:
+                // input
+                int_type uflow() override;
+                std::streamsize xsgetn(char* s, std::streamsize n) override;
+
+                // output
+                int_type overflow(int_type c) override;
+                std::streamsize xsputn(const char* s, std::streamsize num) override;
+
+                // stream offset positioning
+                pos_type seekoff(off_type off,
+                                 std::ios_base::seekdir dir,
+                                 std::ios_base::openmode which
+                                 = std::ios_base::in | std::ios_base::out) override;
+                pos_type seekpos(pos_type pos, std::ios_base::openmode which
+                                 = std::ios_base::in | std::ios_base::out) override;
+                int_type pbackfail(int_type c = EOF) override;
+
+            private:
+                char* _mem {nullptr};
+                size_t _size {0};
+        };
+
+        class imemfile : public std::istream {
+            public:
+                imemfile() : std::istream(&_buf) {}
+                imemfile(const std::string& path);
+
+                // no copying
+                imemfile(const imemfile&) = delete;
+                imemfile& operator=(const imemfile&) = delete;
+
+                // move is allowed
+                imemfile(imemfile&& other);
+                imemfile& operator=(imemfile&&) = default;
+
+                ~imemfile() = default;
+
+                bool is_open() const { return _file.is_open(); }
+                void open(const std::string& path, std::ios_base::openmode mode
+                          = std::ios_base::in | std::ios_base::binary);
+
+                char* data() const { return _file.mapping(); }
+                size_t size() const { return _file.size(); }
+
+            private:
+                mapped_file _file;
+                memstreambuf _buf;
+        };
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/memstreambuf.cpp b/src/memstreambuf.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb29e35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/memstreambuf.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+#include "libscio.hpp"
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <cstring>
+
+sc::io::memstreambuf::memstreambuf(char* mem, size_t size) {
+	init(mem, size);
+}
+
+void sc::io::memstreambuf::init(char* mem, size_t size) {
+	_mem = mem;
+	_size = size;
+	setg(_mem, _mem, _mem + _size);
+}
+
+std::streambuf::int_type sc::io::memstreambuf::uflow() {
+	if (gptr() == _mem + _size) return EOF;
+	char c = *gptr();
+	setg(_mem, gptr() + 1, _mem + _size);
+	return c;
+}
+
+std::streamsize sc::io::memstreambuf::xsgetn(char* s, std::streamsize n) {
+	std::streamsize left = _mem + _size - gptr();
+	std::streamsize tot_read = std::min(left, n);
+	if (tot_read == 0) return EOF;
+	std::memcpy(s, gptr(), tot_read);
+	return tot_read;
+}
+
+std::streambuf::int_type sc::io::memstreambuf::overflow(std::streambuf::int_type c) {
+	// TODO
+	// if (c != EOF) {
+	// 	int res;
+	// 	if ((res = write(_fd, &c, 1)) != 1) {
+	// 		return EOF;
+	// 	}
+	// 	else {
+	// 		std::cerr << "write result = " << res << ", errno = " << errno << '\n';
+	// 	}
+	// }
+	// _ch = c;
+	// setp(&_ch, &_ch + 1);
+	return c;
+}
+
+std::streamsize sc::io::memstreambuf::xsputn(const char* s, std::streamsize num) {
+	// TODO
+// 	int res = write(_fd, s, num);
+// 	if (res != num) {
+// 		std::cerr << "write result = " << res << ", errno = " << errno << '\n';
+// 		return EOF;
+// 	}
+	// return res;
+	return num;
+}
+
+std::streambuf::pos_type sc::io::memstreambuf::seekoff(std::streambuf::off_type off,
+												  std::ios_base::seekdir dir,
+												  std::ios_base::openmode /*which*/) {
+	switch (dir) {
+		case std::ios_base::beg: setg(_mem, _mem + off, _mem + _size); break;
+		case std::ios_base::end: setg(_mem, _mem + _size - off, _mem + _size); break;
+		case std::ios_base::cur: setg(_mem, gptr() + off, _mem + _size); break;
+		default: throw std::runtime_error("invalid seekdir");
+	}
+	return gptr() - _mem;
+}
+
+std::streambuf::pos_type sc::io::memstreambuf::seekpos(std::streambuf::pos_type pos,
+												  std::ios_base::openmode /*which*/) {
+	setg(_mem, _mem + pos, _mem + _size);
+	return gptr() - _mem;
+}
+
+std::streambuf::int_type sc::io::memstreambuf::pbackfail(std::streambuf::int_type /*c*/) {
+	setg(_mem, gptr() - 1, _mem + _size);
+	if (gptr() < _mem) return EOF;
+	return 0;
+}