diff --git a/diskqueue.go b/diskqueue.go
index 29d15ac..7ab63dc 100644
--- a/diskqueue.go
+++ b/diskqueue.go
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ type Interface interface {
 	Delete() error
 	Depth() int64
 	Empty() error
+  Peek() ([]byte, error)
 }
 
 // diskQueue implements a filesystem backed FIFO queue
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ type diskQueue struct {
 
 	// exposed via ReadChan()
 	readChan chan []byte
+	peekChan chan []byte
 
 	// internal channels
 	depthChan         chan int64
@@ -114,6 +116,7 @@ func New(name string, dataPath string, maxBytesPerFile int64,
 		minMsgSize:        minMsgSize,
 		maxMsgSize:        maxMsgSize,
 		readChan:          make(chan []byte),
+		peekChan:          make(chan []byte),
 		depthChan:         make(chan int64),
 		writeChan:         make(chan []byte),
 		writeResponseChan: make(chan error),
@@ -151,6 +154,14 @@ func (d *diskQueue) ReadChan() <-chan []byte {
 	return d.readChan
 }
 
+func (d *diskQueue) Peek() ([]byte, error) {
+	ret, ok := <-d.peekChan
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, errors.New("exiting")
+	}
+	return ret, nil
+}
+
 // Put writes a []byte to the queue
 func (d *diskQueue) Put(data []byte) error {
 	d.RLock()
@@ -194,6 +205,7 @@ func (d *diskQueue) exit(deleted bool) error {
 	<-d.exitSyncChan
 
 	close(d.depthChan)
+  close(d.peekChan)
 
 	if d.readFile != nil {
 		d.readFile.Close()
@@ -543,7 +555,6 @@ func (d *diskQueue) moveForward() {
 	d.readFileNum = d.nextReadFileNum
 	d.readPos = d.nextReadPos
 	d.depth -= 1
-
 	// see if we need to clean up the old file
 	if oldReadFileNum != d.nextReadFileNum {
 		// sync every time we start reading from a new file
@@ -637,6 +648,7 @@ func (d *diskQueue) ioLoop() {
 			}
 			r = d.readChan
 		} else {
+			dataRead = nil
 			r = nil
 		}
 
@@ -647,6 +659,7 @@ func (d *diskQueue) ioLoop() {
 			count++
 			// moveForward sets needSync flag if a file is removed
 			d.moveForward()
+		case d.peekChan <- dataRead:
 		case d.depthChan <- d.depth:
 		case <-d.emptyChan:
 			d.emptyResponseChan <- d.deleteAllFiles()
diff --git a/diskqueue_test.go b/diskqueue_test.go
index a685f07..4a61380 100644
--- a/diskqueue_test.go
+++ b/diskqueue_test.go
@@ -91,13 +91,46 @@ func TestDiskQueue(t *testing.T) {
 	NotNil(t, dq)
 	Equal(t, int64(0), dq.Depth())
 
+	msgOut, err := dq.Peek()
+	Nil(t, msgOut)
+	Nil(t, err)
+
 	msg := []byte("test")
+	msg1 := []byte("test1")
+
 	err = dq.Put(msg)
 	Nil(t, err)
 	Equal(t, int64(1), dq.Depth())
 
-	msgOut := <-dq.ReadChan()
+	msgOut, err = dq.Peek()
+	Equal(t, msg, msgOut)
+	Nil(t, err)
+
+	msgOut, err = dq.Peek()
+	Equal(t, msg, msgOut)
+	Nil(t, err)
+
+	err = dq.Put(msg1)
+	Nil(t, err)
+	Equal(t, int64(2), dq.Depth())
+
+	msgOut, err = dq.Peek()
 	Equal(t, msg, msgOut)
+	Nil(t, err)
+
+	msgOut = <-dq.ReadChan()
+	Equal(t, msg, msgOut)
+
+	msgOut, err = dq.Peek()
+	Equal(t, msg1, msgOut)
+	Nil(t, err)
+
+	msgOut = <-dq.ReadChan()
+	Equal(t, msg1, msgOut)
+
+	msgOut, err = dq.Peek()
+	Nil(t, msgOut)
+	Nil(t, err)
 }
 
 func TestDiskQueueRoll(t *testing.T) {
@@ -170,6 +203,9 @@ func TestDiskQueueEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 
 	numFiles := dq.(*diskQueue).writeFileNum
 	dq.Empty()
+	outMsg, err := dq.Peek()
+	Nil(t, outMsg)
+	Nil(t, err)
 
 	assertFileNotExist(t, dq.(*diskQueue).metaDataFileName())
 	for i := int64(0); i <= numFiles; i++ {