diff --git a/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SFTP.php b/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SFTP.php
index c67f937ad0..1caebf8a9d 100644
--- a/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SFTP.php
+++ b/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SFTP.php
@@ -372,6 +372,10 @@ class SFTP extends \OC\Files\Storage\Common {
 					if ( !$this->file_exists($path)) {
 						return false;
 					}
+					SFTPReadStream::register();
+					$context = stream_context_create(['sftp' => ['session' => $this->getConnection()]]);
+					$handle = fopen('sftpread://' . trim($absPath, '/'), 'r', false, $context);
+					return RetryWrapper::wrap($handle);
 				case 'w':
 				case 'wb':
 				case 'a':
diff --git a/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SFTPReadStream.php b/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SFTPReadStream.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..850a546900
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/files_external/lib/Lib/Storage/SFTPReadStream.php
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+<?php declare(strict_types=1);
+/**
+ * @copyright Copyright (c) 2020 Robin Appelman <robin@icewind.nl>
+ *
+ * @license GNU AGPL version 3 or any later version
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+namespace OCA\Files_External\Lib\Storage;
+
+use Icewind\Streams\File;
+use phpseclib\Net\SSH2;
+
+class SFTPReadStream implements File {
+	/** @var resource */
+	public $context;
+
+	/** @var \phpseclib\Net\SFTP */
+	private $sftp;
+
+	/** @var resource */
+	private $handle;
+
+	/** @var int */
+	private $internalPosition = 0;
+
+	/** @var int */
+	private $readPosition = 0;
+
+	/** @var bool */
+	private $eof = false;
+
+	private $buffer = '';
+
+	static function register($protocol = 'sftpread') {
+		if (in_array($protocol, stream_get_wrappers(), true)) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		return stream_wrapper_register($protocol, get_called_class());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Load the source from the stream context and return the context options
+	 *
+	 * @param string $name
+	 * @return array
+	 * @throws \BadMethodCallException
+	 */
+	protected function loadContext($name) {
+		$context = stream_context_get_options($this->context);
+		if (isset($context[$name])) {
+			$context = $context[$name];
+		} else {
+			throw new \BadMethodCallException('Invalid context, "' . $name . '" options not set');
+		}
+		if (isset($context['session']) and $context['session'] instanceof \phpseclib\Net\SFTP) {
+			$this->sftp = $context['session'];
+		} else {
+			throw new \BadMethodCallException('Invalid context, session not set');
+		}
+		return $context;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_open($path, $mode, $options, &$opened_path) {
+		[, $path] = explode('://', $path);
+		$this->loadContext('sftp');
+
+		if (!($this->sftp->bitmap & SSH2::MASK_LOGIN)) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		$remote_file = $this->sftp->_realpath($path);
+		if ($remote_file === false) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		$packet = pack('Na*N2', strlen($remote_file), $remote_file, NET_SFTP_OPEN_READ, 0);
+		if (!$this->sftp->_send_sftp_packet(NET_SFTP_OPEN, $packet)) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		$response = $this->sftp->_get_sftp_packet();
+		switch ($this->sftp->packet_type) {
+			case NET_SFTP_HANDLE:
+				$this->handle = substr($response, 4);
+				break;
+			case NET_SFTP_STATUS: // presumably SSH_FX_NO_SUCH_FILE or SSH_FX_PERMISSION_DENIED
+				$this->sftp->_logError($response);
+				return false;
+			default:
+				user_error('Expected SSH_FXP_HANDLE or SSH_FXP_STATUS');
+				return false;
+		}
+
+		$this->request_chunk(256 * 1024);
+
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_seek($offset, $whence = SEEK_SET) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_tell() {
+		return $this->readPosition;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_read($count) {
+		if (!$this->eof && strlen($this->buffer) < $count) {
+			$chunk = $this->read_chunk();
+			$this->buffer .= $chunk;
+			if (!$this->eof) {
+				$this->request_chunk(256 * 1024);
+			}
+		}
+
+		$data = substr($this->buffer, 0, $count);
+		$this->buffer = substr($this->buffer, $count);
+		$this->readPosition += strlen($data);
+
+		return $data;
+	}
+
+	private function request_chunk($size) {
+		$packet = pack('Na*N3', strlen($this->handle), $this->handle, $this->internalPosition / 4294967296, $this->internalPosition, $size);
+		return $this->sftp->_send_sftp_packet(NET_SFTP_READ, $packet);
+	}
+
+	private function read_chunk() {
+		$response = $this->sftp->_get_sftp_packet();
+
+		switch ($this->sftp->packet_type) {
+			case NET_SFTP_DATA:
+				$temp = substr($response, 4);
+				$len = strlen($temp);
+				$this->internalPosition += $len;
+				return $temp;
+			case NET_SFTP_STATUS:
+				[1 => $status] = unpack('N', substr($response, 0, 4));
+				if ($status == NET_SFTP_STATUS_EOF) {
+					$this->eof = true;
+				}
+				return '';
+			default:
+				return '';
+		}
+	}
+
+	public function stream_write($data) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_set_option($option, $arg1, $arg2) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_truncate($size) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_stat() {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_lock($operation) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_flush() {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_eof() {
+		return $this->eof;
+	}
+
+	public function stream_close() {
+		if (!$this->sftp->_close_handle($this->handle)) {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
+}