diff --git a/lib/zxystream.js b/lib/zxystream.js
index 4da0cda..5816503 100644
--- a/lib/zxystream.js
+++ b/lib/zxystream.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ function ZXYStream(source, options) {
     options = options || {};
 
     this.source = source;
-    this._afterGet = this._afterGet.bind(this);
+    this.batch = options.batch || 1000;
 
     stream.Readable.call(this);
 }
@@ -38,14 +38,29 @@ ZXYStream.prototype._read = function() {
         return;
     }
 
-    stream.statement.get(stream._afterGet);
-};
+    var lines = '';
+    var error;
+    var remaining = stream.batch;
+    for (var i = 0; i < stream.batch; i++) stream.statement.get(afterGet);
 
-ZXYStream.prototype._afterGet = function(err, row) {
-    if (err && err.code === 'SQLITE_ERROR' && /no such table/.test(err.message)) return this.push(null);
-    if (err) return this.emit('error', err);
-    if (!row) return this.push(null);
-    this.push(toLine(row));
+    function afterGet(err, row) {
+        if (err && err.code === 'SQLITE_ERROR' && /no such table/.test(err.message)) {
+            // no-op
+        } else if (err) {
+            error = err;
+        } else if (!row) {
+            // no-op
+        } else {
+            lines += toLine(row);
+        }
+        if (!--remaining) {
+            if (error) {
+                stream.emit('error', error);
+            } else {
+                stream.push(lines || null);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 };
 
 function toLine(row) {
diff --git a/test/zxystream.js b/test/zxystream.js
index eafdd7a..58e1e3d 100644
--- a/test/zxystream.js
+++ b/test/zxystream.js
@@ -10,12 +10,13 @@ tape('zxystream setup', function(assert) {
     });
 });
 
-tape('zxystream default', function(assert) {
+tape('zxystream default batch', function(assert) {
     var stream = source.createZXYStream();
     var output = '';
     var called = 0;
 
     assert.deepEqual(stream.source, source, 'sets stream.source');
+    assert.deepEqual(stream.batch, 1000, 'sets stream.batch = 1000');
 
     stream.on('data', function(lines) {
         assert.equal(stream.table, 'map');
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ tape('zxystream default', function(assert) {
     stream.on('end', function() {
         var queue = output.toString().split('\n');
         assert.equal(queue.length, 270);
-        assert.equal(called, 269, 'emitted data' + called + ' times');
+        assert.equal(called, 1, 'emitted data x1 times');
         checkTile(queue);
         function checkTile(queue) {
             if (!queue.length) return assert.end();
@@ -41,6 +42,37 @@ tape('zxystream default', function(assert) {
 });
 
 
+tape('zxystream batch = 10', function(assert) {
+    var stream = source.createZXYStream({batch:10});
+    var output = '';
+    var called = 0;
+
+    assert.deepEqual(stream.source, source, 'sets stream.source');
+    assert.deepEqual(stream.batch, 10, 'sets stream.batch = 10');
+
+    stream.on('data', function(lines) {
+        assert.equal(stream.table, 'map');
+        output += lines;
+        called++;
+    });
+    stream.on('end', function() {
+        var queue = output.toString().split('\n');
+        assert.equal(queue.length, 270);
+        assert.equal(called, 27, 'emitted data x27 times');
+        checkTile(queue);
+        function checkTile(queue) {
+            if (!queue.length) return assert.end();
+            var zxy = queue.shift();
+            if (!zxy) return checkTile(queue);
+            zxy = zxy.split('/');
+            source.getTile(zxy[0], zxy[1], zxy[2], function(err, buffer, headers) {
+                assert.equal(!err && (buffer instanceof Buffer), true, zxy.join('/') + ' exists');
+                checkTile(queue);
+            });
+        }
+    });
+});
+
 tape('zxystream unindexed', function(assert) {
     new MBTiles(__dirname + '/fixtures/unindexed.mbtiles', function(err, s) {
         assert.ifError(err);
@@ -55,6 +87,7 @@ tape('zxystream unindexed zxystream', function(assert) {
     var called = 0;
 
     assert.deepEqual(stream.source, source, 'sets stream.source');
+    assert.deepEqual(stream.batch, 1000, 'sets stream.batch = 1000');
 
     stream.on('data', function(lines) {
         assert.equal(stream.table, 'tiles');
@@ -64,7 +97,7 @@ tape('zxystream unindexed zxystream', function(assert) {
     stream.on('end', function() {
         var queue = output.toString().split('\n');
         assert.equal(queue.length, 286);
-        assert.equal(called, 285, 'emitted data x285 times');
+        assert.equal(called, 1, 'emitted data x27 times');
         checkTile(queue);
         function checkTile(queue) {
             if (!queue.length) return assert.end();