diff --git a/lib/zxystream.js b/lib/zxystream.js
index 4d1d44f..4da0cda 100644
--- a/lib/zxystream.js
+++ b/lib/zxystream.js
@@ -6,22 +6,13 @@ util.inherits(ZXYStream, stream.Readable);
 
 // Readable stream of line-delimited z/x/y coordinates
 // contained within the MBTiles `tiles` table/view.
-//
-// The `batch` option exists to allow tests to check that
-// multiple calls to `_read` are handled properly. IRL the
-// default offset of 1000 should be reasonably efficient
-// and not worth messing with.
 function ZXYStream(source, options) {
     if (!source) throw new TypeError('MBTiles source required');
 
     options = options || {};
 
-    if (options.batch !== undefined && typeof options.batch !== 'number')
-        throw new TypeError('options.batch must be a positive integer');
-
     this.source = source;
-    this.batch = options.batch || 1000;
-    this.offset = 0;
+    this._afterGet = this._afterGet.bind(this);
 
     stream.Readable.call(this);
 }
@@ -38,15 +29,23 @@ ZXYStream.prototype._read = function() {
         });
     }
 
-    this.source._db.all('SELECT zoom_level AS z, tile_column AS x, tile_row AS y FROM ' + this.table + ' LIMIT ' + this.batch + ' OFFSET ' + this.offset, function(err, rows) {
-        if (err && err.code === 'SQLITE_ERROR' && /no such table/.test(err.message)) return stream.push(null);
-        if (err) return stream.emit('error', err);
-        if (!rows.length) return stream.push(null);
-        stream.offset += stream.batch;
-        var chunk = '';
-        for (var i = 0; i < rows.length; i++) chunk += toLine(rows[i]);
-        stream.push(chunk);
-    });
+    // Prepare sql statement
+    if (!stream.statement) {
+        stream.statement = this.source._db.prepare('SELECT zoom_level AS z, tile_column AS x, tile_row AS y FROM ' + this.table, function(err) {
+            if (err && err.code === 'SQLITE_ERROR' && /no such table/.test(err.message)) return stream.push(null);
+            return stream._read();
+        });
+        return;
+    }
+
+    stream.statement.get(stream._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 toLine(row) {
diff --git a/test/zxystream.js b/test/zxystream.js
index 92008fc..eafdd7a 100644
--- a/test/zxystream.js
+++ b/test/zxystream.js
@@ -10,14 +10,12 @@ tape('zxystream setup', function(assert) {
     });
 });
 
-tape('zxystream default batch', function(assert) {
+tape('zxystream default', 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');
-    assert.deepEqual(stream.offset, 0, 'sets stream.offset = 0');
 
     stream.on('data', function(lines) {
         assert.equal(stream.table, 'map');
@@ -27,7 +25,7 @@ tape('zxystream default batch', function(assert) {
     stream.on('end', function() {
         var queue = output.toString().split('\n');
         assert.equal(queue.length, 270);
-        assert.equal(called, 1, 'emitted data x1 times');
+        assert.equal(called, 269, 'emitted data' + called + ' times');
         checkTile(queue);
         function checkTile(queue) {
             if (!queue.length) return assert.end();
@@ -43,38 +41,6 @@ tape('zxystream default batch', 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');
-    assert.deepEqual(stream.offset, 0, 'sets stream.offset = 0');
-
-    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);
@@ -89,8 +55,6 @@ 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');
-    assert.deepEqual(stream.offset, 0, 'sets stream.offset = 0');
 
     stream.on('data', function(lines) {
         assert.equal(stream.table, 'tiles');
@@ -100,7 +64,7 @@ tape('zxystream unindexed zxystream', function(assert) {
     stream.on('end', function() {
         var queue = output.toString().split('\n');
         assert.equal(queue.length, 286);
-        assert.equal(called, 1, 'emitted data x27 times');
+        assert.equal(called, 285, 'emitted data x285 times');
         checkTile(queue);
         function checkTile(queue) {
             if (!queue.length) return assert.end();