diff --git a/src/backup/index.rs b/src/backup/index.rs
index 44dabee6..29a0d54a 100644
--- a/src/backup/index.rs
+++ b/src/backup/index.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+use failure::*;
+use futures::*;
+use bytes::{Bytes, BytesMut};
+
 pub trait IndexFile: Send {
     fn index_count(&self) -> usize;
     fn index_digest(&self, pos: usize) -> Option<&[u8; 32]>;
@@ -40,3 +44,60 @@ impl std::io::Read for ChunkListReader {
         }
     }
 }
+
+/// Decodes a Stream<Item=Bytes> into Stream<Item=<[u8;32]>
+///
+/// The reader simply returns a birary stream of 32 byte digest values.
+
+pub struct DigestListDecoder<S> {
+    input: S,
+    buffer: BytesMut,
+}
+
+impl <S> DigestListDecoder<S> {
+
+    pub fn new(input: S) -> Self {
+        Self { input, buffer: BytesMut::new() }
+    }
+}
+
+impl <S> Stream for DigestListDecoder<S>
+    where S: Stream<Item=Bytes>,
+          S::Error: Into<Error>,
+{
+    type Item = [u8; 32];
+    type Error = Error;
+
+    fn poll(&mut self) -> Result<Async<Option<Self::Item>>, Self::Error> {
+        loop {
+
+            if self.buffer.len() >= 32 {
+
+                let left = self.buffer.split_to(32);
+
+                let mut digest: [u8; 32] = unsafe { std::mem::uninitialized() };
+                unsafe { std::ptr::copy_nonoverlapping(left.as_ptr(), digest.as_mut_ptr(), 32); }
+
+                return Ok(Async::Ready(Some(digest)));
+            }
+
+            match self.input.poll() {
+                Err(err) => {
+                    return Err(err.into());
+                }
+                Ok(Async::NotReady) => {
+                    return Ok(Async::NotReady);
+                }
+                Ok(Async::Ready(None)) => {
+                    let rest = self.buffer.len();
+                    if rest == 0 { return Ok(Async::Ready(None)); }
+                    return Err(format_err!("got small digest ({} != 32).", rest));
+                }
+                Ok(Async::Ready(Some(data))) => {
+                    self.buffer.extend_from_slice(&data);
+                    // continue
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}