diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/OdbBackendFixture.cs b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/OdbBackendFixture.cs
index cd8429ffc..db2e37852 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/OdbBackendFixture.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp.Tests/OdbBackendFixture.cs
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ protected override OdbBackendOperations SupportedOperations
                 }
             }
 
-            public override int Read(ObjectId oid, out Stream data, out ObjectType objectType)
+            public override int Read(ObjectId oid, out UnmanagedMemoryStream data, out ObjectType objectType)
             {
                 data = null;
                 objectType = default(ObjectType);
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ public override int Read(ObjectId oid, out Stream data, out ObjectType objectTyp
                 return (int)ReturnCode.GIT_OK;
             }
 
-            public override int ReadPrefix(string shortSha, out ObjectId id, out Stream data, out ObjectType objectType)
+            public override int ReadPrefix(string shortSha, out ObjectId id, out UnmanagedMemoryStream data, out ObjectType objectType)
             {
                 id = null;
                 data = null;
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/OdbBackend.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/OdbBackend.cs
index 04b43a72e..b174ce781 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp/OdbBackend.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/OdbBackend.cs
@@ -36,19 +36,37 @@ protected abstract OdbBackendOperations SupportedOperations
         /// Call this method from your implementations of Read and ReadPrefix to allocate a buffer in
         /// which to return the object's data.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="bytes">Number of bytes to allocate</param>
-        /// <returns>An Stream for you to write to and then return. Do not dispose this object before returning it.</returns>
-        protected unsafe Stream Allocate(long bytes)
+        /// <param name="bytes">The bytes to be copied to the stream.</param>
+        /// <returns>
+        /// A Stream already filled with the content of provided the byte array.
+        /// Do not dispose this object before returning it.
+        /// </returns>
+        protected UnmanagedMemoryStream AllocateAndBuildFrom(byte[] bytes)
         {
-            if (bytes < 0 ||
-                (UIntPtr.Size == sizeof(int) && bytes > int.MaxValue))
+            var stream = Allocate(bytes.Length);
+
+            stream.Write(bytes, 0, bytes.Length);
+
+            return stream;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Call this method from your implementations of Read and ReadPrefix to allocate a buffer in
+        /// which to return the object's data.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="size">Number of bytes to allocate</param>
+        /// <returns>A Stream for you to write to and then return. Do not dispose this object before returning it.</returns>
+        protected unsafe UnmanagedMemoryStream Allocate(long size)
+        {
+            if (size < 0 ||
+                (UIntPtr.Size == sizeof(int) && size > int.MaxValue))
             {
-                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("bytes");
+                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("size");
             }
 
-            IntPtr buffer = Proxy.git_odb_backend_malloc(this.GitOdbBackendPointer, new UIntPtr((ulong)bytes));
+            IntPtr buffer = Proxy.git_odb_backend_malloc(this.GitOdbBackendPointer, new UIntPtr((ulong)size));
 
-            return new UnmanagedMemoryStream((byte*)buffer, 0, bytes, FileAccess.ReadWrite);
+            return new UnmanagedMemoryStream((byte*)buffer, 0, size, FileAccess.ReadWrite);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -56,7 +74,7 @@ protected unsafe Stream Allocate(long bytes)
         /// </summary>
         public abstract int Read(
             ObjectId id,
-            out Stream data,
+            out UnmanagedMemoryStream data,
             out ObjectType objectType);
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -65,7 +83,7 @@ public abstract int Read(
         public abstract int ReadPrefix(
             string shortSha,
             out ObjectId oid,
-            out Stream data,
+            out UnmanagedMemoryStream data,
             out ObjectType objectType);
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -242,21 +260,18 @@ private unsafe static int Read(
                     return (int)GitErrorCode.Error;
                 }
 
-                Stream dataStream = null;
+                UnmanagedMemoryStream memoryStream = null;
 
                 try
                 {
                     ObjectType objectType;
-                    int toReturn = odbBackend.Read(new ObjectId(oid), out dataStream, out objectType);
+                    int toReturn = odbBackend.Read(new ObjectId(oid), out memoryStream, out objectType);
 
                     if (toReturn != 0)
                     {
                         return toReturn;
                     }
 
-                    // Caller is expected to give us back a stream created with the Allocate() method.
-                    var memoryStream = dataStream as UnmanagedMemoryStream;
-
                     if (memoryStream == null)
                     {
                         return (int)GitErrorCode.Error;
@@ -276,9 +291,9 @@ private unsafe static int Read(
                 }
                 finally
                 {
-                    if (dataStream != null)
+                    if (memoryStream != null)
                     {
-                        dataStream.Dispose();
+                        memoryStream.Dispose();
                     }
                 }
 
@@ -305,7 +320,7 @@ private unsafe static int ReadPrefix(
                     return (int)GitErrorCode.Error;
                 }
 
-                Stream dataStream = null;
+                UnmanagedMemoryStream memoryStream = null;
 
                 try
                 {
@@ -314,16 +329,13 @@ private unsafe static int ReadPrefix(
                     ObjectId oid;
                     ObjectType objectType;
 
-                    int toReturn = odbBackend.ReadPrefix(shortSha, out oid, out dataStream, out objectType);
+                    int toReturn = odbBackend.ReadPrefix(shortSha, out oid, out memoryStream, out objectType);
 
                     if (toReturn != 0)
                     {
                         return toReturn;
                     }
 
-                    // Caller is expected to give us back a stream created with the Allocate() method.
-                    var memoryStream = dataStream as UnmanagedMemoryStream;
-
                     if (memoryStream == null)
                     {
                         return (int)GitErrorCode.Error;
@@ -343,9 +355,9 @@ private unsafe static int ReadPrefix(
                 }
                 finally
                 {
-                    if (null != dataStream)
+                    if (memoryStream != null)
                     {
-                        dataStream.Dispose();
+                        memoryStream.Dispose();
                     }
                 }