diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index 75225e61..42d6871a 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ SnapRAID HISTORY
 
 0.2 2011/3
 ==========
+* Second public test release of SnapRAID.
+* Functionally complete in check and fix.
 * Files are identified by inode and not anymore by name.
 * Exclusion list of files and directories.
 * Precise error management.
diff --git a/handle.c b/handle.c
index 0d372adf..c65b6536 100644
--- a/handle.c
+++ b/handle.c
@@ -287,3 +287,28 @@ int handle_write(struct snapraid_handle* handle, struct snapraid_block* block, u
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int handle_readahead(struct snapraid_handle* handle, struct snapraid_block* block, unsigned block_size)
+{
+#if HAVE_POSIX_FADVISE
+	data_off_t offset;
+	unsigned read_size;
+	int ret;
+
+	/* do nothing if the file is different */
+	if (handle->file != block->file)
+		return 0;
+
+	offset = block_file_pos(block) * (data_off_t)block_size;
+
+	read_size = block_file_size(block, block_size);
+
+	/* advise access of the next block */
+	ret = posix_fadvise(handle->f, offset, read_size, POSIX_FADV_WILLNEED);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error advising file '%s'. %s.\n", handle->path, strerror(errno));
+		return -1;
+	}
+#endif
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/handle.h b/handle.h
index 19833201..2c48e77f 100644
--- a/handle.h
+++ b/handle.h
@@ -61,5 +61,12 @@ int handle_read(struct snapraid_handle* handle, struct snapraid_block* block, un
  */
 int handle_write(struct snapraid_handle* handle, struct snapraid_block* block, unsigned char* block_buffer, unsigned block_size);
 
+/**
+ * Readahead optimization where available.
+ * \note
+ * It doesn't seem to give any speed improvement over posix_fadvise(POSIX_FADV_SEQUENTIAL).
+ */
+int handle_readahead(struct snapraid_handle* handle, struct snapraid_block* block, unsigned block_size);
+
 #endif