diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Revision history for hpath-io
 
+## 0.14.1 -- ????-??-??
+
+- add `readFileStrict`
+
 ## 0.14.0 -- 2020-07-04
 
 * Use hpath-directory-0.14.0
diff --git a/hpath-io.cabal b/hpath-io.cabal
--- a/hpath-io.cabal
+++ b/hpath-io.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                hpath-io
-version:             0.14.0
+version:             0.14.1
 synopsis:            High-level IO operations on files/directories
 description:         High-level IO operations on files/directories, utilizing type-safe Paths
 -- bug-reports:
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
                    , bytestring >= 0.10.0.0
                    , exceptions
                    , hpath >= 0.11 && < 0.12
-                   , hpath-directory >= 0.14 && < 0.15
+                   , hpath-directory >= 0.14.1 && < 0.15
                    , hpath-posix     >= 0.13 && < 0.14
                    , safe-exceptions >= 0.1
                    , streamly >= 0.7
diff --git a/src/HPath/IO.hs b/src/HPath/IO.hs
--- a/src/HPath/IO.hs
+++ b/src/HPath/IO.hs
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
   , moveFile
   -- * File reading
   , readFile
+  , readFileStrict
   , readFileStream
   -- * File writing
   , writeFile
@@ -104,6 +105,7 @@
 import           Control.Monad.Catch            ( MonadThrow(..) )
 
 import           Data.ByteString                ( ByteString )
+import qualified Data.ByteString               as BS
 import           Data.Traversable               ( for )
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy          as L
 import           Data.Time.Clock
@@ -560,6 +562,19 @@
 readFile :: Path b -> IO L.ByteString
 readFile (Path path) = RD.readFile path
 
+
+-- |Read the given file strictly into memory.
+--
+-- Symbolic links are followed. File must exist.
+--
+-- Throws:
+--
+--     - `InappropriateType` if file is not a regular file or a symlink
+--     - `PermissionDenied` if we cannot read the file or the directory
+--        containting it
+--     - `NoSuchThing` if the file does not exist
+readFileStrict :: Path b -> IO BS.ByteString
+readFileStrict (Path path) = RD.readFileStrict path
 
 
 -- | Open the given file as a filestream. Once the filestream is