diff --git a/examples/stream.rs b/examples/stream.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fad4a2ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/stream.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+use std::fs::{read_dir, File};
+use std::io::Write;
+use std::iter::Peekable;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+struct TarStream<I: Iterator<Item = PathBuf>> {
+    files: Peekable<I>,
+}
+
+impl<I: Iterator<Item = PathBuf>> TarStream<I> {
+    pub fn new(files: I) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            files: files.peekable(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn read(&mut self, buf: &mut Vec<u8>) -> Option<()> {
+        self.files.next().map(|path| {
+            let new_path = PathBuf::from("archived").join(&path);
+            let mut builder = tar::Builder::new(buf);
+
+            builder.contiguous(true);
+            builder.append_path_with_name(path, &new_path).unwrap();
+
+            if self.files.peek().is_none() {
+                builder.finish().unwrap();
+            }
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    let files = read_dir("examples")
+        .unwrap()
+        .map(|p| p.unwrap().path())
+        .filter(|p| p.is_file());
+    let mut buf = Vec::with_capacity(1024 * 1024 * 4);
+    let mut tar_stream = TarStream::new(files);
+    let mut output = File::create("examples.tar").unwrap();
+
+    while tar_stream.read(&mut buf).is_some() {
+        output.write(&buf).unwrap();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/builder.rs b/src/builder.rs
index 9d6ecc69..a7dd14cc 100644
--- a/src/builder.rs
+++ b/src/builder.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ pub struct Builder<W: Write> {
     mode: HeaderMode,
     follow: bool,
     finished: bool,
+    contiguous: bool,
     obj: Option<W>,
 }
 
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ impl<W: Write> Builder<W> {
             mode: HeaderMode::Complete,
             follow: true,
             finished: false,
+            contiguous: false,
             obj: Some(obj),
         }
     }
@@ -44,6 +46,13 @@ impl<W: Write> Builder<W> {
         self.follow = follow;
     }
 
+    /// Determines wheter the archive will be automatically finished
+    /// Contiguous Builder will not finish the archive unless `finish`
+    /// is explicitly called. Defaults to false.
+    pub fn contiguous(&mut self, contiguous: bool) {
+        self.contiguous = contiguous;
+    }
+
     /// Gets shared reference to the underlying object.
     pub fn get_ref(&self) -> &W {
         self.obj.as_ref().unwrap()
@@ -61,13 +70,11 @@ impl<W: Write> Builder<W> {
 
     /// Unwrap this archive, returning the underlying object.
     ///
-    /// This function will finish writing the archive if the `finish` function
-    /// hasn't yet been called, returning any I/O error which happens during
-    /// that operation.
+    /// This function will finish writing the archive if it is not contiguous
+    /// and the `finish` function hasn't yet been called, returning any
+    /// I/O error which happens during that operation.
     pub fn into_inner(mut self) -> io::Result<W> {
-        if !self.finished {
-            self.finish()?;
-        }
+        self.finalize()?;
         Ok(self.obj.take().unwrap())
     }
 
@@ -204,7 +211,7 @@ impl<W: Write> Builder<W> {
     /// operation then this may corrupt the archive.
     ///
     /// Note if the `path` is a directory. This will just add an entry to the archive,
-    /// rather than contents of the directory.  
+    /// rather than contents of the directory.
     ///
     /// Also note that after all files have been written to an archive the
     /// `finish` function needs to be called to finish writing the archive.
@@ -342,11 +349,11 @@ impl<W: Write> Builder<W> {
         )
     }
 
-    /// Finish writing this archive, emitting the termination sections.
+    /// Finish writing this archive, emitting the termination sections
     ///
     /// This function should only be called when the archive has been written
     /// entirely and if an I/O error happens the underlying object still needs
-    /// to be acquired.
+    /// to be acquired or contiguous archive needs to be finished.
     ///
     /// In most situations the `into_inner` method should be preferred.
     pub fn finish(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
@@ -356,6 +363,14 @@ impl<W: Write> Builder<W> {
         self.finished = true;
         self.get_mut().write_all(&[0; 1024])
     }
+
+    fn finalize(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
+        if !self.contiguous {
+            self.finish()
+        } else {
+            Ok(())
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 fn append(mut dst: &mut dyn Write, header: &Header, mut data: &mut dyn Read) -> io::Result<()> {
@@ -544,6 +559,6 @@ fn append_dir_all(
 
 impl<W: Write> Drop for Builder<W> {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        let _ = self.finish();
+        let _ = self.finalize();
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/all.rs b/tests/all.rs
index f16ffbc0..48bcd311 100644
--- a/tests/all.rs
+++ b/tests/all.rs
@@ -1032,3 +1032,56 @@ fn unpack_path_larger_than_windows_max_path() {
     // should unpack path greater than windows MAX_PATH length of 260 characters
     assert!(ar.unpack(td.path()).is_ok());
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn contiguous_archive() {
+    fn append_contiguous(
+        path: impl AsRef<Path>,
+        data: &[u8],
+        buf: &mut Vec<u8>,
+        finish: bool,
+    ) -> io::Result<()> {
+        let mut ar = Builder::new(buf);
+        ar.contiguous(true);
+        ar.append_data(&mut Header::new_gnu(), path, data)?;
+        if finish {
+            ar.finish()
+        } else {
+            Ok(())
+        }
+    }
+
+    const DATA_A: &[u8] = &[1, 2, 3];
+    const DATA_B: &[u8] = &[4, 5, 6];
+
+    let mut ar = Builder::new(Vec::new());
+
+    assert!(ar.append_data(&mut Header::new_gnu(), "a", DATA_A).is_ok());
+    assert!(ar.append_data(&mut Header::new_gnu(), "b", DATA_B).is_ok());
+
+    let expected = t!(ar.into_inner());
+
+    let mut actual = Vec::new();
+
+    assert!(append_contiguous("a", DATA_A, &mut actual, false).is_ok());
+    assert!(append_contiguous("b", DATA_B, &mut actual, true).is_ok());
+
+    assert_eq!(expected, actual);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn contiguous_into_inner() {
+    const DATA: &[u8] = &[1, 2, 3];
+
+    let mut ar = Builder::new(Vec::new());
+    assert!(ar.append_data(&mut Header::new_gnu(), "a", DATA).is_ok());
+    let expected = t!(ar.into_inner());
+    let expected = &expected[0..expected.len() - 1024];
+
+    let mut ar = Builder::new(Vec::new());
+    ar.contiguous(true);
+    assert!(ar.append_data(&mut Header::new_gnu(), "a", DATA).is_ok());
+    let actual = t!(ar.into_inner());
+
+    assert_eq!(expected, &*actual);
+}