diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 900b5dc76..35e55dba2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -172,15 +172,15 @@ $ ipfs config --json API.HTTPHeaders.Access-Control-Allow-Methods "[\"PUT\", \"P
   - [`ipfs.files.getPullStream(ipfsPath, [options])`](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/FILES.md#getpullstream)  
   - `ipfs.ls`
   - MFS (mutable file system) specific:
-    - `ipfs.files.cp`
-    - `ipfs.files.ls`
-    - `ipfs.files.mkdir`
-    - `ipfs.files.stat`
-    - `ipfs.files.rm`
-    - `ipfs.files.read`
-    - `ipfs.files.write`
-    - `ipfs.files.mv`
-    - `ipfs.files.flush(path, [callback])`
+    - [`ipfs.files.cp([from, to], [callback])`](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/FILES.md#cp)
+    - [`ipfs.files.mkdir(path, [options, callback])`](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/FILES.md#mkdir)
+    - [`ipfs.files.stat(path, [options, callback])`](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/FILES.md#stat)
+    - [`ipfs.files.rm(path, [options, callback])`](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/FILES.md#rm)
+    - [`ipfs.files.read(path, [options, callback])`](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/FILES.md#read)
+    - [`ipfs.files.write(path, content, [options, callback])`](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/FILES.md#write)
+    - [`ipfs.files.mv([from, to], [callback])`](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/FILES.md#mv)
+    - [`ipfs.files.ls([path, options, callback])`](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/FILES.md#ls)
+    - [`ipfs.files.flush([path, callback])`(https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/FILES.md#flush)
 
 - [block](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/BLOCK.md)
   - [`ipfs.block.get(cid, [options, callback])`](https://github.com/ipfs/interface-ipfs-core/tree/master/SPEC/BLOCK.md#get)
diff --git a/src/files/flush.js b/src/files/flush.js
index 9f70f2adb..ea4de8dc6 100644
--- a/src/files/flush.js
+++ b/src/files/flush.js
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ const promisify = require('promisify-es6')
 
 module.exports = (send) => {
   return promisify((args, callback) => {
+    if (typeof args === 'function') {
+      callback = args
+      args = '/'
+    }
+
     return send({
       path: 'files/flush',
       args: args
diff --git a/src/files/read.js b/src/files/read.js
index bf339c24b..378d53dfa 100644
--- a/src/files/read.js
+++ b/src/files/read.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const promisify = require('promisify-es6')
+const streamToValue = require('../utils/stream-to-value')
 
 module.exports = (send) => {
   return promisify((args, opts, callback) => {
@@ -8,10 +9,11 @@ module.exports = (send) => {
       callback = opts
       opts = {}
     }
-    send({
+
+    send.andTransform({
       path: 'files/read',
       args: args,
       qs: opts
-    }, callback)
+    }, streamToValue, callback)
   })
 }
diff --git a/test/files.spec.js b/test/files.spec.js
index 3a9425d56..3c88e26b5 100644
--- a/test/files.spec.js
+++ b/test/files.spec.js
@@ -244,19 +244,10 @@ describe('.files (the MFS API part)', function () {
         .write('/test-folder/test-file-2.txt', Buffer.from('hello world'), {create: true}, (err) => {
           expect(err).to.not.exist()
 
-          ipfs.files.read('/test-folder/test-file-2.txt', (err, stream) => {
+          ipfs.files.read('/test-folder/test-file-2.txt', (err, buf) => {
             expect(err).to.not.exist()
-
-            let buf = ''
-            stream
-              .on('error', (err) => expect(err).to.not.exist())
-              .on('data', (data) => {
-                buf += data
-              })
-              .on('end', () => {
-                expect(buf).to.be.equal('hello world')
-                done()
-              })
+            expect(buf.toString()).to.be.equal('hello world')
+            done()
           })
         })
     })
@@ -266,21 +257,10 @@ describe('.files (the MFS API part)', function () {
         .write('/test-folder/test-file-2.txt', Buffer.from('hello world'), (err) => {
           expect(err).to.not.exist()
 
-          ipfs.files.read('/test-folder/test-file-2.txt', (err, stream) => {
+          ipfs.files.read('/test-folder/test-file-2.txt', (err, buf) => {
             expect(err).to.not.exist()
-
-            let buf = ''
-            stream
-              .on('error', (err) => {
-                expect(err).to.not.exist()
-              })
-              .on('data', (data) => {
-                buf += data
-              })
-              .on('end', () => {
-                expect(buf).to.be.equal('hello world')
-                done()
-              })
+            expect(buf.toString()).to.be.equal('hello world')
+            done()
           })
         })
     })
@@ -315,20 +295,10 @@ describe('.files (the MFS API part)', function () {
         return done()
       }
 
-      ipfs.files.read('/test-folder/test-file', (err, stream) => {
+      ipfs.files.read('/test-folder/test-file', (err, buf) => {
         expect(err).to.not.exist()
-        let buf = ''
-        stream
-          .on('error', (err) => {
-            expect(err).to.not.exist()
-          })
-          .on('data', (data) => {
-            buf += data
-          })
-          .on('end', () => {
-            expect(Buffer.from(buf)).to.deep.equal(testfile)
-            done()
-          })
+        expect(Buffer.from(buf)).to.deep.equal(testfile)
+        done()
       })
     })
 
@@ -417,19 +387,9 @@ describe('.files (the MFS API part)', function () {
         .then(() => {
           return ipfs.files.read('/test-folder/test-file-2.txt')
         })
-        .then((stream) => {
-          let buf = ''
-          stream
-            .on('error', (err) => {
-              expect(err).to.not.exist()
-            })
-            .on('data', (data) => {
-              buf += data
-            })
-            .on('end', () => {
-              expect(buf).to.be.equal('hello world')
-              done()
-            })
+        .then((buf) => {
+          expect(buf.toString()).to.be.equal('hello world')
+          done()
         })
         .catch(done)
     })
@@ -440,19 +400,9 @@ describe('.files (the MFS API part)', function () {
         .then(() => {
           return ipfs.files.read('/test-folder/test-file-2.txt')
         })
-        .then((stream) => {
-          let buf = ''
-          stream
-            .on('error', (err) => {
-              expect(err).to.not.exist()
-            })
-            .on('data', (data) => {
-              buf += data
-            })
-            .on('end', () => {
-              expect(buf).to.be.equal('hello world')
-              done()
-            })
+        .then((buf) => {
+          expect(buf.toString()).to.be.equal('hello world')
+          done()
         })
         .catch(done)
     })
@@ -482,19 +432,9 @@ describe('.files (the MFS API part)', function () {
       if (!isNode) { return done() }
 
       ipfs.files.read('/test-folder/test-file')
-        .then((stream) => {
-          let buf = ''
-          stream
-            .on('error', (err) => {
-              expect(err).to.not.exist()
-            })
-            .on('data', (data) => {
-              buf += data
-            })
-            .on('end', () => {
-              expect(Buffer.from(buf)).to.eql(testfile)
-              done()
-            })
+        .then((buf) => {
+          expect(Buffer.from(buf)).to.eql(testfile)
+          done()
         })
     })