diff --git a/graceful-fs.js b/graceful-fs.js
index 9bf803e..33b30d2 100644
--- a/graceful-fs.js
+++ b/graceful-fs.js
@@ -127,25 +127,34 @@ function patch (fs) {
 
   var fs$readdir = fs.readdir
   fs.readdir = readdir
-  function readdir (path, cb) {
-    return go$readdir(path, cb)
+  function readdir (path, options, cb) {
+    var args = [path]
+    if (typeof options !== 'function') {
+      args.push(options)
+    } else {
+      cb = options
+    }
+    args.push(go$readdir$cb)
 
-    function go$readdir () {
-      return fs$readdir(path, function (err, files) {
-        if (files && files.sort)
-          files.sort();  // Backwards compatibility with graceful-fs.
+    return go$readdir(args)
 
-        if (err && (err.code === 'EMFILE' || err.code === 'ENFILE'))
-          enqueue([go$readdir, [path, cb]])
-        else {
-          if (typeof cb === 'function')
-            cb.apply(this, arguments)
-          retry()
-        }
-      })
+    function go$readdir$cb (err, files) {
+      if (files && files.sort)
+        files.sort()
+
+      if (err && (err.code === 'EMFILE' || err.code === 'ENFILE'))
+        enqueue([go$readdir, [args]])
+      else {
+        if (typeof cb === 'function')
+          cb.apply(this, arguments)
+        retry()
+      }
     }
   }
 
+  function go$readdir (args) {
+    return fs$readdir.apply(fs, args)
+  }
 
   if (process.version.substr(0, 4) === 'v0.8') {
     var legStreams = legacy(fs)
diff --git a/test/readdir-options.js b/test/readdir-options.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b937901
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/readdir-options.js
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+var t = require("tap")
+var fs = require("fs")
+
+var currentTest
+
+var strings = ['b', 'z', 'a']
+var buffs = strings.map(function (s) { return new Buffer(s) })
+var hexes = buffs.map(function (b) { return b.toString('hex') })
+
+function getRet (encoding) {
+  switch (encoding) {
+    case 'hex':
+      return hexes
+    case 'buffer':
+      return buffs
+    default:
+      return strings
+  }
+}
+
+var readdir = fs.readdir
+var failed = false
+fs.readdir = function(path, options, cb) {
+  if (!failed) {
+    // simulate an EMFILE and then open and close a thing to retry
+    failed = true
+    process.nextTick(function () {
+      var er = new Error('synthetic emfile')
+      er.code = 'EMFILE'
+      cb(er)
+      process.nextTick(function () {
+        fs.closeSync(fs.openSync(__filename, 'r'))
+      })
+    })
+    return
+  }
+
+  failed = false
+  currentTest.isa(cb, 'function')
+  currentTest.isa(options, 'object')
+  currentTest.ok(options)
+  process.nextTick(function() {
+    var ret = getRet(options.encoding)
+    cb(null, ret)
+  })
+}
+
+var g = require("../")
+
+var encodings = ['buffer', 'hex', 'utf8', null]
+encodings.forEach(function (enc) {
+  t.test('encoding=' + enc, function (t) {
+    currentTest = t
+    g.readdir("whatevers", { encoding: enc }, function (er, files) {
+      if (er)
+        throw er
+      t.same(files, getRet(enc).sort())
+      t.end()
+    })
+  })
+})