diff --git a/src/osiris.erl b/src/osiris.erl
index c787c53..8d95d04 100644
--- a/src/osiris.erl
+++ b/src/osiris.erl
@@ -83,8 +83,7 @@
 -type reader_options() :: #{transport => tcp | ssl,
                             chunk_selector => all | user_data,
                             filter_spec => osiris_bloom:filter_spec(),
-                            read_ahead => boolean(),
-                            read_ahead_limit => pos_integer()
+                            read_ahead => boolean() | non_neg_integer()
                            }.
 
 -export_type([name/0,
diff --git a/src/osiris_log.erl b/src/osiris_log.erl
index 5a215fc..4a339b1 100644
--- a/src/osiris_log.erl
+++ b/src/osiris_log.erl
@@ -423,10 +423,11 @@
          filter_size = ?DEFAULT_FILTER_SIZE :: osiris_bloom:filter_size()
          }).
 -record(ra,
-        {on = true :: boolean(),
-         size = ?HEADER_SIZE_B + ?DEFAULT_FILTER_SIZE :: non_neg_integer(),
+        {size = ?HEADER_SIZE_B + ?DEFAULT_FILTER_SIZE :: non_neg_integer(),
          buf :: undefined | {Pos :: non_neg_integer(), binary()},
-         limit = ?DEFAULT_READ_AHEAD_LIMIT :: pos_integer()
+         %% Max number of bytes that can be read ahead. Set to zero to
+         %% turn off read-ahead.
+         limit = ?DEFAULT_READ_AHEAD_LIMIT :: non_neg_integer()
         }).
 -record(read,
         {type :: data | offset,
@@ -3312,7 +3313,7 @@ iter_guess_size(Credit0, NumEntries, DataSize) ->
     (DataSize div NumEntries * Credit).
 
 iter_read_ahead(Fd, Pos, MinReqSize, Credit0, DataSize, NumEntries,
-                #ra{limit = ReadAheadLimit} = Ra0)
+                #ra{limit = ReadAheadLimit0} = Ra0)
   when is_integer(Credit0) andalso
        MinReqSize =< DataSize ->
     %% if the minimum request size can be served from read ahead then we
@@ -3335,6 +3336,8 @@ iter_read_ahead(Fd, Pos, MinReqSize, Credit0, DataSize, NumEntries,
                     %% needed to serve that, else we read up to the readahead
                     %% limit but not beyond the end of the chunk and not less
                     %% that the minimum request size
+                    ReadAheadLimit = max(ReadAheadLimit0,
+                                         ?DEFAULT_READ_AHEAD_LIMIT),
                     MinSize = max(MinReqSize, min(ReadAheadLimit, DataSize)),
                     Size = max(MinSize, iter_guess_size(Credit0, NumEntries,
                                                         DataSize)),
@@ -3364,15 +3367,17 @@ ra_read(_Pos, _Len, _Ra) ->
     undefined.
 
 ra_update_size(undefined, FilterSize, LastDataSize,
-               #ra{on = true, size = Sz, limit = Limit} = Ra)
-  when Sz < Limit andalso
+               #ra{size = Sz, limit = Limit} = Ra)
+  when Limit =/= 0 andalso
+       Sz < Limit andalso
        LastDataSize =< (Limit - ?HEADER_SIZE_B -
                        FilterSize - ?REC_HDR_SZ_SUBBATCH_B) ->
     %% no filter and last data size was small so enable data read ahead
     Ra#ra{size = Limit};
 ra_update_size(undefined, FilterSize, LastDataSize,
-               #ra{on = true, size = Limit, limit = Limit} = Ra)
-  when LastDataSize =< (Limit - ?HEADER_SIZE_B -
+               #ra{size = Limit, limit = Limit} = Ra)
+  when Limit =/= 0 andalso
+       LastDataSize =< (Limit - ?HEADER_SIZE_B -
                         FilterSize - ?REC_HDR_SZ_SUBBATCH_B) ->
     Ra;
 ra_update_size(_Filter, FilterSize, _LastDataSize, #ra{size = Sz} = Ra) ->
@@ -3399,11 +3404,11 @@ ra_fill(Fd, Pos, #ra{size = Sz} = Ra) ->
 
 -spec ra(config()) -> #ra{}.
 ra(#{options := #{read_ahead := false}}) ->
-    #ra{on = false};
-ra(#{options := #{read_ahead_limit := Limit}}) when is_integer(Limit) ->
+    #ra{limit = 0};
+ra(#{options := #{read_ahead := Limit}}) when is_integer(Limit) ->
     #ra{limit = Limit};
 ra(_) ->
-    #ra{on = true}.
+    #ra{}.
 
 generate_log(Msg, MsgsPerChunk, NumMessages, Directory) ->
     Name = filename:basename(Directory),