diff --git a/library/std/src/io/buffered/bufreader.rs b/library/std/src/io/buffered/bufreader.rs
index 7097dfef88d4e..9aa2ab4af59aa 100644
--- a/library/std/src/io/buffered/bufreader.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/io/buffered/bufreader.rs
@@ -259,6 +259,31 @@ impl<R: ?Sized + Seek> BufReader<R> {
     }
 }
 
+impl<R> BufReader<R>
+where
+    Self: Read,
+{
+    #[inline]
+    pub(crate) fn read_byte(&mut self) -> Option<io::Result<u8>> {
+        #[cold]
+        fn slow_path<R>(this: &mut BufReader<R>) -> Option<io::Result<u8>>
+        where
+            BufReader<R>: Read,
+        {
+            use crate::io::SpecReadByte;
+
+            this.slow_read_byte()
+        }
+
+        let mut byte = 0;
+        if self.buf.consume_with(1, |claimed| byte = claimed[0]) {
+            return Some(Ok(byte));
+        }
+
+        slow_path(self)
+    }
+}
+
 #[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
 impl<R: ?Sized + Read> Read for BufReader<R> {
     fn read(&mut self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
@@ -269,10 +294,8 @@ impl<R: ?Sized + Read> Read for BufReader<R> {
             self.discard_buffer();
             return self.inner.read(buf);
         }
-        let nread = {
-            let mut rem = self.fill_buf()?;
-            rem.read(buf)?
-        };
+        let mut rem = self.fill_buf()?;
+        let nread = rem.read(buf)?;
         self.consume(nread);
         Ok(nread)
     }
diff --git a/library/std/src/io/mod.rs b/library/std/src/io/mod.rs
index c0a729481121a..e8002ec105b2c 100644
--- a/library/std/src/io/mod.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/io/mod.rs
@@ -2777,11 +2777,33 @@ pub struct Bytes<R> {
 impl<R: Read> Iterator for Bytes<R> {
     type Item = Result<u8>;
 
-    #[inline]
     fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Result<u8>> {
+        SpecReadByte::spec_read_byte(&mut self.inner)
+    }
+
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
+        SizeHint::size_hint(&self.inner)
+    }
+}
+
+trait SpecReadByte {
+    fn spec_read_byte(&mut self) -> Option<Result<u8>>;
+    fn slow_read_byte(&mut self) -> Option<Result<u8>>;
+}
+
+impl<R> SpecReadByte for R
+where
+    Self: Read,
+{
+    default fn spec_read_byte(&mut self) -> Option<Result<u8>> {
+        self.slow_read_byte()
+    }
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn slow_read_byte(&mut self) -> Option<Result<u8>> {
         let mut byte = 0;
         loop {
-            return match self.inner.read(slice::from_mut(&mut byte)) {
+            return match self.read(slice::from_mut(&mut byte)) {
                 Ok(0) => None,
                 Ok(..) => Some(Ok(byte)),
                 Err(ref e) if e.is_interrupted() => continue,
@@ -2789,10 +2811,15 @@ impl<R: Read> Iterator for Bytes<R> {
             };
         }
     }
+}
 
+impl<R> SpecReadByte for BufReader<R>
+where
+    Self: Read,
+{
     #[inline]
-    fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
-        SizeHint::size_hint(&self.inner)
+    fn spec_read_byte(&mut self) -> Option<Result<u8>> {
+        self.read_byte()
     }
 }