diff --git a/genericfileelement.h b/genericfileelement.h
index 9c76ce8..3cfac6c 100644
--- a/genericfileelement.h
+++ b/genericfileelement.h
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ public:
     void makeBuffer();
     void discardBuffer();
     void copyBuffer(std::ostream &targetStream);
+    void copyPreferablyFromBuffer(std::ostream &targetStream);
     const std::unique_ptr<char[]> &buffer();
     implementationType *denoteFirstChild(uint32 offset);
 
@@ -845,6 +846,16 @@ inline void GenericFileElement<ImplementationType>::copyBuffer(std::ostream &tar
     targetStream.write(m_buffer.get(), totalSize());
 }
 
+/*!
+ * \brief Copies buffered data to \a targetStream if data has been buffered; copies from input stream otherwise.
+ * \remarks So this is copyBuffer() with a fallback to copyEntirely().
+ */
+template <class ImplementationType>
+inline void GenericFileElement<ImplementationType>::copyPreferablyFromBuffer(std::ostream &targetStream)
+{
+    m_buffer ? copyBuffer(targetStream) : copyEntirely(targetStream);
+}
+
 /*!
  * \brief Returns buffered data. The returned array is totalSize() bytes long.
  * \remarks Data must have been buffered using the makeBuffer() method.