diff --git a/bz2.go b/bz2.go
index b62192d4..57a278f4 100644
--- a/bz2.go
+++ b/bz2.go
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ func (bz Bz2) Match(filename string, stream io.Reader) (MatchResult, error) {
 	}
 
 	// match file header
-	buf := make([]byte, len(bzip2Header))
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(stream, buf); err != nil {
+	buf, err := readAtMost(stream, len(bzip2Header))
+	if err != nil {
 		return mr, err
 	}
 	mr.ByStream = bytes.Equal(buf, bzip2Header)
diff --git a/formats.go b/formats.go
index c80b31e4..5140e218 100644
--- a/formats.go
+++ b/formats.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package archiver
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"strings"
@@ -119,6 +120,31 @@ func identifyOne(format Format, filename string, stream io.ReadSeeker, comp Comp
 	return format.Match(filename, stream)
 }
 
+// readAtMost reads at most n bytes from the stream. A nil, empty, or short
+// stream is not an error. The returned slice of bytes may have length < n
+// without an error.
+func readAtMost(stream io.Reader, n int) ([]byte, error) {
+	if stream == nil || n <= 0 {
+		return []byte{}, nil
+	}
+
+	buf := make([]byte, n)
+	nr, err := io.ReadFull(stream, buf)
+
+	// Return the bytes read if there was no error OR if the
+	// error was EOF (stream was empty) or UnexpectedEOF (stream
+	// had less than n). We ignore those errors because we aren't
+	// required to read the full n bytes; so an empty or short
+	// stream is not actually an error.
+	if err == nil ||
+		errors.Is(err, io.EOF) ||
+		errors.Is(err, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF) {
+		return buf[:nr], nil
+	}
+
+	return nil, err
+}
+
 // CompressedArchive combines a compression format on top of an archive
 // format (e.g. "tar.gz") and provides both functionalities in a single
 // type. It ensures that archive functions are wrapped by compressors and
diff --git a/formats_test.go b/formats_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f3021644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/formats_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,289 @@
+package archiver
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"io"
+	"io/fs"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestIdentifyDoesNotMatchContentFromTrimmedKnownHeaderHaving0Suffix(t *testing.T) {
+	// Using the outcome of `n, err := io.ReadFull(stream, buf)` without minding n
+	// may lead to a mis-characterization for cases with known header ending with 0x0
+	// because the default byte value in a declared array is 0.
+	// This test guards against those cases.
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		header []byte
+	}{
+		{
+			name:   "rar_v5.0",
+			header: rarHeaderV5_0,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "rar_v1.5",
+			header: rarHeaderV1_5,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "xz",
+			header: xzHeader,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			headerLen := len(tt.header)
+			if headerLen == 0 || tt.header[headerLen-1] != 0 {
+				t.Errorf("header expected to end with 0: header=%v", tt.header)
+				return
+			}
+			headerTrimmed := tt.header[:headerLen-1]
+			stream := bytes.NewReader(headerTrimmed)
+			got, err := Identify("", stream)
+			if got != nil {
+				t.Errorf("no Format expected for trimmed know %s header: found Format= %v", tt.name, got.Name())
+				return
+			}
+			if ErrNoMatch != err {
+				t.Fatalf("ErrNoMatch expected for for trimmed know %s header: err :=%#v", tt.name, err)
+				return
+			}
+
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestIdentifyCanAssessSmallOrNoContent(t *testing.T) {
+	type args struct {
+		stream io.ReadSeeker
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		args args
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "should return nomatch for an empty stream",
+			args: args{
+				stream: bytes.NewReader([]byte{}),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "should return nomatch for a stream with content size less than known header",
+			args: args{
+				stream: bytes.NewReader([]byte{'a'}),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "should return nomatch for a stream with content size greater then known header size and not supported format",
+			args: args{
+				stream: bytes.NewReader([]byte(strings.Repeat("this is a txt content", 2))),
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := Identify("", tt.args.stream)
+			if got != nil {
+				t.Errorf("no Format expected for non archive and not compressed stream: found Format= %v", got.Name())
+				return
+			}
+			if ErrNoMatch != err {
+				t.Fatalf("ErrNoMatch expected for non archive and not compressed stream: err :=%#v", err)
+				return
+			}
+
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func compress(
+	t *testing.T, compName string, content []byte,
+	openwriter func(w io.Writer) (io.WriteCloser, error),
+) []byte {
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, 0, 128))
+	cwriter, err := openwriter(buf)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("fail to open compression writer: compression-name=%s, err=%#v", compName, err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	_, err = cwriter.Write(content)
+	if err != nil {
+		cerr := cwriter.Close()
+		t.Fatalf(
+			"fail to write using compression writer: compression-name=%s, err=%#v, close-err=%#v",
+			compName, err, cerr)
+		return nil
+	}
+	err = cwriter.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("fail to close compression writer: compression-name=%s, err=%#v", compName, err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	return buf.Bytes()
+}
+
+func archive(t *testing.T, arch Archiver, fname string, fileInfo fs.FileInfo) []byte {
+	files := []File{
+		{FileInfo: fileInfo, NameInArchive: "tmp.txt",
+			Open: func() (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+				return os.Open(fname)
+			}},
+	}
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, 0, 128))
+	err := arch.Archive(context.TODO(), buf, files)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("fail to create archive: err=%#v", err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	return buf.Bytes()
+
+}
+
+type writeNopCloser struct{ io.Writer }
+
+func (wnc writeNopCloser) Close() error { return nil }
+
+func newWriteNopCloser(w io.Writer) (io.WriteCloser, error) {
+	return writeNopCloser{w}, nil
+}
+
+func newTmpTextFile(t *testing.T, content string) (string, fs.FileInfo) {
+
+	tmpTxtFile, err := os.CreateTemp("", "TestIdentifyFindFormatByStreamContent-tmp-*.txt")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("fail to create tmp test file for archive tests: err=%v", err)
+		return "", nil
+	}
+	fname := tmpTxtFile.Name()
+
+	if _, err = tmpTxtFile.Write([]byte(content)); err != nil {
+		tmpTxtFile.Close()
+		os.Remove(fname)
+		t.Fatalf("fail to write content to tmp-txt-file: err=%#v", err)
+		return "", nil
+	}
+	if err = tmpTxtFile.Close(); err != nil {
+		os.Remove(fname)
+		t.Fatalf("fail to close tmp-txt-file: err=%#v", err)
+		return "", nil
+	}
+	fi, err := os.Stat(fname)
+	if err != nil {
+		os.Remove(fname)
+		t.Fatalf("fail to get tmp-txt-file stats: err=%v", err)
+		return "", nil
+	}
+
+	return fname, fi
+}
+
+func TestIdentifyFindFormatByStreamContent(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpTxtFileName, tmpTxtFileInfo := newTmpTextFile(t, "this is text")
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		os.Remove(tmpTxtFileName)
+	})
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name                  string
+		content               []byte
+		openCompressionWriter func(w io.Writer) (io.WriteCloser, error)
+		compressorName        string
+		wantFormatName        string
+	}{
+		//TODO add test case for brotli when Brotli.Match() by stream content is implemented
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize bz2",
+			openCompressionWriter: Bz2{}.OpenWriter,
+			content:               []byte("this is text"),
+			compressorName:        ".bz2",
+			wantFormatName:        ".bz2",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize gz",
+			openCompressionWriter: Gz{}.OpenWriter,
+			content:               []byte("this is text"),
+			compressorName:        ".gz",
+			wantFormatName:        ".gz",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize lz4",
+			openCompressionWriter: Lz4{}.OpenWriter,
+			content:               []byte("this is text"),
+			compressorName:        ".lz4",
+			wantFormatName:        ".lz4",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize sz",
+			openCompressionWriter: Sz{}.OpenWriter,
+			content:               []byte("this is text"),
+			compressorName:        ".sz",
+			wantFormatName:        ".sz",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize xz",
+			openCompressionWriter: Xz{}.OpenWriter,
+			content:               []byte("this is text"),
+			compressorName:        ".xz",
+			wantFormatName:        ".xz",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize zst",
+			openCompressionWriter: Zstd{}.OpenWriter,
+			content:               []byte("this is text"),
+			compressorName:        ".zst",
+			wantFormatName:        ".zst",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize tar",
+			openCompressionWriter: newWriteNopCloser,
+			content:               archive(t, Tar{}, tmpTxtFileName, tmpTxtFileInfo),
+			compressorName:        "",
+			wantFormatName:        ".tar",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize tar.gz",
+			openCompressionWriter: Gz{}.OpenWriter,
+			content:               archive(t, Tar{}, tmpTxtFileName, tmpTxtFileInfo),
+			compressorName:        ".gz",
+			wantFormatName:        ".tar.gz",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize zip",
+			openCompressionWriter: newWriteNopCloser,
+			content:               archive(t, Zip{}, tmpTxtFileName, tmpTxtFileInfo),
+			compressorName:        "",
+			wantFormatName:        ".zip",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize rar by v5.0 header",
+			openCompressionWriter: newWriteNopCloser,
+			content:               rarHeaderV5_0[:],
+			compressorName:        "",
+			wantFormatName:        ".rar",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                  "should recognize rar by v1.5 header",
+			openCompressionWriter: newWriteNopCloser,
+			content:               rarHeaderV1_5[:],
+			compressorName:        "",
+			wantFormatName:        ".rar",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			stream := bytes.NewReader(compress(t, tt.compressorName, tt.content, tt.openCompressionWriter))
+			got, err := Identify("", stream)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("should have found a corresponding Format: err :=%+v", err)
+				return
+			}
+			if tt.wantFormatName != got.Name() {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected format found: expected=%s actual:%s", tt.wantFormatName, got.Name())
+				return
+			}
+
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/gz.go b/gz.go
index ae6b4ef5..e747d030 100644
--- a/gz.go
+++ b/gz.go
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ func (gz Gz) Match(filename string, stream io.Reader) (MatchResult, error) {
 	}
 
 	// match file header
-	buf := make([]byte, len(gzHeader))
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(stream, buf); err != nil {
+	buf, err := readAtMost(stream, len(gzHeader))
+	if err != nil {
 		return mr, err
 	}
 	mr.ByStream = bytes.Equal(buf, gzHeader)
diff --git a/lz4.go b/lz4.go
index 659c3975..aaa22a54 100644
--- a/lz4.go
+++ b/lz4.go
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ func (lz Lz4) Match(filename string, stream io.Reader) (MatchResult, error) {
 	}
 
 	// match file header
-	buf := make([]byte, len(lz4Header))
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(stream, buf); err != nil {
+	buf, err := readAtMost(stream, len(lz4Header))
+	if err != nil {
 		return mr, err
 	}
 	mr.ByStream = bytes.Equal(buf, lz4Header)
diff --git a/rar.go b/rar.go
index e41a192e..61e55e57 100644
--- a/rar.go
+++ b/rar.go
@@ -41,11 +41,17 @@ func (r Rar) Match(filename string, stream io.Reader) (MatchResult, error) {
 	}
 
 	// match file header (there are two versions; allocate buffer for larger one)
-	buf := make([]byte, len(rarHeaderV5_0))
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(stream, buf); err != nil {
+	buf, err := readAtMost(stream, len(rarHeaderV5_0))
+	if err != nil {
 		return mr, err
 	}
-	mr.ByStream = bytes.Equal(buf[:len(rarHeaderV1_5)], rarHeaderV1_5) || bytes.Equal(buf, rarHeaderV5_0)
+
+	matchedV1_5 := len(buf) >= len(rarHeaderV1_5) &&
+		bytes.Equal(rarHeaderV1_5, buf[:len(rarHeaderV1_5)])
+	matchedV5_0 := len(buf) >= len(rarHeaderV5_0) &&
+		bytes.Equal(rarHeaderV5_0, buf[:len(rarHeaderV5_0)])
+
+	mr.ByStream = matchedV1_5 || matchedV5_0
 
 	return mr, nil
 }
diff --git a/sz.go b/sz.go
index 577e331a..9d10604a 100644
--- a/sz.go
+++ b/sz.go
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ func (sz Sz) Match(filename string, stream io.Reader) (MatchResult, error) {
 	}
 
 	// match file header
-	buf := make([]byte, len(snappyHeader))
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(stream, buf); err != nil {
+	buf, err := readAtMost(stream, len(snappyHeader))
+	if err != nil {
 		return mr, err
 	}
 	mr.ByStream = bytes.Equal(buf, snappyHeader)
diff --git a/xz.go b/xz.go
index eaf43471..4e1b6b41 100644
--- a/xz.go
+++ b/xz.go
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ func (x Xz) Match(filename string, stream io.Reader) (MatchResult, error) {
 	}
 
 	// match file header
-	buf := make([]byte, len(xzHeader))
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(stream, buf); err != nil {
+	buf, err := readAtMost(stream, len(xzHeader))
+	if err != nil {
 		return mr, err
 	}
 	mr.ByStream = bytes.Equal(buf, xzHeader)
diff --git a/zip.go b/zip.go
index 20fa4250..d334538a 100644
--- a/zip.go
+++ b/zip.go
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ func (z Zip) Match(filename string, stream io.Reader) (MatchResult, error) {
 	}
 
 	// match file header
-	buf := make([]byte, len(zipHeader))
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(stream, buf); err != nil {
+	buf, err := readAtMost(stream, len(zipHeader))
+	if err != nil {
 		return mr, err
 	}
 	mr.ByStream = bytes.Equal(buf, zipHeader)
diff --git a/zstd.go b/zstd.go
index cd310a31..fe07b76f 100644
--- a/zstd.go
+++ b/zstd.go
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ func (zs Zstd) Match(filename string, stream io.Reader) (MatchResult, error) {
 	}
 
 	// match file header
-	buf := make([]byte, len(zstdHeader))
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(stream, buf); err != nil {
+	buf, err := readAtMost(stream, len(zstdHeader))
+	if err != nil {
 		return mr, err
 	}
 	mr.ByStream = bytes.Equal(buf, zstdHeader)