diff --git a/bfd.c b/bfd.c
index 81ac2b010..66c318c6e 100644
--- a/bfd.c
+++ b/bfd.c
@@ -168,6 +168,11 @@ static char *strnchr(char *str, unsigned int len, char c)
 }
 
 char *breadline(struct bfd *f)
+{
+	return breadchr(f, '\n');
+}
+
+char *breadchr(struct bfd *f, char c)
 {
 	struct xbuf *b = &f->b;
 	bool refilled = false;
@@ -175,7 +180,7 @@ char *breadline(struct bfd *f)
 	unsigned int ss = 0;
 
 again:
-	n = strnchr(b->data + ss, b->sz - ss, '\n');
+	n = strnchr(b->data + ss, b->sz - ss, c);
 	if (n) {
 		char *ret;
 
diff --git a/include/bfd.h b/include/bfd.h
index 1dd1ea2e0..e9b4d53a4 100644
--- a/include/bfd.h
+++ b/include/bfd.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ int bfdopenr(struct bfd *f);
 int bfdopenw(struct bfd *f);
 void bclose(struct bfd *f);
 char *breadline(struct bfd *f);
+char *breadchr(struct bfd *f, char c);
 int bwrite(struct bfd *f, const void *buf, int sz);
 struct iovec;
 int bwritev(struct bfd *f, const struct iovec *iov, int cnt);