diff --git a/iterrarfile.py b/iterrarfile.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5248ca9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/iterrarfile.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# Copyright 2006 John-Mark Gurney <gurney_j@resnet.uoregon.edu>
+
+__version__ = '$Change$'
+# $Id$
+
+import tarfile
+from tarfile import *
+
+TAR_PLAIN = tarfile.TAR_PLAIN
+TAR_GZIPPED = tarfile.TAR_GZIPPED
+TAR_BZ2 = 'bz2'
+
+__all__ = tarfile.__all__
+
+class TarFileCompat(tarfile.TarFileCompat):
+	def __init__(self, file, mode="r", compression=TAR_PLAIN):
+		if compression != TAR_BZ2:
+			tarfile.TarFileCompat.__init__(self, file, mode, compression)
+			return
+
+		self.tarfile = TarFile.bz2open(file, mode)
+		if mode[0:1] == "r":
+			members = self.tarfile.getmembers()
+			for i in xrange(len(members)):
+				m = members[i]
+				m.filename = m.name
+				m.file_size = m.size
+				m.date_time = time.gmtime(m.mtime)[:6]
+
+	def readiter(self, name, blksize=16384):
+		f = self.tarfile.extractfile(self.tarfile.getmember(name))
+		while True:
+			data = f.read(blksize)
+			if data == '':
+				break
+			yield data