diff --git a/lib/read.js b/lib/read.js
index 7683ae4c..2b6e94fe 100644
--- a/lib/read.js
+++ b/lib/read.js
@@ -84,10 +84,25 @@ function read (req, res, next, parse, debug, options) {
   const verify = options.verify
 
   try {
+    const contentEncoding = (req.headers['content-encoding'] || 'identity').toLowerCase()
+
+    debug('content-encoding "%s"', contentEncoding)
+
+    if (options.inflate === false && contentEncoding !== 'identity') {
+      throw createError(415, 'content encoding unsupported', {
+        encoding: contentEncoding,
+        type: 'encoding.unsupported'
+      })
+    }
+
     // get the content stream
-    stream = contentstream(req, debug, options.inflate)
-    length = stream.length
-    stream.length = undefined
+    if (contentEncoding === 'identity') {
+      length = req.headers['content-length']
+      stream = req
+    } else {
+      stream = createDecompressionStream(contentEncoding, debug)
+      req.pipe(stream)
+    }
   } catch (err) {
     return next(err)
   }
@@ -171,38 +186,6 @@ function read (req, res, next, parse, debug, options) {
   })
 }
 
-/**
- * Get the content stream of the request.
- *
- * @param {Object} req
- * @param {Function} debug
- * @param {boolean} inflate
- * @returns {Object}
- * @private
- */
-function contentstream (req, debug, inflate) {
-  const encoding = (req.headers['content-encoding'] || 'identity').toLowerCase()
-  const length = req.headers['content-length']
-
-  debug('content-encoding "%s"', encoding)
-
-  if (inflate === false && encoding !== 'identity') {
-    throw createError(415, 'content encoding unsupported', {
-      encoding: encoding,
-      type: 'encoding.unsupported'
-    })
-  }
-
-  if (encoding === 'identity') {
-    req.length = length
-    return req
-  }
-
-  const stream = createDecompressionStream(encoding, debug)
-  req.pipe(stream)
-  return stream
-}
-
 /**
  * Create a decompression stream for the given encoding.
  * @param {string} encoding