diff --git a/hdfs/__init__.py b/hdfs/__init__.py
index 8a7f099..88af8cc 100644
--- a/hdfs/__init__.py
+++ b/hdfs/__init__.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import logging as lg
 
 
-__version__ = '2.5.7'
+__version__ = '2.5.8'
 __license__ = 'MIT'
 
 
diff --git a/hdfs/ext/avro/__init__.py b/hdfs/ext/avro/__init__.py
index d1e6df9..4589626 100644
--- a/hdfs/ext/avro/__init__.py
+++ b/hdfs/ext/avro/__init__.py
@@ -105,11 +105,9 @@ class _SeekableReader(object):
 
   """
 
-  sync_size = 16
-
   def __init__(self, reader, size=None):
     self._reader = reader
-    self._size = size or self.sync_size
+    self._size = size or SYNC_SIZE
     self._buffer = None
     self._saught = False
 
@@ -152,6 +150,8 @@ class AvroReader(object):
   :param parts: Part-files to read, when reading a distributed file. The
     default is to read all part-files in order. See
     :meth:`hdfs.client.Client.parts` for details.
+  :param reader_schema: Schema to read the data as. If specified, it must be
+    compatible with the writer's schema (the default).
 
   The contents of the file will be decoded in a streaming manner, as the data
   is transferred. This makes it possible to use on files of arbitrary size. As
@@ -163,17 +163,18 @@ class AvroReader(object):
   .. code-block:: python
 
     with AvroReader(client, 'foo.avro') as reader:
-      schema = reader.schema # The remote file's Avro schema.
+      schema = reader.writer_schema # The remote file's Avro schema.
       content = reader.content # Content metadata (e.g. size).
       for record in reader:
         pass # and its records
 
   """
 
-  def __init__(self, client, hdfs_path, parts=None):
+  def __init__(self, client, hdfs_path, parts=None, reader_schema=None):
     self.content = client.content(hdfs_path) #: Content summary of Avro file.
     self.metadata = None #: Avro header metadata.
-    self._schema = None
+    self.reader_schema = reader_schema #: Input reader schema.
+    self._writer_schema = None
     if self.content['directoryCount']:
       # This is a folder.
       self._paths = [
@@ -196,8 +197,11 @@ def _reader():
       """Record generator over all part-files."""
       for path in self._paths:
         with self._client.read(path) as bytes_reader:
-          reader = fastavro.reader(_SeekableReader(bytes_reader))
-          if not self._schema:
+          reader = fastavro.reader(
+            _SeekableReader(bytes_reader),
+            reader_schema=self.reader_schema
+          )
+          if not self._writer_schema:
             schema = reader.writer_schema
             _logger.debug('Read schema from %r.', path)
             yield (schema, reader.metadata)
@@ -205,7 +209,7 @@ def _reader():
             yield record
 
     self._records = _reader()
-    self._schema, self.metadata = next(self._records)
+    self._writer_schema, self.metadata = next(self._records)
     return self
 
   def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_value, traceback):
@@ -218,16 +222,19 @@ def __iter__(self): # pylint: disable=non-iterator-returned
     return self._records
 
   @property
-  def schema(self):
+  def writer_schema(self):
     """Get the underlying file's schema.
 
     The schema will only be available after entering the reader's corresponding
     `with` block.
 
     """
-    if not self._schema:
+    if not self._writer_schema:
       raise HdfsError('Schema not yet inferred.')
-    return self._schema
+    return self._writer_schema
+
+  # Legacy property, preserved for backwards-compatibility.
+  schema = writer_schema
 
 
 class AvroWriter(object):
diff --git a/test/test_ext_avro.py b/test/test_ext_avro.py
index 939b899..7553540 100644
--- a/test/test_ext_avro.py
+++ b/test/test_ext_avro.py
@@ -148,6 +148,27 @@ def test_read(self):
     with AvroReader(self.client, 'weather.avro') as reader:
       eq_(list(reader), self.records)
 
+  def test_read_with_same_schema(self):
+    self.client.upload('w.avro', osp.join(self.dpath, 'weather.avro'))
+    with AvroReader(self.client, 'w.avro', reader_schema=self.schema) as reader:
+      eq_(list(reader), self.records)
+
+  def test_read_with_compatible_schema(self):
+    self.client.upload('w.avro', osp.join(self.dpath, 'weather.avro'))
+    schema = {
+      'name': 'test.Weather',
+      'type': 'record',
+      'fields': [
+        {'name': 'temp', 'type': 'int'},
+        {'name': 'tag', 'type': 'string', 'default': ''},
+      ],
+    }
+    with AvroReader(self.client, 'w.avro', reader_schema=schema) as reader:
+      eq_(
+        list(reader),
+        [{'temp': r['temp'], 'tag': ''} for r in self.records]
+      )
+
 
 class TestWriter(_AvroIntegrationTest):
 
diff --git a/test/util.py b/test/util.py
index beb0c7b..ed673a9 100644
--- a/test/util.py
+++ b/test/util.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def setup(self):
         self.client.delete('', recursive=True)
         # Wrapped inside a `ConnectionError` block because this causes failures
         # when trying to reuse some streamed connections when they aren't fully
-        # read (even though it is closed explicitely, it acts differently than
+        # read (even though it is closed explicitly, it acts differently than
         # when all its content has been read), but only on HttpFS. A test which
         # needs this for example is `test_ext_avro.py:TestMain.test_schema`.
         # This seems related to this issue: