diff --git a/base/array.jl b/base/array.jl
index 5b3e6cc398479..5d34cbbaf8beb 100644
--- a/base/array.jl
+++ b/base/array.jl
@@ -351,6 +351,17 @@ copy
     return $(Expr(:new, :(typeof(a)), :(memoryref(newmem)), :(a.size)))
 end
 
+# a mutating version of copyto! that results in dst aliasing src afterwards
+function take!(dst::Array{T,N}, src::Array{T,N}) where {T,N}
+    if getfield(dst, :ref) !== getfield(src, :ref)
+        setfield!(dst, :ref, getfield(src, :ref))
+    end
+    if getfield(dst, :size) !== getfield(src, :size)
+        setfield!(dst, :size, getfield(src, :size))
+    end
+    return dst
+end
+
 ## Constructors ##
 
 similar(a::Array{T,1}) where {T}                    = Vector{T}(undef, size(a,1))
diff --git a/base/io.jl b/base/io.jl
index 83a215d6359fc..025ed037438d0 100644
--- a/base/io.jl
+++ b/base/io.jl
@@ -1541,3 +1541,7 @@ function countlines(io::IO; eol::AbstractChar='\n')
 end
 
 countlines(f::AbstractString; eol::AbstractChar = '\n') = open(io->countlines(io, eol = eol), f)::Int
+
+# double mutating version of take!
+take!(b::Vector{UInt8}, io::IO) = take!(b, take!(io))
+_unsafe_take!(b::Vector{UInt8}, io::IO) = take!(b, _unsafe_take!(io))
diff --git a/base/stream.jl b/base/stream.jl
index 93aeead79eb9c..8e4de3b975151 100644
--- a/base/stream.jl
+++ b/base/stream.jl
@@ -944,7 +944,7 @@ function readbytes!(s::LibuvStream, a::Vector{UInt8}, nb::Int)
         finally
             s.buffer = sbuf
         end
-        compact(newbuf)
+        _unsafe_take!(a, newbuf)
     end
     iolock_end()
     return nread