diff --git a/container.go b/container.go
index 51b3d68927..64ee0f2c08 100644
--- a/container.go
+++ b/container.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ type Container interface {
 	Exec(ctx context.Context, cmd []string) (int, error)
 	ContainerIP(context.Context) (string, error) // get container ip
 	CopyFileToContainer(ctx context.Context, hostFilePath string, containerFilePath string, fileMode int64) error
+	CopyFileFromContainer(ctx context.Context, filePath string) (io.ReadCloser, error)
 }
 
 // ImageBuildInfo defines what is needed to build an image
diff --git a/docker.go b/docker.go
index 668b9d5f72..efb324aa54 100644
--- a/docker.go
+++ b/docker.go
@@ -334,6 +334,41 @@ func (c *DockerContainer) Exec(ctx context.Context, cmd []string) (int, error) {
 	return exitCode, nil
 }
 
+type FileFromContainer struct {
+	underlying *io.ReadCloser
+	tarreader  *tar.Reader
+}
+
+func (fc *FileFromContainer) Read(b []byte) (int, error) {
+	return (*fc.tarreader).Read(b)
+}
+
+func (fc *FileFromContainer) Close() error {
+	return (*fc.underlying).Close()
+}
+
+func (c *DockerContainer) CopyFileFromContainer(ctx context.Context, filePath string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+	r, _, err := c.provider.client.CopyFromContainer(ctx, c.ID, filePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	tarReader := tar.NewReader(r)
+
+	//if we got here we have exactly one file in the TAR-stream
+	//so we advance the index by one so the next call to Read will start reading it
+	_, err = tarReader.Next()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	ret := &FileFromContainer{
+		underlying: &r,
+		tarreader:  tarReader,
+	}
+
+	return ret, nil
+}
+
 func (c *DockerContainer) CopyFileToContainer(ctx context.Context, hostFilePath string, containerFilePath string, fileMode int64) error {
 	fileContent, err := ioutil.ReadFile(hostFilePath)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/docker_test.go b/docker_test.go
index 011e16b85f..9349c4fedc 100644
--- a/docker_test.go
+++ b/docker_test.go
@@ -1455,6 +1455,80 @@ func TestDockerContainerCopyFileToContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDockerContainerCopyFileFromContainer(t *testing.T) {
+	fileContent, err := ioutil.ReadFile("./testresources/hello.sh")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	nginxC, err := GenericContainer(ctx, GenericContainerRequest{
+		ContainerRequest: ContainerRequest{
+			Image:        "nginx:1.17.6",
+			ExposedPorts: []string{"80/tcp"},
+			WaitingFor:   wait.ForListeningPort("80/tcp"),
+		},
+		Started: true,
+	})
+	defer nginxC.Terminate(ctx)
+
+	copiedFileName := "hello_copy.sh"
+	nginxC.CopyFileToContainer(ctx, "./testresources/hello.sh", "/"+copiedFileName, 700)
+	c, err := nginxC.Exec(ctx, []string{"bash", copiedFileName})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if c != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("File %s should exist, expected return code 0, got %v", copiedFileName, c)
+	}
+
+	reader, err := nginxC.CopyFileFromContainer(ctx, "/"+copiedFileName)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	fileContentFromContainer, err := ioutil.ReadAll(reader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, fileContent, fileContentFromContainer)
+}
+
+func TestDockerContainerCopyEmptyFileFromContainer(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	nginxC, err := GenericContainer(ctx, GenericContainerRequest{
+		ContainerRequest: ContainerRequest{
+			Image:        "nginx:1.17.6",
+			ExposedPorts: []string{"80/tcp"},
+			WaitingFor:   wait.ForListeningPort("80/tcp"),
+		},
+		Started: true,
+	})
+	defer nginxC.Terminate(ctx)
+
+	copiedFileName := "hello_copy.sh"
+	nginxC.CopyFileToContainer(ctx, "./testresources/empty.sh", "/"+copiedFileName, 700)
+	c, err := nginxC.Exec(ctx, []string{"bash", copiedFileName})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if c != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("File %s should exist, expected return code 0, got %v", copiedFileName, c)
+	}
+
+	reader, err := nginxC.CopyFileFromContainer(ctx, "/"+copiedFileName)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	fileContentFromContainer, err := ioutil.ReadAll(reader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	assert.Empty(t, fileContentFromContainer)
+}
+
 func TestContainerWithReaperNetwork(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	networks := []string{
diff --git a/testresources/empty.sh b/testresources/empty.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2