diff --git a/rpc.go b/rpc.go
index e1ee7ff..c2ced94 100644
--- a/rpc.go
+++ b/rpc.go
@@ -329,38 +329,7 @@ func (l *Libvirt) requestStream(proc uint32, program uint32, payload []byte, out
 		abortOutStream = make(chan bool)
 		outStreamErr = make(chan error)
 		go func() {
-			var err error
-			var n int
-			buf := make([]byte, 1<<22-24)
-			for {
-				select {
-				case <-abortOutStream:
-					err = l.sendPacket(serial, proc, program, nil, Stream, StatusError)
-					break
-				default:
-				}
-				n, err = outStream.Read(buf)
-				if err != nil {
-					if err == io.EOF {
-						err = l.sendPacket(serial, proc, program, nil, Stream, StatusOK)
-					} else {
-						// keep original error
-						err := l.sendPacket(serial, proc, program, nil, Stream, StatusError)
-						if err != nil {
-							outStreamErr <- err
-							return
-						}
-					}
-                    break
-				}
-				if n > 0 {
-					err = l.sendPacket(serial, proc, program, buf[:n], Stream, StatusContinue)
-					if err != nil {
-						break
-					}
-				}
-			}
-			outStreamErr <- err
+			outStreamErr <- l.sendStream(serial, proc, program, outStream, abortOutStream)
 		}()
 	}
 
@@ -402,6 +371,35 @@ func (l *Libvirt) requestStream(proc uint32, program uint32, payload []byte, out
 	return resp, nil
 }
 
+func (l *Libvirt) sendStream(serial uint32, proc uint32, program uint32, stream io.Reader, abort chan bool) error {
+	buf := make([]byte, 1<<22-24)
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-abort:
+			return l.sendPacket(serial, proc, program, nil, Stream, StatusError)
+		default:
+		}
+		n, err := stream.Read(buf)
+		if err != nil {
+			if err == io.EOF {
+				return l.sendPacket(serial, proc, program, nil, Stream, StatusOK)
+			}
+			// keep original error
+			err2 := l.sendPacket(serial, proc, program, nil, Stream, StatusError)
+			if err2 != nil {
+				return err2
+			}
+			return err
+		}
+		if n > 0 {
+			err = l.sendPacket(serial, proc, program, buf[:n], Stream, StatusContinue)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (l *Libvirt) sendPacket(serial uint32, proc uint32, program uint32, payload []byte, typ uint32, status uint32) error {
 	size := constants.PacketLengthSize + constants.HeaderSize
 	if payload != nil {