diff --git a/src/bees-context.cc b/src/bees-context.cc
index 27a8923..992c61d 100644
--- a/src/bees-context.cc
+++ b/src/bees-context.cc
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ BeesContext::scan_one_extent(const BeesFileRange &bfr, const Extent &e)
 	}
 
 	// OK we need to read extent now
-	readahead(bfr.fd(), bfr.begin(), bfr.size());
+	bees_readahead(bfr.fd(), bfr.begin(), bfr.size());
 
 	map<off_t, pair<BeesHash, BeesAddress>> insert_map;
 	set<off_t> noinsert_set;
diff --git a/src/bees-types.cc b/src/bees-types.cc
index 1bc9380..f3f1c86 100644
--- a/src/bees-types.cc
+++ b/src/bees-types.cc
@@ -385,8 +385,8 @@ BeesRangePair::grow(shared_ptr<BeesContext> ctx, bool constrained)
 	BEESTRACE("e_second " << e_second);
 
 	// Preread entire extent
-	readahead(second.fd(), e_second.begin(), e_second.size());
-	readahead(first.fd(), e_second.begin() + first.begin() - second.begin(), e_second.size());
+	bees_readahead(second.fd(), e_second.begin(), e_second.size());
+	bees_readahead(first.fd(), e_second.begin() + first.begin() - second.begin(), e_second.size());
 
 	auto hash_table = ctx->hash_table();
 
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ BeesRangePair::grow(shared_ptr<BeesContext> ctx, bool constrained)
 				BEESCOUNT(pairbackward_hole);
 				break;
 			}
-			readahead(second.fd(), e_second.begin(), e_second.size());
+			bees_readahead(second.fd(), e_second.begin(), e_second.size());
 #else
 			// This tends to repeatedly process extents that were recently processed.
 			// We tend to catch duplicate blocks early since we scan them forwards.
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ BeesRangePair::grow(shared_ptr<BeesContext> ctx, bool constrained)
 				BEESCOUNT(pairforward_hole);
 				break;
 			}
-			readahead(second.fd(), e_second.begin(), e_second.size());
+			bees_readahead(second.fd(), e_second.begin(), e_second.size());
 		}
 		BEESCOUNT(pairforward_try);
 
diff --git a/src/bees.cc b/src/bees.cc
index 03b8215..c61eec3 100644
--- a/src/bees.cc
+++ b/src/bees.cc
@@ -371,6 +371,31 @@ bees_sync(int fd)
 	BEESCOUNTADD(sync_ms, sync_timer.age() * 1000);
 }
 
+void
+bees_readahead(int const fd, off_t offset, size_t size)
+{
+	Timer readahead_timer;
+	BEESNOTE("readahead " << name_fd(fd) << " offset " << to_hex(offset) << " len " << pretty(size));
+	BEESTOOLONG("readahead " << name_fd(fd) << " offset " << to_hex(offset) << " len " << pretty(size));
+	// This might not do anything?
+	DIE_IF_NON_ZERO(readahead(fd, offset, size));
+	// Make sure this data is in page cache
+	// Note spelling: readahead vs read ahead
+	BEESNOTE("read ahead " << name_fd(fd) << " offset " << to_hex(offset) << " len " << pretty(size));
+	while (size) {
+		static uint8_t dummy[BEES_READAHEAD_SIZE];
+		size_t this_read_size = min(size, sizeof(dummy));
+		// Ignore errors and short reads.
+		// It turns out our size parameter isn't all that accurate.
+		pread(fd, dummy, this_read_size, offset);
+		BEESCOUNT(readahead_count);
+		BEESCOUNTADD(readahead_bytes, this_read_size);
+		offset += this_read_size;
+		size -= this_read_size;
+	}
+	BEESCOUNTADD(readahead_ms, readahead_timer.age() * 1000);
+}
+
 BeesStringFile::BeesStringFile(Fd dir_fd, string name, size_t limit) :
 	m_dir_fd(dir_fd),
 	m_name(name),
diff --git a/src/bees.h b/src/bees.h
index 19b53d8..f993131 100644
--- a/src/bees.h
+++ b/src/bees.h
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ const bool BEES_SERIALIZE_RESOLVE = false;
 // Workaround for tree mod log bugs
 const bool BEES_SERIALIZE_BALANCE = false;
 
+// Workaround for silly dedupe / ineffective readahead behavior
+const size_t BEES_READAHEAD_SIZE = 1024 * 1024;
+
 // Flags
 const int FLAGS_OPEN_COMMON   = O_NOFOLLOW | O_NONBLOCK | O_CLOEXEC | O_NOATIME | O_LARGEFILE | O_NOCTTY;
 const int FLAGS_OPEN_DIR      = FLAGS_OPEN_COMMON | O_RDONLY | O_DIRECTORY;
@@ -880,6 +883,7 @@ extern const char *BEES_USAGE;
 extern const char *BEES_VERSION;
 string pretty(double d);
 void bees_sync(int fd);
+void bees_readahead(int fd, off_t offset, size_t size);
 string format_time(time_t t);
 
 #endif