diff --git a/archive/tar/reader.go b/archive/tar/reader.go
index af006fc..6a6b3e0 100644
--- a/archive/tar/reader.go
+++ b/archive/tar/reader.go
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ func (tr *Reader) RawBytes() []byte {
 
 }
 
+// ExpectedPadding returns the number of bytes of padding expected after the last header returned by Next()
+func (tr *Reader) ExpectedPadding() int64 {
+	return tr.pad
+}
+
 // NewReader creates a new Reader reading from r.
 func NewReader(r io.Reader) *Reader {
 	return &Reader{r: r, curr: &regFileReader{r, 0}}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index d1069b1..6ba42eb 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -6,13 +6,17 @@ require (
 	github.com/fatih/color v1.15.0
 	github.com/magefile/mage v1.14.0
 	github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.9.0
+	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0
 	github.com/urfave/cli v1.22.12
 )
 
 require (
 	github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.2 // indirect
+	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/mattn/go-colorable v0.1.13 // indirect
 	github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.17 // indirect
+	github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.6.0 // indirect
+	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 1d11cbb..39c0b67 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -22,17 +22,21 @@ github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.9.0/go.mod h1:naHLuLoDiP4jHNo9R0sCBMtWGeIprob74mVs
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.0/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.4.0/go.mod h1:YvHI0jy2hoMjB+UWwv71VJQ9isScKT/TqJzVSSt89Yw=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.5.0/go.mod h1:Yh+to48EsGEfYuaHDzXPcE3xhTkx73EhmCGUpEOglKo=
+github.com/stretchr/objx v0.5.2/go.mod h1:FRsXN1f5AsAjCGJKqEizvkpNtU+EGNCLh3NxZ/8L+MA=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0/go.mod h1:6Fq8oRcR53rry900zMqJjRRixrwX3KX962/h/Wwjteg=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.1/go.mod h1:6Fq8oRcR53rry900zMqJjRRixrwX3KX962/h/Wwjteg=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.0/go.mod h1:yNjHg4UonilssWZ8iaSj1OCr/vHnekPRkoO+kdMU+MU=
-github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.1 h1:w7B6lhMri9wdJUVmEZPGGhZzrYTPvgJArz7wNPgYKsk=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.1/go.mod h1:w2LPCIKwWwSfY2zedu0+kehJoqGctiVI29o6fzry7u4=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.4/go.mod h1:sz/lmYIOXD/1dqDmKjjqLyZ2RngseejIcXlSw2iwfAo=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0 h1:HtqpIVDClZ4nwg75+f6Lvsy/wHu+3BoSGCbBAcpTsTg=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0/go.mod h1:r2ic/lqez/lEtzL7wO/rwa5dbSLXVDPFyf8C91i36aY=
 github.com/urfave/cli v1.22.12 h1:igJgVw1JdKH+trcLWLeLwZjU9fEfPesQ+9/e4MQ44S8=
 github.com/urfave/cli v1.22.12/go.mod h1:sSBEIC79qR6OvcmsD4U3KABeOTxDqQtdDnaFuUN30b8=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220715151400-c0bba94af5f8/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220811171246-fbc7d0a398ab/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.6.0 h1:MVltZSvRTcU2ljQOhs94SXPftV6DCNnZViHeQps87pQ=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.6.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405 h1:yhCVgyC4o1eVCa2tZl7eS0r+SDo693bJlVdllGtEeKM=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0/go.mod h1:RDklbk79AGWmwhnvt/jBztapEOGDOx6ZbXqjP6csGnQ=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200313102051-9f266ea9e77c/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
diff --git a/tar/asm/iterate.go b/tar/asm/iterate.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a65887
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tar/asm/iterate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+package asm
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+
+	"github.com/vbatts/tar-split/archive/tar"
+	"github.com/vbatts/tar-split/tar/storage"
+)
+
+// IterateHeaders calls handler for each tar header provided by Unpacker
+func IterateHeaders(unpacker storage.Unpacker, handler func(hdr *tar.Header) error) error {
+	// We assume about NewInputTarStream:
+	// - There is a separate SegmentType entry for every tar header, but only one SegmentType entry for the full header incl. any extensions
+	// - (There is a FileType entry for every tar header, we ignore it)
+	// - Trailing padding of a file, if any, is included in the next SegmentType entry
+	// - At the end, there may be SegmentType entries just for the terminating zero blocks.
+
+	var pendingPadding int64 = 0
+	for {
+		tsEntry, err := unpacker.Next()
+		if err != nil {
+			if err == io.EOF {
+				return nil
+			}
+			return fmt.Errorf("reading tar-split entries: %w", err)
+		}
+		switch tsEntry.Type {
+		case storage.SegmentType:
+			payload := tsEntry.Payload
+			if int64(len(payload)) < pendingPadding {
+				return fmt.Errorf("expected %d bytes of padding after previous file, but next SegmentType only has %d bytes", pendingPadding, len(payload))
+			}
+			payload = payload[pendingPadding:]
+			pendingPadding = 0
+
+			tr := tar.NewReader(bytes.NewReader(payload))
+			hdr, err := tr.Next()
+			if err != nil {
+				if err == io.EOF { // Probably the last entry, but let’s let the unpacker drive that.
+					break
+				}
+				return fmt.Errorf("decoding a tar header from a tar-split entry: %w", err)
+			}
+			if err := handler(hdr); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			pendingPadding = tr.ExpectedPadding()
+
+		case storage.FileType:
+			// Nothing
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected tar-split entry type %q", tsEntry.Type)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tar/asm/iterate_test.go b/tar/asm/iterate_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..884c019
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tar/asm/iterate_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+package asm
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"github.com/vbatts/tar-split/archive/tar"
+	"github.com/vbatts/tar-split/tar/storage"
+)
+
+func createTestTarheader(index int, typeFlag byte, size int64) tar.Header {
+	n := (index + 1) * 100 // Use predictable, but distinct, values for all headers
+
+	res := tar.Header{
+		Typeflag:   typeFlag,
+		Name:       fmt.Sprintf("name%d", n),
+		Size:       size,
+		Mode:       int64(n + 1),
+		Uid:        n + 2,
+		Gid:        n + 3,
+		Uname:      fmt.Sprintf("user%d", n),
+		Gname:      fmt.Sprintf("group%d", n),
+		ModTime:    time.Unix(int64(n+4), 0),
+		AccessTime: time.Unix(int64(n+5), 0),
+		ChangeTime: time.Unix(int64(n+6), 0),
+		PAXRecords: map[string]string{fmt.Sprintf("key%d", n): fmt.Sprintf("value%d", n)},
+		Format:     tar.FormatPAX, // We must set a format, in the default one AccessTime and ChangeTime are discarded.
+	}
+	switch res.Typeflag {
+	case tar.TypeLink, tar.TypeSymlink:
+		res.Linkname = fmt.Sprintf("link%d", n)
+	case tar.TypeChar, tar.TypeBlock:
+		res.Devmajor = int64(n + 7)
+		res.Devminor = int64(n + 8)
+	}
+	return res
+}
+
+func TestIterateHeaders(t *testing.T) {
+	entries := []struct {
+		typeFlag byte
+		size     int64
+	}{
+		{tar.TypeReg, 0},
+		{tar.TypeReg, 1},
+		{tar.TypeReg, 511},
+		{tar.TypeReg, 512},
+		{tar.TypeReg, 513},
+		{tar.TypeLink, 0},
+		{tar.TypeSymlink, 0},
+		{tar.TypeChar, 0},
+		{tar.TypeBlock, 0},
+		{tar.TypeDir, 0},
+		{tar.TypeFifo, 0},
+	}
+
+	var tarball bytes.Buffer
+	var expected []tar.Header
+	w := tar.NewWriter(&tarball)
+	for i, e := range entries {
+		hdr := createTestTarheader(i, e.typeFlag, e.size)
+		err := w.WriteHeader(&hdr)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		data := make([]byte, e.size)
+		_, err = w.Write(data)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		expected = append(expected, hdr)
+	}
+	err := w.Close()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var tarSplit bytes.Buffer
+	tsReader, err := NewInputTarStream(&tarball, storage.NewJSONPacker(&tarSplit), storage.NewDiscardFilePutter())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = io.Copy(io.Discard, tsReader)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	unpacker := storage.NewJSONUnpacker(&tarSplit)
+	var actual []tar.Header
+	err = IterateHeaders(unpacker, func(hdr *tar.Header) error {
+		actual = append(actual, *hdr)
+		return nil
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, len(expected), len(actual))
+	for i := range expected {
+		expected := &expected[i]
+		actual := &actual[i]
+
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Typeflag, actual.Typeflag)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Name, actual.Name)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Linkname, actual.Linkname)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Size, actual.Size)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Mode, actual.Mode)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Uid, actual.Uid)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Gid, actual.Gid)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Uname, actual.Uname)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Gname, actual.Gname)
+		assert.True(t, actual.ModTime.Equal(expected.ModTime))
+		assert.True(t, actual.AccessTime.Equal(expected.AccessTime))
+		assert.True(t, actual.ChangeTime.Equal(expected.ChangeTime))
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Devmajor, actual.Devmajor)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Devminor, actual.Devminor)
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Xattrs, actual.Xattrs) //nolint:staticcheck // We do want a comprehensive coverage in this test.
+		// We can’t compare PAXRecords for complete equality, because tar.Writer adds atime and ctime entries. So ensure all expected records are present.
+		for k, v := range expected.PAXRecords {
+			v2, ok := actual.PAXRecords[k]
+			assert.True(t, ok, k)
+			assert.Equal(t, v, v2)
+		}
+		assert.Equal(t, expected.Format, actual.Format)
+	}
+}