diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f43f7e3..2c5fd54 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ## [1.15.2] - 2019-06-07
 ### Added
 - Store unique stream ID inside the `["info"]["stream_id"]` dict value ([#19](https://github.com/xdf-modules/xdf-Python/pull/19) by [Clemens Brunner](https://github.com/cbrnr)).
+- Add option to load only specific streams ([#24](https://github.com/xdf-modules/xdf-Python/pull/24) by [Clemens Brunner](https://github.com/cbrnr)).
 
 ## [1.15.1] - 2019-04-26
 ### Added
diff --git a/pyxdf/__init__.py b/pyxdf/__init__.py
index ad41151..51968a7 100644
--- a/pyxdf/__init__.py
+++ b/pyxdf/__init__.py
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 # Authors: Christian Kothe & the Intheon pyxdf team
+#          Clemens Brunner
 #
 # License: BSD (2-clause)
 
 from pkg_resources import get_distribution, DistributionNotFound
 try:
     __version__ = get_distribution(__name__).version
-except DistributionNotFound:
-    # package is not installed
+except DistributionNotFound:  # package is not installed
     __version__ = None
-from .pyxdf import load_xdf
+from .pyxdf import load_xdf, resolve_streams, match_streaminfos
 
diff --git a/pyxdf/pyxdf.py b/pyxdf/pyxdf.py
index 4dee842..6a730cb 100644
--- a/pyxdf/pyxdf.py
+++ b/pyxdf/pyxdf.py
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ def __init__(self, xml):
 
 
 def load_xdf(filename,
+             select_streams=None,
              on_chunk=None,
              synchronize_clocks=True,
              handle_clock_resets=True,
@@ -94,6 +95,20 @@ def load_xdf(filename,
     Args:
         filename : name of the file to import (*.xdf or *.xdfz)
 
+        select_streams : int | list[int] | list[dict] | None
+          One or more stream IDs to load. Accepted values are:
+          - int or list[int]: load only specified stream IDs, e.g.
+            select_streams=5 loads only the stream with stream ID 5, whereas
+            select_streams=[2, 4] loads only streams with stream IDs 2 and 4.
+          - list[dict]: load only streams matching the query, e.g.
+            select_streams=[{'type': 'EEG'}] loads all streams of type 'EEG'.
+            Entries within a dict must all match a stream, e.g.
+            select_streams=[{'type': 'EEG', 'name': 'TestAMP'}] matches streams
+            with both type 'EEG' *and* name 'TestAMP'. If
+            select_streams=[{'type': 'EEG'}, {'name': 'TestAMP'}], streams
+            matching either the type *or* the name will be loaded.
+          - None: load all streams (default).
+
         synchronize_clocks : Whether to enable clock synchronization based on
           ClockOffset chunks. (default: true)
 
@@ -155,10 +170,10 @@ def load_xdf(filename,
         streams : list of dicts, one for each stream; the dicts
                   have the following content:
                  ['time_series'] entry: contains the stream's time series
-                   [#Channels x #Samples] this matrix is of the type declared in
-                   ['info']['channel_format']
-                 ['time_stamps'] entry: contains the time stamps for each sample
-                   (synced across streams)
+                   [#Channels x #Samples] this matrix is of the type declared
+                   in ['info']['channel_format']
+                 ['time_stamps'] entry: contains the time stamps for each
+                   sample (synced across streams)
 
                  ['info'] field: contains the meta-data of the stream
                    (all values are strings)
@@ -179,14 +194,31 @@ def load_xdf(filename,
 
     Examples:
         load the streams contained in a given XDF file
-        >>> streams, fileheader = load_xdf('C:\Recordings\myrecording.xdf')
+        >>> streams, fileheader = load_xdf('myrecording.xdf')
     """
 
     logger.info('Importing XDF file %s...' % filename)
     if not os.path.exists(filename):
         raise Exception('file %s does not exist.' % filename)
 
-    # dict of returned streams, in order of apparance, indexed by stream id
+    # if select_streams is an int or a list of int, load only streams
+    # associated with the corresponding stream IDs
+    # if select_streams is a list of dicts, use this to query and load streams
+    # associated with these properties
+    if select_streams is None:
+        pass
+    elif isinstance(select_streams, int):
+        select_streams = [select_streams]
+    elif all([isinstance(elem, dict) for elem in select_streams]):
+        select_streams = match_streaminfos(resolve_streams(filename),
+                                           select_streams)
+        if not select_streams:  # no streams found
+            raise ValueError("No matching streams found.")
+    elif not all([isinstance(elem, int) for elem in select_streams]):
+        raise ValueError("Argument 'select_streams' must be an int, a list of "
+                         "ints or a list of dicts.")
+
+    # dict of returned streams, in order of appearance, indexed by stream id
     streams = OrderedDict()
     # dict of per-stream temporary data (StreamData), indexed by stream id
     temp = {}
@@ -195,22 +227,9 @@ def load_xdf(filename,
     # number of bytes in the file for fault tolerance
     filesize = os.path.getsize(filename)
 
-    # read file contents ([SomeText] below refers to items in the XDF Spec)
-    filename = Path(filename)  # convert to pathlib object
-    if filename.suffix == '.xdfz' or filename.suffixes == ['.xdf', '.gz']:
-        f_open = gzip.open
-    else:
-        f_open = open
-
-    with f_open(filename, 'rb') as f:
-        # read [MagicCode]
-        if f.read(4) != b'XDF:':
-            raise Exception('not a valid XDF file: %s' % filename)
-
-        # for each chunk...
-        StreamId = None
+    with open_xdf(filename) as f:
+        # for each chunk
         while True:
-
             # noinspection PyBroadException
             try:
                 # read [NumLengthBytes], [Length]
@@ -231,9 +250,16 @@ def load_xdf(filename,
             if tag in [2, 3, 4, 6]:
                 StreamId = struct.unpack('<I', f.read(4))[0]
                 log_str += ', StreamId={}'.format(StreamId)
+            else:
+                StreamId = None
 
             logger.debug(log_str)
 
+            if StreamId is not None and select_streams is not None:
+                if StreamId not in select_streams:
+                    f.read(chunklen - 2 - 4)  # skip remaining chunk contents
+                    continue
+
             # read the chunk's [Content]...
             if tag == 1:
                 # read [FileHeader] chunk
@@ -260,7 +286,7 @@ def load_xdf(filename,
                     # optionally send through the on_chunk function
                     if on_chunk is not None:
                         values, stamps, streams[StreamId] = on_chunk(values, stamps,
-                                                              streams[StreamId], StreamId)
+                                                                     streams[StreamId], StreamId)
                     # append to the time series...
                     temp[StreamId].time_series.append(values)
                     temp[StreamId].time_stamps.append(stamps)
@@ -336,6 +362,18 @@ def load_xdf(filename,
     return streams, fileheader
 
 
+def open_xdf(filename):
+    """Open XDF file for reading."""
+    filename = Path(filename)  # convert to pathlib object
+    if filename.suffix == '.xdfz' or filename.suffixes == ['.xdf', '.gz']:
+        f = gzip.open(filename, 'rb')
+    else:
+        f = open(filename, 'rb')
+    if f.read(4) != b'XDF:':  # magic bytes
+        raise IOError('Invalid XDF file {}'.format(filename))
+    return f
+
+
 def _read_chunk3(f, s):
     # read [NumSampleBytes], [NumSamples]
     nsamples = _read_varlen_int(f)
@@ -387,6 +425,8 @@ def _read_varlen_int(f):
         return struct.unpack('<I', f.read(4))[0]
     elif nbytes == b'\x08':
         return struct.unpack('<Q', f.read(8))[0]
+    elif not nbytes:  # EOF
+        raise EOFError
     else:
         raise RuntimeError('invalid variable-length integer encountered.')
 
@@ -584,3 +624,125 @@ def _robust_fit(A, y, rho=1, iters=1000):
         z = rho / (1 + rho) * d + 1 / (1 + rho) * tmp * d
         u = d - z
     return x
+
+
+def match_streaminfos(stream_infos, parameters):
+    """Find stream IDs matching specified criteria.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    stream_infos : list of dicts
+        List of dicts containing information on each stream. This information
+        can be obtained using the function resolve_streams.
+    parameters : list of dicts
+        List of dicts containing key/values that should be present in streams.
+        Examples: [{"name": "Keyboard"}] matches all streams with a "name"
+                  field equal to "Keyboard".
+                  [{"name": "Keyboard"}, {"type": "EEG"}] matches all streams
+                  with a "name" field equal to "Keyboard" and all streams with
+                  a "type" field equal to "EEG".
+    """
+    matches = []
+    for request in parameters:
+        for info in stream_infos:
+            for key in request.keys():
+                match = info[key] == request[key]
+                if not match:
+                    break
+            if match:
+                matches.append(info['stream_id'])
+
+    return list(set(matches))  # return unique values
+
+
+def resolve_streams(fname):
+    """Resolve streams in given XDF file.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    fname : str
+        Name of the XDF file.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    stream_infos : list of dicts
+        List of dicts containing information on each stream.
+    """
+    return parse_chunks(parse_xdf(fname))
+
+
+def parse_xdf(fname):
+    """Parse and return chunks contained in an XDF file.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    fname : str
+        Name of the XDF file.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    chunks : list
+        List of all chunks contained in the XDF file.
+    """
+    chunks = []
+    with open_xdf(fname) as f:
+        for chunk in _read_chunks(f):
+            chunks.append(chunk)
+    return chunks
+
+
+def parse_chunks(chunks):
+    """Parse chunks and extract information on individual streams."""
+    streams = []
+    for chunk in chunks:
+        if chunk["tag"] == 2:  # stream header chunk
+            streams.append(dict(stream_id=chunk["stream_id"],
+                                name=chunk.get("name"),  # optional
+                                type=chunk.get("type"),  # optional
+                                source_id=chunk.get("source_id"),  # optional
+                                created_at=chunk.get("created_at"),  # optional
+                                uid=chunk.get("uid"),  # optional
+                                session_id=chunk.get("session_id"),  # optional
+                                hostname=chunk.get("hostname"),  # optional
+                                channel_count=int(chunk["channel_count"]),
+                                channel_format=chunk["channel_format"],
+                                nominal_srate=int(chunk["nominal_srate"])))
+    return streams
+
+
+def _read_chunks(f):
+    """Read and yield XDF chunks.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    f : file handle
+        File handle of XDF file.
+
+
+    Yields
+    ------
+    chunk : dict
+        XDF chunk.
+    """
+    while True:
+        chunk = dict()
+        try:
+            chunk["nbytes"] = _read_varlen_int(f)
+        except EOFError:
+            return
+        chunk["tag"] = struct.unpack('<H', f.read(2))[0]
+        if chunk["tag"] in [2, 3, 4, 6]:
+            chunk["stream_id"] = struct.unpack("<I", f.read(4))[0]
+            if chunk["tag"] == 2:  # parse StreamHeader chunk
+                xml = ET.fromstring(f.read(chunk["nbytes"] - 6).decode())
+                chunk = {**chunk, **_parse_streamheader(xml)}
+            else:  # skip remaining chunk contents
+                f.seek(chunk["nbytes"] - 6, 1)
+        else:
+            f.seek(chunk["nbytes"] - 2, 1)  # skip remaining chunk contents
+        yield chunk
+
+
+def _parse_streamheader(xml):
+    """Parse stream header XML."""
+    return {el.tag: el.text for el in xml if el.tag != "desc"}