diff --git a/lib/net/ber.rb b/lib/net/ber.rb
index b272b84..d44935b 100644
--- a/lib/net/ber.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ber.rb
@@ -277,14 +277,24 @@ rescue LoadError
 # IO so we'd pick it up above. But you'd be wrong.
 end
 
+
+
 class String
-  def read_ber syntax=nil
-    StringIO.new(self).read_ber(syntax)
-  end
+    include Net::BER::BERParser
+    def read_ber syntax=nil
+	StringIO.new(self).read_ber(syntax)
+    end
+    def read_ber! syntax=nil
+	obj,n_consumed = read_ber_from_string(self, syntax)
+	if n_consumed
+	    self.slice!(0...n_consumed)
+	    obj
+	else
+	    nil
+	end
+    end
 end
 
-
-
 #----------------------------------------------