diff --git a/readrune.go b/readrune.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b407305
--- /dev/null
+++ b/readrune.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package netln
+
+import (
+	"github.com/reiver/go-utf8"
+
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+)
+
+// readRune deals with reading a single rune.
+//
+// It also makes sure that any error condition is represented as a Go error,
+// rather than a utf8.RuneError.
+//
+// It also wraps any errors, and provides a more appropriate error message.
+func readRune(reader io.Reader) (r rune, size int, err error) {
+
+	r, size, err = utf8.ReadRune(reader)
+	if nil != err && !errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("problem reading UTF-8 character: %w", err)
+/////////////// RETURN
+		return
+	}
+	if utf8.RuneError == r {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("problem reading UTF-8 character: %w", errRuneError)
+/////////////// RETURN
+		return
+	}
+
+/////// RETURN
+	return
+}