diff --git a/src/plugins/sfdisk/sfdiskbackend.cpp b/src/plugins/sfdisk/sfdiskbackend.cpp
index 8907bb9..efc0049 100644
--- a/src/plugins/sfdisk/sfdiskbackend.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/sfdisk/sfdiskbackend.cpp
@@ -452,10 +452,9 @@ bool SfdiskBackend::updateDevicePartitionTable(Device &d, const QJsonObject &jso
         qint32 maxEntries;
         QByteArray gptHeader;
         CopySourceDevice source(d, 512, 1023);
-        CopyTargetByteArray target(gptHeader);
 
-        ExternalCommand copyCmd;
-        if (copyCmd.copyBlocks(source, target)) {
+        ExternalCommand readCmd;
+        if (readCmd.readData(source, gptHeader)) {
             QByteArray gptMaxEntries = gptHeader.mid(80, 4);
             QDataStream stream(&gptMaxEntries, QIODevice::ReadOnly);
             stream.setByteOrder(QDataStream::LittleEndian);
diff --git a/src/util/externalcommand.cpp b/src/util/externalcommand.cpp
index 54996bb..9141cbc 100644
--- a/src/util/externalcommand.cpp
+++ b/src/util/externalcommand.cpp
@@ -187,6 +187,35 @@ bool ExternalCommand::copyBlocks(const CopySource& source, CopyTarget& target)
     return rval;
 }
 
+bool ExternalCommand::readData(const CopySourceDevice& source, QByteArray& target)
+{
+    auto interface = helperInterface();
+    if (!interface)
+        return false;
+
+    QDBusPendingCall pcall = interface->ReadData(source.path(), source.firstByte(), source.length());
+
+    QDBusPendingCallWatcher *watcher = new QDBusPendingCallWatcher(pcall, this);
+    QEventLoop loop;
+
+    auto exitLoop = [&] (QDBusPendingCallWatcher *watcher) {
+        loop.exit();
+
+        if (watcher->isError())
+            qWarning() << watcher->error();
+        else {
+            QDBusPendingReply<QByteArray> reply = *watcher;
+
+            target = reply.value();
+        }
+    };
+
+    connect(watcher, &QDBusPendingCallWatcher::finished, exitLoop);
+    loop.exec();
+
+    return target != QByteArray();
+}
+
 bool ExternalCommand::writeData(Report& commandReport, const QByteArray& buffer, const QString& deviceNode, const quint64 firstByte)
 {
     d->m_Report = commandReport.newChild();
diff --git a/src/util/externalcommand.h b/src/util/externalcommand.h
index 2f973e1..93b1be1 100644
--- a/src/util/externalcommand.h
+++ b/src/util/externalcommand.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 class KJob;
 class Report;
 class CopySource;
+class CopySourceDevice;
 class CopyTarget;
 class QDBusInterface;
 class QDBusPendingCall;
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ public:
 
 public:
     bool copyBlocks(const CopySource& source, CopyTarget& target);
+    bool readData(const CopySourceDevice& source, QByteArray& target);
     bool writeData(Report& commandReport, const QByteArray& buffer, const QString& deviceNode, const quint64 firstByte); // same as copyBlocks but from QByteArray
     bool createFile(const QByteArray& filePath, const QString& fileContents); // similar to writeData but creates a new file
 
diff --git a/src/util/externalcommandhelper.cpp b/src/util/externalcommandhelper.cpp
index da41261..6fc18dc 100644
--- a/src/util/externalcommandhelper.cpp
+++ b/src/util/externalcommandhelper.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ bool ExternalCommandHelper::writeData(const QString &targetDevice, const QByteAr
 {
     QFile device(targetDevice);
 
-    auto flags = QIODevice::WriteOnly | QIODevice::Unbuffered | QIODevice::Append;
+    auto flags = QIODevice::WriteOnly | QIODevice::Unbuffered;
     if (!device.open(flags)) {
         qCritical() << xi18n("Could not open device <filename>%1</filename> for writing.", targetDevice);
         return false;
@@ -165,13 +165,9 @@ QVariantMap ExternalCommandHelper::CopyBlocks(const QString& sourceDevice, const
     }
 
     // Prevent some out of memory situations
-    constexpr qint64 MiB = 1 << 30;
     if (blockSize > 100 * MiB) {
         return QVariantMap();
     }
-    if (targetDevice.isEmpty() && sourceLength > MiB) {
-        return QVariantMap();
-    }
 
     QVariantMap reply;
     reply[QStringLiteral("success")] = true;
@@ -222,7 +218,7 @@ QVariantMap ExternalCommandHelper::CopyBlocks(const QString& sourceDevice, const
 
     bool rval = true;
 
-    while (blocksCopied < blocksToCopy && !targetDevice.isEmpty()) {
+    while (blocksCopied < blocksToCopy) {
         if (!(rval = readData(sourceDevice, buffer, readOffset + blockSize * blocksCopied * copyDirection, blockSize)))
             break;
 
@@ -255,10 +251,7 @@ QVariantMap ExternalCommandHelper::CopyBlocks(const QString& sourceDevice, const
         rval = readData(sourceDevice, buffer, lastBlockReadOffset, lastBlock);
 
         if (rval) {
-            if (targetDevice.isEmpty())
-                reply[QStringLiteral("targetByteArray")] = buffer;
-            else
-                rval = writeData(targetDevice, buffer, lastBlockWriteOffset);
+            rval = writeData(targetDevice, buffer, lastBlockWriteOffset);
         }
 
         if (rval) {
@@ -274,6 +267,24 @@ QVariantMap ExternalCommandHelper::CopyBlocks(const QString& sourceDevice, const
     return reply;
 }
 
+QByteArray ExternalCommandHelper::ReadData(const QString& device, const qint64 offset, const qint64 length)
+{
+    if (!isCallerAuthorized()) {
+        return QByteArray();
+    }
+
+    if (length > MiB) {
+        return QByteArray();
+    }
+
+    QByteArray buffer;
+    bool rval = readData(device, buffer, offset, length);
+    if (rval) {
+        return buffer;
+    }
+    return QByteArray();
+}
+
 bool ExternalCommandHelper::WriteData(const QByteArray& buffer, const QString& targetDevice, const qint64 targetOffset)
 {
     if (!isCallerAuthorized()) {
diff --git a/src/util/externalcommandhelper.h b/src/util/externalcommandhelper.h
index d0c72d4..944f012 100644
--- a/src/util/externalcommandhelper.h
+++ b/src/util/externalcommandhelper.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <QDBusContext>
 
 class QDBusServiceWatcher;
+constexpr qint64 MiB = 1 << 30;
 
 class ExternalCommandHelper : public QObject, public QDBusContext
 {
@@ -37,7 +38,9 @@ public:
 
 public Q_SLOTS:
     Q_SCRIPTABLE QVariantMap RunCommand(const QString& command, const QStringList& arguments, const QByteArray& input, const int processChannelMode);
-    Q_SCRIPTABLE QVariantMap CopyBlocks(const QString& sourceDevice, const qint64 sourceOffset, const qint64 sourceLength, const QString& targetDevice, const qint64 targetOffset, const qint64 blockSize);
+    Q_SCRIPTABLE QVariantMap CopyBlocks(const QString& sourceDevice, const qint64 sourceOffset, const qint64 sourceLength,
+                                        const QString& targetDevice, const qint64 targetOffset, const qint64 blockSize);
+    Q_SCRIPTABLE QByteArray ReadData(const QString& device, const qint64 offset, const qint64 length);
     Q_SCRIPTABLE bool WriteData(const QByteArray& buffer, const QString& targetDevice, const qint64 targetOffset);
     Q_SCRIPTABLE bool CreateFile(const QString& filePath, const QByteArray& fileContents);