diff --git a/docs/changelog-fragments/638.bugfix.rst b/docs/changelog-fragments/638.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4c4849c70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog-fragments/638.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed large sftp reads and proper overriding existing files -- by :user:`Jakuje`.
diff --git a/src/pylibsshext/sftp.pyx b/src/pylibsshext/sftp.pyx
index 6331c529d..0b42ff8f4 100644
--- a/src/pylibsshext/sftp.pyx
+++ b/src/pylibsshext/sftp.pyx
@@ -89,18 +89,19 @@ cdef class SFTP:
 
         rf = sftp.sftp_open(self._libssh_sftp_session, remote_file_b, O_RDONLY, sftp.S_IRWXU)
         if rf is NULL:
-            raise LibsshSFTPException("Opening remote file [%s] for read failed with error [%s]" % (remote_file, self._get_sftp_error_str()))
-
-        while True:
-            file_data = sftp.sftp_read(rf, <void *>read_buffer, sizeof(char) * 1024)
-            if file_data == 0:
-                break
-            elif file_data < 0:
-                sftp.sftp_close(rf)
-                raise LibsshSFTPException("Reading data from remote file [%s] failed with error [%s]"
-                                          % (remote_file, self._get_sftp_error_str()))
-
-            with open(local_file, 'wb+') as f:
+            raise LibsshSFTPException("Opening remote file [%s] for read failed with error [%s]"
+                                      % (remote_file, self._get_sftp_error_str()))
+
+        with open(local_file, 'wb') as f:
+            while True:
+                file_data = sftp.sftp_read(rf, <void *>read_buffer, sizeof(char) * 1024)
+                if file_data == 0:
+                    break
+                elif file_data < 0:
+                    sftp.sftp_close(rf)
+                    raise LibsshSFTPException("Reading data from remote file [%s] failed with error [%s]"
+                                              % (remote_file, self._get_sftp_error_str()))
+
                 bytes_written = f.write(read_buffer[:file_data])
                 if bytes_written and file_data != bytes_written:
                     sftp.sftp_close(rf)
diff --git a/tests/unit/sftp_test.py b/tests/unit/sftp_test.py
index fc70c4512..1822522dc 100644
--- a/tests/unit/sftp_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit/sftp_test.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 """Tests suite for sftp."""
 
+import random
+import string
 import uuid
 
 import pytest
@@ -48,6 +50,22 @@ def dst_path(file_paths_pair):
     return path
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def other_payload():
+    """Generate a binary test payload."""
+    uuid_name = uuid.uuid4()
+    return 'Original content: {name!s}'.format(name=uuid_name).encode()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def dst_exists_path(file_paths_pair, other_payload):
+    """Return a data destination path."""
+    path = file_paths_pair[1]
+    path.write_bytes(other_payload)
+    assert path.exists()
+    return path
+
+
 def test_make_sftp(sftp_session):
     """Smoke-test SFTP instance creation."""
     assert sftp_session
@@ -63,3 +81,47 @@ def test_get(dst_path, src_path, sftp_session, transmit_payload):
     """Check that SFTP file download works."""
     sftp_session.get(str(src_path), str(dst_path))
     assert dst_path.read_bytes() == transmit_payload
+
+
+def test_get_existing(dst_exists_path, src_path, sftp_session, transmit_payload):
+    """Check that SFTP file download works when target file exists."""
+    sftp_session.get(str(src_path), str(dst_exists_path))
+    assert dst_exists_path.read_bytes() == transmit_payload
+
+
+def test_put_existing(dst_exists_path, src_path, sftp_session, transmit_payload):
+    """Check that SFTP file download works when target file exists."""
+    sftp_session.put(str(src_path), str(dst_exists_path))
+    assert dst_exists_path.read_bytes() == transmit_payload
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def large_payload():
+    """Generate a large 1025 byte (1024 + 1B) test payload."""
+    payload_len = 1024 + 1
+    random_bytes = [ord(random.choice(string.printable)) for _ in range(payload_len)]
+    return bytes(random_bytes)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def src_path_large(tmp_path, large_payload):
+    """Return a remote path to a 1025 byte-sized file.
+
+    The pylibssh chunk size is 1024 so the test needs a file that would
+    execute at least two loops.
+    """
+    path = tmp_path / 'large.txt'
+    path.write_bytes(large_payload)
+    return path
+
+
+def test_put_large(dst_path, src_path_large, sftp_session, large_payload):
+    """Check that SFTP can upload large file."""
+    sftp_session.put(str(src_path_large), str(dst_path))
+    assert dst_path.read_bytes() == large_payload
+
+
+def test_get_large(dst_path, src_path_large, sftp_session, large_payload):
+    """Check that SFTP can download large file."""
+    sftp_session.get(str(src_path_large), str(dst_path))
+    assert dst_path.read_bytes() == large_payload