diff --git a/src/obikseq/src/packed_seq.rs b/src/obikseq/src/packed_seq.rs
index 82ee5f6..fe428f6 100644
--- a/src/obikseq/src/packed_seq.rs
+++ b/src/obikseq/src/packed_seq.rs
@@ -232,6 +232,18 @@ impl PackedSeq {
         self.iter_kmers().map(|km| km.canonical())
     }
 
+    /// Consuming iterator over all k-mers. Moves `self` into the iterator; zero allocation.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn into_kmers(self) -> OwnedPackedSeqKmerIter {
+        OwnedPackedSeqKmerIter::new(self)
+    }
+
+    /// Consuming iterator over all canonical k-mers. Moves `self` into the iterator; zero allocation.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn into_canonical_kmers(self) -> impl Iterator<Item = CanonicalKmer> {
+        self.into_kmers().map(|km| km.canonical())
+    }
+
     /// Extract nucleotides `[start, end)` as a new [`PackedSeq`]. Allocates.
     pub fn sub(&self, start: usize, end: usize) -> Self {
         debug_assert!(end > start && end <= self.seql());
@@ -317,6 +329,51 @@ impl Iterator for PackedSeqKmerIter<'_> {
     }
 }
 
+// ── OwnedPackedSeqKmerIter ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/// Sliding-window kmer iterator that owns its [`PackedSeq`]. Zero allocation.
+pub struct OwnedPackedSeqKmerIter {
+    seq: PackedSeq,
+    mask: u64,
+    lshift: usize,
+    current: u64,
+    pos: usize,
+    max_pos: usize,
+}
+
+impl OwnedPackedSeqKmerIter {
+    fn new(seq: PackedSeq) -> Self {
+        let seql = seq.seql();
+        let klen = k();
+        let lshift = 64 - klen * 2;
+        let mask = ((!0u128) << (lshift + 2)) as u64;
+        let current = if seql >= klen {
+            seq.extract::<KLen>(0).map(|km| km.raw()).unwrap_or(0)
+        } else {
+            0
+        };
+        Self { seq, mask, lshift, current, pos: klen, max_pos: seql }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Iterator for OwnedPackedSeqKmerIter {
+    type Item = Kmer;
+
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Kmer> {
+        if self.pos > self.max_pos {
+            return None;
+        }
+        let result = Kmer::from_raw(self.current);
+        if self.pos < self.max_pos {
+            let inner_shift = 6 - 2 * (self.pos & 3);
+            let nuc = ((self.seq.seq[self.pos / 4] >> inner_shift) & 3) as u64;
+            self.current = ((self.current << 2) & self.mask) | (nuc << self.lshift);
+        }
+        self.pos += 1;
+        Some(result)
+    }
+}
+
 // ── varint (LEB128) ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 pub(crate) fn write_varint<W: Write>(w: &mut W, mut val: u64) -> io::Result<()> {
diff --git a/src/obikseq/src/superkmer.rs b/src/obikseq/src/superkmer.rs
index 1e8c9b5..40e01d3 100644
--- a/src/obikseq/src/superkmer.rs
+++ b/src/obikseq/src/superkmer.rs
@@ -207,6 +207,12 @@ impl SuperKmer {
     pub fn iter_canonical_kmers(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = CanonicalKmer> + '_ {
         self.inner.iter_canonical_kmers()
     }
+
+    /// Consuming iterator over all canonical k-mers. Moves `self`; zero allocation.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn into_canonical_kmers(self) -> impl Iterator<Item = CanonicalKmer> {
+        self.inner.into_canonical_kmers()
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/src/obiskio/src/lib.rs b/src/obiskio/src/lib.rs
index 1c01539..8f32ca2 100644
--- a/src/obiskio/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/obiskio/src/lib.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ pub mod unitig_index;
 
 pub use error::{SKError, SKResult};
 pub use meta::SKFileMeta;
-pub use pool::{create_token, create_token_with, SKFilePool, SharedPool, SKFileWriter};
+pub use pool::{SKFilePool, SKFileWriter, SharedPool, create_token, create_token_with};
 pub use reader::{SKFileIter, SKFileReader};
 pub use unitig_index::{UnitigFileReader, UnitigFileWriter};
 
diff --git a/src/obiskio/src/reader.rs b/src/obiskio/src/reader.rs
index 3b9ed33..9694f18 100644
--- a/src/obiskio/src/reader.rs
+++ b/src/obiskio/src/reader.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 use crate::error::{SKError, SKResult};
+use obikseq::kmer::CanonicalKmer;
 use obikseq::superkmer::SuperKmer;
 use std::fs::File;
-use std::io::{self, BufReader, Read};
+use std::io::{self, Read};
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 /// Binary reader for SuperKmers, with transparent decompression via niffler.
 ///
 /// Access is strictly sequential. Call [`iter`](SKFileReader::iter) to get an
-/// [`Iterator`] over the SuperKmers.
+/// [`Iterator`] over the SuperKmers, or [`iter_canonical_kmers`](SKFileReader::iter_canonical_kmers)
+/// to iterate directly over the canonical kmers they contain.
 pub struct SKFileReader {
     path: PathBuf,
     reader: Box<dyn std::io::Read + Send>,
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ impl SKFileReader {
     pub fn open<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P) -> SKResult<Self> {
         let path = path.as_ref().to_owned();
         let (reader, _fmt) =
-            niffler::send::get_reader(Box::new(BufReader::new(File::open(&path)?)))?;
+            niffler::send::get_reader(Box::new(File::open(&path)?))?;
         Ok(Self { path, reader })
     }
 
@@ -44,15 +46,26 @@ impl SKFileReader {
         &self.path
     }
 
-    /// Return an iterator over this reader.
+    /// Return an iterator over the SuperKmers in this file.
     pub fn iter(&mut self) -> SKFileIter<'_> {
-        SKFileIter { reader: self, error: None }
+        SKFileIter {
+            reader: self,
+            error: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Return an iterator over all canonical kmers across all SuperKmers in this file.
+    ///
+    /// Kmers are yielded in file order: all kmers of the first SuperKmer, then
+    /// all kmers of the second, and so on. No deduplication is performed.
+    pub fn iter_canonical_kmers(&mut self) -> impl Iterator<Item = CanonicalKmer> + '_ {
+        self.iter().flat_map(|sk| sk.into_canonical_kmers())
     }
 }
 
-// ── Iterator ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// ── SKFileIter ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-/// Iterator adapter for [`SKFileReader`].
+/// Iterator over [`SuperKmer`]s in a file.
 ///
 /// Errors during iteration are stored and accessible via [`take_error`](SKFileIter::take_error).
 pub struct SKFileIter<'a> {
@@ -61,6 +74,14 @@ pub struct SKFileIter<'a> {
 }
 
 impl<'a> SKFileIter<'a> {
+
+      /// Read the next SuperKmer, or `None` at EOF.
+      pub fn read(&mut self) -> SKResult<Option<SuperKmer>> {
+          match self.reader.read()? {
+              Some(sk) => Ok(Some(sk)),
+              None => Ok(None),
+           }
+       }
     /// Returns the first I/O error encountered during iteration, if any.
     pub fn take_error(&mut self) -> Option<SKError> {
         self.error.take()
diff --git a/src/obiskio/src/tests/reader.rs b/src/obiskio/src/tests/reader.rs
index 57378c5..cc1a238 100644
--- a/src/obiskio/src/tests/reader.rs
+++ b/src/obiskio/src/tests/reader.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use super::*;
 use crate::pool::SKFileWriter;
+use obikseq::kmer::CanonicalKmer;
 use std::io::Cursor;
 use tempfile::NamedTempFile;
 
@@ -42,6 +43,48 @@ fn iter_all() {
     }
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn iter_canonical_kmers_count() {
+    setup();
+    let tmp = NamedTempFile::new().unwrap();
+    let sks = make_sks(10); // each superkmer: seql=8, k=4 → 5 kmers
+
+    {
+        let mut w = SKFileWriter::create(tmp.path()).unwrap();
+        w.write_batch(&sks).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    use std::fs;
+    eprintln!("DEBUG: about to open");
+    let sz = fs::metadata(tmp.path()).unwrap().len();
+    eprintln!("DEBUG file size: {sz} bytes");
+    let mut r = SKFileReader::open(tmp.path()).unwrap();
+    eprintln!("DEBUG: reader opened, starting count");
+    let count = r.iter_canonical_kmers().count();
+    eprintln!("DEBUG: count = {count}");
+    assert_eq!(count, 10 * 5);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn iter_canonical_kmers_matches_per_sk() {
+    setup();
+    let tmp = NamedTempFile::new().unwrap();
+    let sks = make_sks(4);
+
+    {
+        let mut w = SKFileWriter::create(tmp.path()).unwrap();
+        w.write_batch(&sks).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    // Reference: collect kmers superkmer by superkmer
+    let expected: Vec<CanonicalKmer> = sks.iter().flat_map(|sk| sk.iter_canonical_kmers()).collect();
+
+    let mut r = SKFileReader::open(tmp.path()).unwrap();
+    let got: Vec<CanonicalKmer> = r.iter_canonical_kmers().collect();
+
+    assert_eq!(expected, got);
+}
+
 // ── serialisation round-trips (formerly codec.rs tests) ──────────────────────
 
 #[test]