diff --git a/src/replayq.erl b/src/replayq.erl
index cf87f0b..91ddf32 100644
--- a/src/replayq.erl
+++ b/src/replayq.erl
@@ -244,12 +244,15 @@ append(#{config := #{seg_bytes := BytesLimit, dir := Dir} = Config,
            }) ->
         {q(), ack_ref(), [item()]}.
 pop(Q, Opts) ->
-  Bytes = maps:get(bytes_limit, Opts, ?DEFAULT_POP_BYTES_LIMIT),
+  {BytesMode, Bytes} = case maps:get(bytes_limit, Opts, ?DEFAULT_POP_BYTES_LIMIT) of
+      {Mode0, Bytes0} -> {Mode0, Bytes0};
+      Bytes0 when is_integer(Bytes0) -> {at_most, Bytes0}
+  end,
   Count = maps:get(count_limit, Opts, ?DEFAULT_POP_COUNT_LIMIT),
   {StopFun, StopFunAcc} =
     maps:get(stop_before, Opts, {fun ?MODULE:default_stop_before_func/2, none}),
   true = (Count > 0),
-  pop(Q, Bytes, Count, ?NOTHING_TO_ACK, [], StopFun, StopFunAcc).
+  pop(Q, BytesMode, Bytes, Count, ?NOTHING_TO_ACK, [], StopFun, StopFunAcc).
 
 %% @doc peek the queue front item.
 -spec peek(q()) -> empty | item().
@@ -327,25 +330,30 @@ transform(Id, [Item0 | Rest], Sizer, Count, Bytes, Acc) ->
 append_in_mem([], Q) -> Q;
 append_in_mem([Item | Rest], Q) -> append_in_mem(Rest, queue:in(Item, Q)).
 
-pop(Q, _Bytes, 0, AckRef, Acc, _StopFun, _StopFunAcc) ->
+pop(Q, _BytesMode, _Bytes, 0, AckRef, Acc, _StopFun, _StopFunAcc) ->
   Result = lists:reverse(Acc),
   ok = maybe_save_pending_acks(AckRef, Q, Result),
   {Q, AckRef, Result};
-pop(#{config := Cfg} = Q, Bytes, Count, AckRef, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc) ->
+pop(Q, _BytesMode, Bytes, _Count, AckRef, Acc, _StopFun, _StopFunAcc) when Bytes =< 0 ->
+  Result = lists:reverse(Acc),
+  ok = maybe_save_pending_acks(AckRef, Q, Result),
+  {Q, AckRef, Result};
+pop(#{config := Cfg} = Q, BytesMode, Bytes, Count, AckRef, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc) ->
   case is_empty(Q) of
     true ->
       {Q, AckRef, lists:reverse(Acc)};
     false when Cfg =:= mem_only ->
-      pop_mem(Q, Bytes, Count, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc);
+      pop_mem(Q, BytesMode, Bytes, Count, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc);
     false ->
-      pop2(Q, Bytes, Count, AckRef, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc)
+      pop2(Q, BytesMode, Bytes, Count, AckRef, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc)
   end.
 
 pop_mem(#{in_mem := InMem,
           stats := #{count := TotalCount, bytes := TotalBytes} = Stats
-         } = Q, Bytes, Count, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc) ->
+         } = Q, BytesMode, Bytes, Count, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc) ->
   case queue:out(InMem) of
-    {{value, ?MEM_ONLY_ITEM(Sz, _Item)}, _} when Sz > Bytes andalso Acc =/= [] ->
+    {{value, ?MEM_ONLY_ITEM(Sz, _Item)}, _} when
+        BytesMode == at_most andalso Sz > Bytes andalso Acc =/= [] ->
       {Q, ?NOTHING_TO_ACK, lists:reverse(Acc)};
     {{value, ?MEM_ONLY_ITEM(Sz, Item)}, Rest} ->
       case StopFun(Item, StopFunAcc) of
@@ -358,6 +366,7 @@ pop_mem(#{in_mem := InMem,
                                    }
                    },
           pop(NewQ,
+              BytesMode,
               Bytes - Sz,
               Count - 1,
               ?NOTHING_TO_ACK,
@@ -370,12 +379,13 @@ pop_mem(#{in_mem := InMem,
 pop2(#{head_segno := ReaderSegno,
        in_mem := HeadItems,
        stats := #{count := TotalCount, bytes := TotalBytes} = Stats
-      } = Q, Bytes, Count, AckRef, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc) ->
+      } = Q, BytesMode, Bytes, Count, AckRef, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc) ->
   case queue:out(HeadItems) of
     {empty, _} ->
       Q1 = open_next_seg(Q),
-      pop(Q1, Bytes, Count, AckRef, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc);
-    {{value, ?DISK_CP_ITEM(_, Sz, _Item)}, _} when Sz > Bytes andalso Acc =/= [] ->
+      pop(Q1, BytesMode, Bytes, Count, AckRef, Acc, StopFun, StopFunAcc);
+    {{value, ?DISK_CP_ITEM(_, Sz, _Item)}, _} when
+        BytesMode == at_most andalso Sz > Bytes andalso Acc =/= [] ->
       %% taking the head item would cause exceeding size limit
       {Q, AckRef, lists:reverse(Acc)};
       {{value, ?DISK_CP_ITEM(Id, Sz, Item)}, Rest} ->
@@ -395,6 +405,7 @@ pop2(#{head_segno := ReaderSegno,
                    end,
             NewAckRef = {ReaderSegno, Id},
             pop(NewQ,
+                BytesMode,
                 Bytes - Sz,
                 Count - 1,
                 NewAckRef,
@@ -760,3 +771,9 @@ is_segment_full(#{bytes := SegmentBytes},
   %% We can change implementation to split items list to avoid
   %% segment overflow if really necessary
   SegmentBytes >= SegmentBytesLimit.
+
+%%%_* Emacs ====================================================================
+%%% Local Variables:
+%%% allout-layout: t
+%%% erlang-indent-level: 2
+%%% End:
diff --git a/test/replayq_tests.erl b/test/replayq_tests.erl
index 300d609..fc3dfb6 100644
--- a/test/replayq_tests.erl
+++ b/test/replayq_tests.erl
@@ -559,6 +559,43 @@ corrupted_commit_test() ->
   ok = replayq:close(Q4),
   ok = cleanup(Dir).
 
+pop_at_least_bytes_mem_test() ->
+  Config = #{
+    mem_only => true,
+    seg_bytes => 1000,
+    sizer => fun(Item) -> size(Item) end
+  },
+  test_pop_at_least_bytes(Config).
+
+pop_at_least_bytes_disk_test() ->
+  Dir = ?DIR,
+  Config = #{
+    dir => Dir,
+    seg_bytes => 1000,
+    sizer => fun(Item) -> size(Item) end
+  },
+  test_pop_at_least_bytes(Config),
+  ok = cleanup(Dir).
+
+test_pop_at_least_bytes(Config) ->
+  Q0 = replayq:open(Config),
+  %% Two 5 bytes elements
+  Item1 = <<"12345">>,
+  Item2 = <<"67890">>,
+  Q1 = replayq:append(Q0, [Item1, Item2]),
+  ItemSize = 5,
+  ?assertEqual(ItemSize * 2, replayq:bytes(Q1)),
+  %% Default behavior: we pop _at most_ N bytes, and return at least 1 item, if any.
+  %% Asking for less bytes than the 2 elements should yield singleton batch.
+  {_Q2, _Ack2, [Item1]} = replayq:pop(Q1, #{count_limit => 10, bytes_limit => ItemSize - 1}),
+  {_Q3, _Ack3, [Item1]} = replayq:pop(Q1, #{count_limit => 10, bytes_limit => {at_most, ItemSize - 1}}),
+  %% ... but dropping _at least_ less bytes than 1 item should drop both of them.
+  {Q4, _Ack4, [Item1, Item2]} =
+    replayq:pop(Q1, #{count_limit => 10, bytes_limit => {at_least, ItemSize + 1}}),
+  ?assertEqual(0, replayq:bytes(Q4)),
+  ok = replayq:close(Q4),
+  ok.
+
 %% helpers ===========================================================
 
 cleanup(Dir) ->
@@ -586,3 +623,9 @@ filename(Segno) ->
 %% corrupt the segment
 corrupt(#{w_cur := #{fd := Fd}}) ->
   file:write(Fd, "some random bytes").
+
+%%%_* Emacs ====================================================================
+%%% Local Variables:
+%%% allout-layout: t
+%%% erlang-indent-level: 2
+%%% End: