diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4fc3eab..713a755 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -94,6 +94,14 @@ Unpack package tarball:
 {ok, #{outer_checksum := Checksum, contents := Contents, metadata := Metadata}} = hex_tarball:unpack(Tarball, memory).
 ```
 
+Or provide the list of files you want to extract from the tarball
+
+```erlang
+File = "dir/foo",
+{ok, #{outer_checksum := Checksum, contents := [{File, Content}], metadata := Metadata}} = hex_tarball:unpack(Tarball, [File], memory).
+```
+
+
 Remember to verify the outer tarball checksum against the registry checksum
 returned from `hex_repo:get_package(Config, Package)`.
 
diff --git a/src/hex_tarball.erl b/src/hex_tarball.erl
index 2143423..50e93b8 100644
--- a/src/hex_tarball.erl
+++ b/src/hex_tarball.erl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -module(hex_tarball).
 -export([create/2, create/3, create_docs/1, create_docs/2, unpack/2, unpack/3,
-    unpack_docs/2, unpack_docs/3, format_checksum/1, format_error/1]).
+    unpack/4, unpack_docs/2, unpack_docs/3, format_checksum/1, format_error/1]).
 -ifdef(TEST).
 -export([do_decode_metadata/1, gzip/1, normalize_requirements/1]).
 -endif.
@@ -122,34 +122,56 @@ create_docs(Files) ->
 %%       contents => [{"src/foo.erl",<<"-module(foo).">>}],
 %%       metadata => #{<<"name">> => <<"foo">>, ...}}}
 %%
+%% > hex_tarball:unpack(Tarball, ["src/foo", "src/bar"], memory).
+%% {ok,#{outer_checksum => <<...>>,
+%%       contents => [{"src/foo",<<...>>},
+%%                    {"src/bar",<<...>>}],
+%%       metadata => #{<<"name">> => <<"foo">>, ...}}}
+%%
 %% > hex_tarball:unpack(Tarball, "path/to/unpack").
 %% {ok,#{outer_checksum => <<...>>,
 %%       metadata => #{<<"name">> => <<"foo">>, ...}}}
 %% '''
--spec unpack(tarball(), memory, hex_core:config()) ->
+-spec unpack(tarball(), [filename()] | all_files, memory, hex_core:config()) ->
                 {ok, #{outer_checksum => checksum(), inner_checksum => checksum(),
                        metadata => metadata(), contents => contents()}} |
                 {error, term()};
-            (tarball(), filename(), hex_core:config()) ->
+            (tarball(), [filename()] | all_files, filename(), hex_core:config()) ->
                 {ok, #{outer_checksum => checksum(), inner_checksum => checksum(),
                        metadata => metadata()}} |
                 {error, term()}.
-unpack(Tarball, _, #{tarball_max_size := TarballMaxSize}) when byte_size(Tarball) > TarballMaxSize ->
+unpack(Tarball, _, _, #{tarball_max_size := TarballMaxSize}) when byte_size(Tarball) > TarballMaxSize ->
     {error, {tarball, too_big}};
 
-unpack(Tarball, Output, _Config) ->
+
+unpack(Tarball, ListOfFilesToExtract, Output, _Config) ->
     case hex_erl_tar:extract({binary, Tarball}, [memory]) of
         {ok, []} ->
             {error, {tarball, empty}};
 
         {ok, FileList} ->
             OuterChecksum = crypto:hash(sha256, Tarball),
-            do_unpack(maps:from_list(FileList), OuterChecksum, Output);
+            Opts = case ListOfFilesToExtract of
+                all_files -> [];
+                _ -> [{files, ListOfFilesToExtract}]
+            end,
+            do_unpack(maps:from_list(FileList), OuterChecksum, Output, Opts);
 
         {error, Reason} ->
             {error, {tarball, Reason}}
     end.
 
+-spec unpack(tarball(), [filename()] | all_files, memory) ->
+                {ok, #{outer_checksum => checksum(), inner_checksum => checksum(),
+                       metadata => metadata(), contents => contents()}} |
+                {error, term()};
+            (tarball(), [filename()] | all_files, filename()) ->
+                {ok, #{outer_checksum => checksum(), inner_checksum => checksum(),
+                       metadata => metadata()}} |
+                {error, term()}.
+unpack(Tarball, ListOfFilesToExtract, Output) ->
+    unpack(Tarball, ListOfFilesToExtract, Output, hex_core:default_config()).
+
 
 -spec unpack(tarball(), memory) ->
                 {ok, #{outer_checksum => checksum(), inner_checksum => checksum(),
@@ -160,7 +182,7 @@ unpack(Tarball, Output, _Config) ->
                        metadata => metadata()}} |
                 {error, term()}.
 unpack(Tarball, Output) ->
-    unpack(Tarball, Output, hex_core:default_config()).
+    unpack(Tarball, all_files, Output, hex_core:default_config()).
 
 %% @doc
 %% Unpacks a documentation tarball.
@@ -233,7 +255,7 @@ encode_metadata(Meta) ->
         end, maps:to_list(Meta)),
     iolist_to_binary(Data).
 
-do_unpack(Files, OuterChecksum, Output) ->
+do_unpack(Files, OuterChecksum, Output, Opts) ->
     State = #{
         inner_checksum => undefined,
         outer_checksum => OuterChecksum,
@@ -246,15 +268,16 @@ do_unpack(Files, OuterChecksum, Output) ->
     State2 = check_version(State1),
     State3 = check_inner_checksum(State2),
     State4 = decode_metadata(State3),
-    finish_unpack(State4).
+    finish_unpack(State4, Opts).
 
-finish_unpack({error, _} = Error) ->
+finish_unpack({error, _} = Error, _) ->
     Error;
-finish_unpack(#{metadata := Metadata, files := Files, inner_checksum := InnerChecksum, outer_checksum := OuterChecksum, output := Output}) ->
+
+finish_unpack(#{metadata := Metadata, files := Files, inner_checksum := InnerChecksum, outer_checksum := OuterChecksum, output := Output}, Opts) ->
     _ = maps:get("VERSION", Files),
     ContentsBinary = maps:get("contents.tar.gz", Files),
     filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join(Output, "*")),
-    case unpack_tarball(ContentsBinary, Output) of
+    case unpack_tarball(ContentsBinary, Output, Opts) of
         ok ->
             copy_metadata_config(Output, maps:get("metadata.config", Files)),
             {ok, #{inner_checksum => InnerChecksum, outer_checksum => OuterChecksum, metadata => Metadata}};
@@ -387,12 +410,15 @@ guess_build_tools(Metadata) ->
 %%====================================================================
 %% Tar Helpers
 %%====================================================================
-
-unpack_tarball(ContentsBinary, memory) ->
-    hex_erl_tar:extract({binary, ContentsBinary}, [memory, compressed]);
 unpack_tarball(ContentsBinary, Output) ->
+    unpack_tarball(ContentsBinary, Output, []).
+
+unpack_tarball(ContentsBinary, memory, Opts) ->
+    hex_erl_tar:extract({binary, ContentsBinary}, [memory, compressed | Opts]);
+
+unpack_tarball(ContentsBinary, Output, Opts) ->
     filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join(Output, "*")),
-    case hex_erl_tar:extract({binary, ContentsBinary}, [{cwd, Output}, compressed]) of
+    case hex_erl_tar:extract({binary, ContentsBinary}, [{cwd, Output}, compressed | Opts]) of
         ok ->
             [try_updating_mtime(filename:join(Output, Path)) || Path <- filelib:wildcard("**", Output)],
             ok;
diff --git a/test/hex_tarball_SUITE.erl b/test/hex_tarball_SUITE.erl
index c23c5e8..292df9f 100644
--- a/test/hex_tarball_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/hex_tarball_SUITE.erl
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ all() ->
      memory_test, build_tools_test, requirements_test,
      decode_metadata_test, unpack_error_handling_test,
      docs_test, too_big_to_create_test, too_big_to_unpack_test,
-     docs_too_big_to_create_test, docs_too_big_to_unpack_test
+     docs_too_big_to_create_test, docs_too_big_to_unpack_test,
+     unpack_all_files_test, unpack_list_of_files_test
     ].
 
 too_big_to_create_test(_Config) ->
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ too_big_to_unpack_test(_Config) ->
     Contents = [{"src/foo.erl", <<"-module(foo).">>}],
     {ok, #{tarball := Tarball}} = hex_tarball:create(Metadata, Contents),
     Config = maps:put(tarball_max_size, 5100, hex_core:default_config()),
-    {error, {tarball, too_big}} = hex_tarball:unpack(Tarball, memory, Config),
+    {error, {tarball, too_big}} = hex_tarball:unpack(Tarball, all_files, memory, Config),
     ok.
 
 memory_test(_Config) ->
@@ -281,6 +282,24 @@ docs_test(Config) ->
 
     ok.
 
+unpack_all_files_test(_Config) ->
+    Metadata = #{<<"name">> => <<"foo">>, <<"version">> => <<"1.0.0">>},
+    Files = [{"foo", <<"">>},{"bar", <<"">>}],
+    {ok, #{tarball := Tarball}} = hex_tarball:create(Metadata, Files),
+
+    {ok, #{contents := Files}} = hex_tarball:unpack(Tarball, memory),
+
+    ok.
+
+unpack_list_of_files_test(_Config) ->
+    Metadata = #{<<"name">> => <<"foo">>, <<"version">> => <<"1.0.0">>},
+    ExpectedFile = {"foo", <<"">>},
+    {ok, #{tarball := Tarball}} = hex_tarball:create(Metadata, [ExpectedFile, {"bar", <<"">>}]),
+
+    {ok, #{contents := [ExpectedFile]}} = hex_tarball:unpack(Tarball, ["foo"], memory),
+
+    ok.
+
 %%====================================================================
 %% Helpers
 %%====================================================================