diff --git a/dlib/test/vectorstream.cpp b/dlib/test/vectorstream.cpp
index a955961a2..6d101fff3 100644
--- a/dlib/test/vectorstream.cpp
+++ b/dlib/test/vectorstream.cpp
@@ -21,16 +21,10 @@ namespace
 
 
     logger dlog("test.vectorstream");
-
-// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-    void test1()
+          
+    template <typename stream>
+    void test1_variant(std::vector<char>& buf, stream& s)
     {
-        print_spinner();
-
-        std::vector<char> buf;
-        vectorstream s(buf);
-
         for (int i = -1000; i <= 1000; ++i)
         {
             char ch = i;
@@ -59,7 +53,7 @@ namespace
         DLIB_TEST(s.get() == EOF);
 
         s.clear();
-        s.seekg(6);
+        s.seekg(6); //Let iostream decide which path to take. In theory it could decide to use any.
 
         for (int i = -1000+6; i <= 1000; ++i)
         {
@@ -71,13 +65,58 @@ namespace
 
         DLIB_TEST(s.peek() == EOF);
         DLIB_TEST(s.get() == EOF);
+        
+        s.clear();
+        s.seekg(6, std::ios_base::beg);
 
+        for (int i = -1000+6; i <= 1000; ++i)
+        {
+            DLIB_TEST(s.peek() != EOF);
+            char ch1 = i;
+            char ch2 = s.get();
+            DLIB_TEST(ch1 == ch2);
+        }
+
+        DLIB_TEST(s.peek() == EOF);
+        DLIB_TEST(s.get() == EOF);
+        
+        s.clear();
+        s.seekg(1000, std::ios_base::beg);  //read_pos should be 1000
+        DLIB_TEST(s.good());                //yep, still good
+        DLIB_TEST(s.peek() == char(0));     //read_pos should still be 1000
+        s.seekg(6, std::ios_base::cur);     //read_pos should be 1006
+        
+        for (int i = 6; i <= 1000; ++i)
+        {
+            DLIB_TEST(s.peek() != EOF);
+            char ch1 = i;
+            char ch2 = s.get();
+            DLIB_TEST(ch1 == ch2);
+        }
+
+        DLIB_TEST(s.peek() == EOF);
+        DLIB_TEST(s.get() == EOF);
+        
+        s.clear();
+        s.seekg(-6, std::ios_base::end); //read_pos should be 1995
+
+        for (int i = 995; i <= 1000; ++i)
+        {
+            DLIB_TEST(s.peek() != EOF);
+            char ch1 = i;
+            char ch2 = s.get();
+            DLIB_TEST(ch1 == ch2);
+        }
+        
+        DLIB_TEST(s.peek() == EOF);
+        DLIB_TEST(s.get() == EOF);
+        
         std::string temp;
         temp = "one two three!";
 
+        s.clear();
         s.seekg(0);
         buf.clear();
-        s.clear();
 
         serialize(temp, s);
         std::string temp2;
@@ -119,6 +158,26 @@ namespace
         DLIB_TEST(s.good() == false);
     }
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    void test1()
+    {
+        print_spinner();
+
+        {
+            std::vector<char> buf;
+            vectorstream s1(buf);
+            test1_variant(buf, s1);
+        }
+        
+        {
+            vector<char> buf;
+            dlib::vectorstream s1(buf);
+            std::iostream& s2 = s1;
+            test1_variant(buf, s2);
+        }        
+    }
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     class test_vectorstream : public tester
diff --git a/dlib/vectorstream/vectorstream.h b/dlib/vectorstream/vectorstream.h
index a1b7b8b07..8f39debc6 100644
--- a/dlib/vectorstream/vectorstream.h
+++ b/dlib/vectorstream/vectorstream.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <cstdio>
 #include "../algs.h"
-
+#include "../assert.h"
 
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
 // Disable the warning about inheriting from std::iostream 'via dominance' since this warning is a warning about
@@ -43,6 +43,32 @@ namespace dlib
             {
                 read_pos = pos;
             }
+            
+            pos_type seekpos(pos_type pos, std::ios_base::openmode mode = std::ios_base::in | std::ios_base::out)
+            {
+                return seekoff(pos - pos_type(off_type(0)), std::ios_base::beg, mode);
+            }
+
+            pos_type seekoff(off_type off, std::ios_base::seekdir dir,
+                             std::ios_base::openmode mode = std::ios_base::in | std::ios_base::out )
+            {
+                DLIB_ASSERT(mode == std::ios_base::in, "vectorstream does not support std::ios_base::out");
+                switch (dir)
+                {
+                    case std::ios_base::beg:
+                        read_pos = off;
+                        break;
+                    case std::ios_base::cur:
+                        read_pos += off;
+                        break;
+                    case std::ios_base::end:
+                        read_pos = buffer.size() + off;
+                        break;
+                    default:
+                        break;
+                }
+                return pos_type(read_pos);
+            }
 
             // ------------------------ OUTPUT FUNCTIONS ------------------------
 
@@ -120,15 +146,10 @@ namespace dlib
             std::iostream(&buf),
             buf(buffer)
         {}
-
-        std::istream& seekg (
-            std::streampos pos
-        )
-        {
-            buf.seekg(pos);
-            return *this;
-        }
-
+            
+        vectorstream(const vectorstream& ori) = delete;
+        vectorstream(vectorstream&& item) = delete;
+            
     private:
         vector_streambuf buf;
     };