diff --git a/src/sed/command.rs b/src/sed/command.rs
index 43dedbb7..93693446 100644
--- a/src/sed/command.rs
+++ b/src/sed/command.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 use crate::sed::error_handling::{ScriptLocation, runtime_error};
 use crate::sed::fast_regex::{Captures, Match, Regex};
+use crate::sed::named_reader::NamedReader;
 use crate::sed::named_writer::NamedWriter;
 use crate::sed::script_char_provider::ScriptCharProvider;
 use crate::sed::script_line_provider::ScriptLineProvider;
@@ -368,6 +369,7 @@ pub enum CommandData {
     BranchTarget(Option<Rc<RefCell<Command>>>), // Commands for 'b', 't', 'T', '{'
     Label(Option<String>),                      // Label name for 'b', 't', 'T', ':'
     Path(PathBuf),                              // File path for 'r'
+    NamedReader(Rc<RefCell<NamedReader>>),      // Successive file lines for 'R'
     NamedWriter(Rc<RefCell<NamedWriter>>),      // File output for 'w'
     Number(usize),                              // Number for 'l', 'q', 'Q' (GNU)
     Substitution(Box<Substitution>),            // Substitute command 's'
diff --git a/src/sed/compiler.rs b/src/sed/compiler.rs
index 1ea7a8e1..2159785a 100644
--- a/src/sed/compiler.rs
+++ b/src/sed/compiler.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ use crate::sed::delimited_parser::{
 };
 use crate::sed::error_handling::{ScriptLocation, compilation_error, semantic_error};
 use crate::sed::fast_regex::Regex;
+use crate::sed::named_reader::NamedReader;
 use crate::sed::named_writer::NamedWriter;
 use crate::sed::script_char_provider::ScriptCharProvider;
 use crate::sed::script_line_provider::{ScriptLineProvider, ScriptValue};
@@ -1122,6 +1123,21 @@ fn compile_read_file_command(
     Ok(CommandHandling::Continue)
 }
 
+// Handles R
+fn compile_read_line_command(
+    lines: &mut ScriptLineProvider,
+    line: &mut ScriptCharProvider,
+    cmd: &mut Command,
+    context: &mut ProcessingContext,
+) -> UResult<CommandHandling> {
+    if context.sandbox {
+        return compilation_error(lines, line, ERR_SANDBOX);
+    }
+    let path = read_file_path(lines, line)?;
+    cmd.data = CommandData::NamedReader(NamedReader::new(path));
+    Ok(CommandHandling::Continue)
+}
+
 // Handles w
 fn compile_write_file_command(
     lines: &mut ScriptLineProvider,
@@ -1636,6 +1652,10 @@ fn get_cmd_spec(
             n_addr: 2,
             handler: compile_empty_command,
         }),
+        'R' if !posix => Ok(CommandSpec {
+            n_addr: 2,
+            handler: compile_read_line_command,
+        }),
         'r' => Ok(CommandSpec {
             n_addr: if posix { 1 } else { 2 },
             handler: compile_read_file_command,
@@ -3021,6 +3041,31 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(err.to_string().contains(ERR_SANDBOX));
     }
 
+    // compile_read_line_command (R)
+    #[test]
+    fn test_compile_read_line_command_rejected_under_sandbox() {
+        let (mut lines, mut chars) = make_providers("R input.txt");
+        let mut cmd = Command::default();
+        let mut context = ctx();
+        context.sandbox = true;
+
+        let err =
+            compile_read_line_command(&mut lines, &mut chars, &mut cmd, &mut context).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(err.to_string().contains(ERR_SANDBOX));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_compile_read_line_command_sets_named_reader() {
+        let (mut lines, mut chars) = make_providers("R input.txt");
+        let mut cmd = Command::default();
+        let mut context = ctx();
+
+        let handling =
+            compile_read_line_command(&mut lines, &mut chars, &mut cmd, &mut context).unwrap();
+        assert!(matches!(handling, CommandHandling::Continue));
+        assert!(matches!(cmd.data, CommandData::NamedReader(_)));
+    }
+
     // compile_write_file_command
     #[test]
     fn test_compile_write_file_command_rejected_under_sandbox() {
diff --git a/src/sed/mod.rs b/src/sed/mod.rs
index 1ed79a56..cd9a05af 100644
--- a/src/sed/mod.rs
+++ b/src/sed/mod.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ pub mod error_handling;
 pub mod fast_io;
 pub mod fast_regex;
 pub mod in_place;
+pub mod named_reader;
 pub mod named_writer;
 pub mod processor;
 pub mod script_char_provider;
diff --git a/src/sed/named_reader.rs b/src/sed/named_reader.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..58a32c15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sed/named_reader.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+// An abstraction for input files read one line at a time by the `R` command
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+// Copyright (c) 2025 Diomidis Spinellis
+//
+// This file is part of the uutils sed package.
+// It is licensed under the MIT License.
+// For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+// file that was distributed with this source code.
+
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader};
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::rc::Rc;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+/// State of the file backing an `R` command, opened lazily on first use.
+enum State {
+    Unopened,
+    Open(BufReader<File>),
+    Exhausted,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+/// Reader that yields successive lines of a file for the GNU `R` command.
+/// The file is opened on first use; a file that cannot be opened or read is
+/// treated as having no more lines, matching GNU sed (no error is raised).
+pub struct NamedReader {
+    path: PathBuf,
+    state: State,
+}
+
+impl NamedReader {
+    /// Create a reader for `path` without opening it yet.
+    pub fn new(path: PathBuf) -> Rc<RefCell<Self>> {
+        Rc::new(RefCell::new(NamedReader {
+            path,
+            state: State::Unopened,
+        }))
+    }
+
+    /// Return the next line of the file, including its trailing newline if
+    /// present, or `None` once the file is exhausted or could not be read.
+    pub fn next_line(&mut self) -> Option<Vec<u8>> {
+        if matches!(self.state, State::Unopened) {
+            self.state = match File::open(&self.path) {
+                Ok(file) => State::Open(BufReader::new(file)),
+                Err(_) => State::Exhausted,
+            };
+        }
+
+        let State::Open(reader) = &mut self.state else {
+            return None;
+        };
+
+        let mut line = Vec::new();
+        match reader.read_until(b'\n', &mut line) {
+            Ok(0) | Err(_) => {
+                self.state = State::Exhausted;
+                None
+            }
+            Ok(_) => Some(line),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::io::Write;
+    use tempfile::NamedTempFile;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn yields_successive_lines_then_none() {
+        let mut file = NamedTempFile::new().unwrap();
+        file.write_all(b"one\ntwo\n").unwrap();
+        let reader = NamedReader::new(file.path().to_path_buf());
+
+        assert_eq!(reader.borrow_mut().next_line(), Some(b"one\n".to_vec()));
+        assert_eq!(reader.borrow_mut().next_line(), Some(b"two\n".to_vec()));
+        assert_eq!(reader.borrow_mut().next_line(), None);
+        assert_eq!(reader.borrow_mut().next_line(), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn last_line_without_newline_is_preserved() {
+        let mut file = NamedTempFile::new().unwrap();
+        file.write_all(b"abc").unwrap();
+        let reader = NamedReader::new(file.path().to_path_buf());
+
+        assert_eq!(reader.borrow_mut().next_line(), Some(b"abc".to_vec()));
+        assert_eq!(reader.borrow_mut().next_line(), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn missing_file_yields_no_lines() {
+        let reader = NamedReader::new(PathBuf::from("/nonexistent/xyzzy-42-does-not-exist"));
+        assert_eq!(reader.borrow_mut().next_line(), None);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/sed/processor.rs b/src/sed/processor.rs
index b703d77c..ccf301ef 100644
--- a/src/sed/processor.rs
+++ b/src/sed/processor.rs
@@ -821,6 +821,15 @@ fn process_file(
                     context.quiet = true;
                     break;
                 }
+                'R' => {
+                    // Queue the file's next line for output at end of cycle.
+                    let reader = extract_variant!(command, NamedReader);
+                    if let Some(line) = reader.borrow_mut().next_line() {
+                        context
+                            .append_elements
+                            .push(AppendElement::Text(line.into()));
+                    }
+                }
                 'r' => {
                     // Copy the file to standard output at a later point.
                     let path = extract_variant!(command, Path);
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_sed.rs b/tests/by-util/test_sed.rs
index 4c5eebaa..30031faa 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_sed.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_sed.rs
@@ -1862,6 +1862,81 @@ fn write_first_line_with_w_command_is_non_posix() {
         .stderr_is("sed: <script argument 1>:1:1: error: invalid command code `W'\n");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn read_one_line_reads_successive_lines() -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    let temp = NamedTempFile::new()?;
+    fs::write(temp.path(), "one\ntwo\n")?;
+    let cmd = format!("R {}", temp.path().display());
+
+    // One line of the file is queued per cycle; the third cycle finds EOF.
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", &cmd])
+        .pipe_in("a\nb\nc\n")
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_is("a\none\nb\ntwo\nc\n");
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn read_one_line_missing_file_is_silent() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", "R /nonexistent/xyzzy-42-does-not-exist"])
+        .pipe_in("a\nb\n")
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_is("a\nb\n");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn sandbox_rejects_read_one_line_command() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["--sandbox", "R /tmp/out", LINES1])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_contains("command not allowed with --sandbox");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn read_one_line_with_r_command_is_non_posix() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["--posix", "R /tmp/out"])
+        .fails()
+        .code_is(1)
+        .stderr_is("sed: <script argument 1>:1:1: error: invalid command code `R'\n");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn read_one_line_appends_even_with_suppressed_autoprint() -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    let temp = NamedTempFile::new()?;
+    fs::write(temp.path(), "x1\nx2\n")?;
+    let cmd = format!("R {}", temp.path().display());
+
+    // `-n` suppresses the pattern space auto-print, but `R` still queues the
+    // file's lines to the output stream (like `a`/`r`).
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-n", "-e", &cmd])
+        .pipe_in("a\nb\n")
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_is("x1\nx2\n");
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn read_one_line_stops_when_file_shorter_than_input() -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    let temp = NamedTempFile::new()?;
+    fs::write(temp.path(), "only\n")?;
+    let cmd = format!("R {}", temp.path().display());
+
+    // The file has one line; later cycles read nothing and emit no extra text.
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", &cmd])
+        .pipe_in("a\nb\nc\n")
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_is("a\nonly\nb\nc\n");
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // =, l, F commands
 check_output!(number_continuous, ["/l2_/=", LINES1, LINES2]);