diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/bytes/at.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/bytes/at.rs
index b9eb76ed74..a5b411de60 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/bytes/at.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/bytes/at.rs
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ use nu_cmd_base::{
     util,
 };
 use nu_engine::command_prelude::*;
-use nu_protocol::{Range, Reader};
-use std::io::{Bytes, Read, Write};
+use nu_protocol::Range;
+use std::io::{Read, Write};
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct BytesAt;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ impl Command for BytesAt {
         input: PipelineData,
     ) -> Result<PipelineData, ShellError> {
         let range: Range = call.req(engine_state, stack, 0)?;
-        let indexes = match util::process_range(&range) {
+        let indexes: Subbytes = match util::process_range(&range) {
             Ok(idxs) => idxs.into(),
             Err(processing_error) => {
                 return Err(processing_error("could not perform subbytes", call.head));
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ impl Command for BytesAt {
         if let PipelineData::ByteStream(stream, metadata) = input {
             handle_byte_stream(&args, stream, call, metadata, engine_state)
         } else {
-            operate(action, args, input, call.head, engine_state.signals())
+            operate(map_value, args, input, call.head, engine_state.signals())
         }
     }
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ impl Command for BytesAt {
             },
             Example {
                 description: "Slice out `0x[10 01 13]` from `0x[33 44 55 10 01 13]`",
-                example: "0x[33 44 55 10 01 13] | bytes at 3..6",
+                example: "0x[33 44 55 10 01 13 10] | bytes at 3..6",
                 result: Some(Value::test_binary(vec![0x10, 0x01, 0x13, 0x10])),
             },
             Example {
@@ -140,10 +140,23 @@ impl Command for BytesAt {
     }
 }
 
-fn action(input: &Value, args: &Arguments, head: Span) -> Value {
+fn map_value(input: &Value, args: &Arguments, head: Span) -> Value {
     let range = &args.indexes;
     match input {
-        Value::Binary { val, .. } => read_bytes(val, range, head),
+        Value::Binary { val, .. } => {
+            let (start, end) = resolve_relative_range(range, val.len());
+            let iter = val.iter().map(|x| *x);
+
+            let bytes: Vec<u8> = if start > end {
+                vec![]
+            } else if end == usize::MAX {
+                iter.skip(start).collect()
+            } else {
+                iter.skip(start).take(end - start + 1).collect()
+            };
+
+            Value::binary(bytes, head)
+        }
         Value::Error { .. } => input.clone(),
         other => Value::error(
             ShellError::UnsupportedInput {
@@ -164,76 +177,59 @@ fn handle_byte_stream(
     metadata: Option<nu_protocol::PipelineMetadata>,
     engine_state: &EngineState,
 ) -> Result<PipelineData, ShellError> {
-    let idxs = args.indexes;
     match stream.reader() {
         Some(reader) => {
-            let iter = reader.bytes();
+            let iter = reader.bytes().filter_map(Result::ok);
+            let Subbytes { 0: start, 1: end } = args.indexes;
 
-            if idxs.0 < 0 || idxs.1 < 0 {
+            let mut iter = if start < 0 || end < 0 {
                 match iter.try_len() {
-                    Ok(_) => {
-                        let vec = iter.filter_map(Result::ok).collect::<Vec<u8>>();
-                        Ok(read_bytes(&vec, &idxs, call.head).into_pipeline_data_with_metadata(metadata))
-                    }
-                    _ => Err(ShellError::IncorrectValue {
-                        msg:
-                            "Negative range values cannot be used with streams that don't specify a length"
-                                .into(),
+                    Ok(len) => {
+                        let (start, end) = resolve_relative_range(&args.indexes, len);
+                        iter.skip(start).take(end - start + 1)
+                    },
+                    Err(_) => return Err(ShellError::IncorrectValue {
+                        msg: "Negative range values cannot be used with streams that don't specify a length".into(),
                         val_span: call.head,
                         call_span: call.arguments_span(),
                     }),
                 }
             } else {
-                Ok(read_stream(iter, idxs, call, engine_state, metadata))
-            }
+                iter.skip(start as usize).take((end - start) as usize)
+            };
+
+            let stream = ByteStream::from_fn(
+                call.head,
+                engine_state.signals().clone(),
+                ByteStreamType::Binary,
+                move |buf| match iter.next() {
+                    Some(n) if n > 0 => match buf.write(&[n]) {
+                        Ok(_) => Ok(true),
+                        Err(err) => Err(err.into()),
+                    },
+                    _ => Ok(false),
+                },
+            );
+
+            Ok(PipelineData::ByteStream(stream, metadata))
         }
         None => Ok(PipelineData::empty()),
     }
 }
 
-fn read_bytes(val: &[u8], range: &Subbytes, head: Span) -> Value {
-    let len = val.len() as isize;
-    let start = if range.0 < 0 { range.0 + len } else { range.0 };
-    let end = if range.1 < 0 { range.1 + len } else { range.1 };
-
-    if start > end {
-        Value::binary(vec![], head)
-    } else {
-        let val_iter = val.iter().skip(start as usize);
-        Value::binary(
-            if end == isize::MAX {
-                val_iter.copied().collect::<Vec<u8>>()
-            } else {
-                val_iter.take((end - start + 1) as usize).copied().collect()
-            },
-            head,
-        )
-    }
-}
-
-fn read_stream(
-    iter: Bytes<Reader>,
-    range: Subbytes,
-    call: &Call,
-    engine_state: &EngineState,
-    metadata: Option<nu_protocol::PipelineMetadata>,
-) -> PipelineData {
-    let start = range.0 as usize;
-    let end = (range.1 - range.0) as usize;
-    let mut iter = iter.skip(start).take(end);
-
-    let stream = ByteStream::from_fn(
-        call.head,
-        engine_state.signals().clone(),
-        ByteStreamType::Binary,
-        move |buf| match iter.next() {
-            Some(Ok(n)) if n > 0 => match buf.write(&[n]) {
-                Ok(_) => Ok(true),
-                Err(err) => Err(err.into()),
-            },
-            _ => Ok(false),
+fn resolve_relative_range(range: &Subbytes, len: usize) -> (usize, usize) {
+    let start = match range.0 {
+        start if start < 0 => match len as isize + start {
+            start if start < 0 => 0,
+            start => start as usize,
         },
-    );
+        start => start as usize,
+    };
 
-    PipelineData::ByteStream(stream, metadata)
+    let end = match range.1 {
+        end if end < 0 => (len as isize + end) as usize,
+        end => end as usize,
+    };
+
+    (start, end)
 }