diff --git a/Sources/NIO/CircularBuffer.swift b/Sources/NIO/CircularBuffer.swift
index 622c0ebea3..abd23ab254 100644
--- a/Sources/NIO/CircularBuffer.swift
+++ b/Sources/NIO/CircularBuffer.swift
@@ -50,36 +50,63 @@ public struct CircularBuffer<E>: CustomStringConvertible, AppendableCollection {
     ///
     /// Amortized *O(1)*
     public mutating func append(_ value: E) {
+        return self.addLast(value)
+    }
+
+    /// Add an element to the end of the ring buffer.
+    ///
+    /// Amortized *O(1)*
+    public mutating func addLast(_ value: E) {
         self.buffer[self.tailIdx] = value
         self.tailIdx = (self.tailIdx + 1) & self.mask
 
         if self.headIdx == self.tailIdx {
             // No more room left for another append so grow the buffer now.
-            var newBacking: ContiguousArray<E?> = []
-            let newCapacity = self.buffer.count << 1 // Double the storage.
-            precondition(newCapacity > 0, "Can't double capacity of \(self.buffer.count)")
-            assert(newCapacity % 2 == 0)
-
-            newBacking.reserveCapacity(newCapacity)
-            newBacking.append(contentsOf: self.buffer[self.headIdx..<self.buffer.count])
-            if self.headIdx > 0 {
-                newBacking.append(contentsOf: self.buffer[0..<self.headIdx])
-            }
-            newBacking.append(contentsOf: repeatElement(nil, count: newCapacity - newBacking.count))
-            self.tailIdx = self.buffer.count
-            self.headIdx = 0
-            self.buffer = newBacking
+            self.doubleCapacity()
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Add an element to the front of the ring buffer.
+    ///
+    /// Amortized *O(1)*
+    public mutating func addFirst(_ value: E) {
+        let idx = (self.headIdx - 1) & mask
+        self.buffer[idx] = value
+        self.headIdx = idx
+
+        if self.headIdx == self.tailIdx {
+            // No more room left for another append so grow the buffer now.
+            self.doubleCapacity()
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Double the capacity of the buffer and adjust the headIdx and tailIdx.
+    private mutating func doubleCapacity() {
+        var newBacking: ContiguousArray<E?> = []
+        let newCapacity = self.buffer.count << 1 // Double the storage.
+        precondition(newCapacity > 0, "Can't double capacity of \(self.buffer.count)")
+        assert(newCapacity % 2 == 0)
+
+        newBacking.reserveCapacity(newCapacity)
+        newBacking.append(contentsOf: self.buffer[self.headIdx..<self.buffer.count])
+        if self.headIdx > 0 {
+            newBacking.append(contentsOf: self.buffer[0..<self.headIdx])
         }
+        newBacking.append(contentsOf: repeatElement(nil, count: newCapacity - newBacking.count))
+        self.tailIdx = self.buffer.count
+        self.headIdx = 0
+        self.buffer = newBacking
     }
 
     /// Remove the front element of the ring buffer.
     ///
     /// *O(1)*
     public mutating func removeFirst() -> E {
-        precondition(!self.isEmpty)
-
         let value = self.buffer[self.headIdx]
-        self.buffer[headIdx] = nil
+
+        precondition(value != nil, "CircularBuffer is empty")
+
+        self.buffer[self.headIdx] = nil
         self.headIdx = (self.headIdx + 1) & self.mask
 
         return value!
@@ -89,11 +116,31 @@ public struct CircularBuffer<E>: CustomStringConvertible, AppendableCollection {
     ///
     /// *O(1)*
     public var first: E? {
-        if self.isEmpty {
-            return nil
-        } else {
-            return self.buffer[self.headIdx]
-        }
+        // As self.buffer is filled with `nil` this will correctly return `nil` if the CircularBuffer is empty.
+        return self.buffer[self.headIdx]
+    }
+
+    /// Remove the last element of the ring buffer.
+    ///
+    /// *O(1)*
+    public mutating func removeLast() -> E {
+        let idx = (self.tailIdx - 1) & self.mask
+        let value = self.buffer[idx]
+
+        precondition(value != nil, "CircularBuffer is empty")
+
+        self.buffer[idx] = nil
+        self.tailIdx = idx
+
+        return value!
+    }
+
+    /// Return the last element of the ring.
+    ///
+    /// *O(1)*
+    public var last: E? {
+        // As self.buffer is filled with `nil` this will correctly return `nil` if the CircularBuffer is empty.
+        return self.buffer[(self.tailIdx - 1) & self.mask]
     }
 
     private func bufferIndex(ofIndex index: Int) -> Int {
diff --git a/Tests/NIOTests/CircularBufferTests+XCTest.swift b/Tests/NIOTests/CircularBufferTests+XCTest.swift
index 315f6675ff..d7777850b7 100644
--- a/Tests/NIOTests/CircularBufferTests+XCTest.swift
+++ b/Tests/NIOTests/CircularBufferTests+XCTest.swift
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ extension CircularBufferTests {
                 ("testSliceTheRing", testSliceTheRing),
                 ("testCount", testCount),
                 ("testFirst", testFirst),
+                ("testLast", testLast),
+                ("testOperateOnBothSides", testOperateOnBothSides),
+                ("testAddFirstExpandBuffer", testAddFirstExpandBuffer),
            ]
    }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/NIOTests/CircularBufferTests.swift b/Tests/NIOTests/CircularBufferTests.swift
index 406b1c0d20..13cd947aa3 100644
--- a/Tests/NIOTests/CircularBufferTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/NIOTests/CircularBufferTests.swift
@@ -256,4 +256,47 @@ class CircularBufferTests: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertEqual(1, ring.removeFirst())
         XCTAssertNil(ring.first)
     }
+
+    func testLast() {
+        var ring = CircularBuffer<Int>(initialRingCapacity: 3)
+        XCTAssertNil(ring.last)
+        ring.addFirst(1)
+        XCTAssertEqual(1, ring.last)
+        XCTAssertEqual(1, ring.removeLast())
+        XCTAssertNil(ring.last)
+        XCTAssertEqual(0, ring.count)
+        XCTAssertTrue(ring.isEmpty)
+    }
+
+    func testOperateOnBothSides() {
+        var ring = CircularBuffer<Int>(initialRingCapacity: 3)
+        XCTAssertNil(ring.last)
+        ring.addFirst(1)
+        ring.addFirst(2)
+
+        XCTAssertEqual(1, ring.last)
+        XCTAssertEqual(2, ring.first)
+
+        XCTAssertEqual(1, ring.removeLast())
+        XCTAssertEqual(2, ring.removeFirst())
+
+        XCTAssertNil(ring.last)
+        XCTAssertNil(ring.first)
+        XCTAssertEqual(0, ring.count)
+        XCTAssertTrue(ring.isEmpty)
+    }
+
+
+    func testAddFirstExpandBuffer() {
+        var ring = CircularBuffer<Int>(initialRingCapacity: 3)
+        for f in 1..<1000 {
+            ring.addFirst(f)
+            XCTAssertEqual(f, ring.count)
+        }
+        for f in 1..<1000 {
+            XCTAssertEqual(f, ring.removeLast())
+        }
+        XCTAssertTrue(ring.isEmpty)
+        XCTAssertEqual(0, ring.count)
+    }
 }