diff --git a/src/Client.php b/src/Client.php
index e174f6b..e9edd6a 100644
--- a/src/Client.php
+++ b/src/Client.php
@@ -70,16 +70,39 @@ public function readRaw(string $path): string
     /**
      * @param $path
      *
-     * @return mixed|string
+     * @return array
      * @throws \GuzzleHttp\Exception\GuzzleException
      */
     public function read($path)
     {
         $path = urlencode($path);
-    
-        $response = $this->request('GET', "files/$path");
-    
-        return $this->responseContents($response);
+
+        $response = $this->request('HEAD', "files/$path");
+
+        $headers = $response->getHeaders();
+        $headers = array_filter(
+            $headers,
+            fn($key) => substr($key, 0, 9) == 'X-Gitlab-',
+            ARRAY_FILTER_USE_KEY
+        );
+
+        $keys = array_keys($headers);
+        $values = array_values($headers);
+
+        array_walk(
+            $keys,
+            function(&$key) {
+                $key = substr($key, 9);
+                $key = strtolower($key);
+                $key = preg_replace_callback(
+                    '/[-_]+(.)?/i',
+                    fn($matches) => strtoupper($matches[ 1 ]),
+                    $key
+                );
+            }
+        );
+
+        return array_combine($keys, $values);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -254,12 +277,11 @@ public function setBranch(string $branch)
      */
     private function request(string $method, string $uri, array $params = []): Response
     {
-        $uri = ($method === 'GET') ? $this->buildUri($uri, $params) : $this->buildUri($uri);
-    
-        $params = ($method !== 'GET') ? ['form_params' => array_merge(['branch' => $this->branch], $params)] : [];
-    
+        $uri = !in_array($method, ['POST', 'PUT', 'DELETE']) ? $this->buildUri($uri, $params) : $this->buildUri($uri);
+        $params = in_array($method, ['POST', 'PUT', 'DELETE']) ? ['form_params' => array_merge(['branch' => $this->branch], $params)] : [];
+
         $client = new HttpClient(['headers' => ['PRIVATE-TOKEN' => $this->personalAccessToken]]);
-    
+
         return $client->request($method, $uri, $params);
     }
     
diff --git a/src/GitlabAdapter.php b/src/GitlabAdapter.php
index 683e1ab..99d24f4 100644
--- a/src/GitlabAdapter.php
+++ b/src/GitlabAdapter.php
@@ -132,9 +132,7 @@ public function writeStream(string $path, $contents, Config $config): void
     public function read(string $path): string
     {
         try {
-            $response = $this->client->read($this->prefixer->prefixPath($path));
-            
-            return base64_decode($response['content']);
+            return $this->client->readRaw($this->prefixer->prefixPath($path));
         } catch (Throwable $e) {
             throw UnableToReadFile::fromLocation($path, $e->getMessage(), $e);
         }
@@ -281,9 +279,9 @@ public function lastModified(string $path): FileAttributes
     public function fileSize(string $path): FileAttributes
     {
         try {
-            $response = $this->client->read($this->prefixer->prefixPath($path));
+            $meta = $this->client->read($this->prefixer->prefixPath($path));
         
-            return new FileAttributes($path, $response['size']);
+            return new FileAttributes($path, $meta['size'][0] ?? 0);
         } catch (Throwable $e) {
             throw UnableToRetrieveMetadata::fileSize($path, $e->getMessage(), $e);
         }
diff --git a/tests/ClientTest.php b/tests/ClientTest.php
index 0f405fb..17a020b 100644
--- a/tests/ClientTest.php
+++ b/tests/ClientTest.php
@@ -35,10 +35,11 @@ public function it_can_be_instantiated()
      */
     public function it_can_read_a_file()
     {
-        $file = $this->client->read('README.md');
+        $meta = $this->client->read('README.md');
 
-        $this->assertStringStartsWith(base64_encode('# Testing repo for `flysystem-gitlab`'),
-            $file[ 'content' ]);
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey('ref', $meta);
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey('size', $meta);
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey('lastCommitId', $meta);
     }
 
     /**