diff --git a/cache.go b/cache.go
index 2499e01..ca61909 100644
--- a/cache.go
+++ b/cache.go
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package freecache
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"io"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 
@@ -366,3 +368,61 @@ func (cache *Cache) ResetStatistics() {
 		cache.locks[i].Unlock()
 	}
 }
+
+// Backup the cache to writer.
+func (cache *Cache) Backup(w io.Writer) error {
+	it := cache.NewIterator()
+	for {
+		e := it.Next()
+		if e == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		chunk := encodeEntry(e)
+		_, err := w.Write(chunk)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Restore from backup.
+func (cache *Cache) Restore(rd io.Reader) error {
+	timer := cache.segments[0].timer
+	buf := make([]byte, 8*1024) // 8KB
+
+	r := bufio.NewReader(rd)
+	for {
+		bsize, err := r.Peek(8)
+		if err != nil {
+			if err == io.EOF {
+				return nil
+			}
+			return err
+		}
+
+		size := getEntrySize(bsize)
+		if len(buf) < size {
+			buf = make([]byte, size*2)
+		}
+
+		_, err = io.ReadFull(r, buf[:size])
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		e := decodeEntry(buf)
+		if int(e.ExpireAt) == 0 {
+			err = cache.Set(e.Key, e.Value, 0)
+		} else {
+			now := timer.Now()
+			if !isExpired(e.ExpireAt, now) {
+				ttl := int(e.ExpireAt - now)
+				err = cache.Set(e.Key, e.Value, ttl)
+			}
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cache_test.go b/cache_test.go
index 6082299..3449137 100644
--- a/cache_test.go
+++ b/cache_test.go
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@ package freecache
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"compress/gzip"
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	mrand "math/rand"
+	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -1086,3 +1088,78 @@ func TestUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	found, replaced, err = cache.Update(key, updater)
 	assertExpectations(4, true, false, val2, val2)
 }
+
+func TestBackupRestore(t *testing.T) {
+	iters := 100
+	minTimeExpire := 5
+	totalExpire := 10
+
+	// TestBackup
+	func() {
+		cache := NewCache(1024)
+
+		mrand.Seed(7)
+		for i := 0; i < iters; i++ {
+			key := mrand.Int()
+			val := strconv.Itoa(i)
+			err := cache.SetInt(int64(key), []byte(val), minTimeExpire+i)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("err: %s", err)
+			}
+		}
+
+		f, err := os.Create("/tmp/cache_backup.bin")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+		defer f.Close()
+
+		gz := gzip.NewWriter(f)
+		defer gz.Close()
+
+		err = cache.Backup(gz)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// TestRestore
+	func() {
+		cache := NewCache(1024)
+
+		f, err := os.Open("/tmp/cache_backup.bin")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+		defer f.Close()
+
+		gz, err := gzip.NewReader(f)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+		defer gz.Close()
+		err = cache.Restore(gz)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		time.Sleep(time.Duration(minTimeExpire+totalExpire) * time.Second)
+
+		mrand.Seed(7)
+		for i := 0; i < iters; i++ {
+			key := mrand.Int()
+			val := strconv.Itoa(i)
+			val2, err := cache.GetInt(int64(key))
+			if err != nil {
+				if i < (totalExpire+1) && err == ErrNotFound {
+					continue
+				}
+				t.Errorf("err: %s", err)
+			}
+
+			if string(val2) != val {
+				t.Errorf("err: %v %q==%q", key, val, val2)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+}
diff --git a/iterator.go b/iterator.go
index 6f83d99..6e88b6f 100644
--- a/iterator.go
+++ b/iterator.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package freecache
 
 import (
+	"encoding/binary"
 	"unsafe"
 )
 
@@ -14,8 +15,41 @@ type Iterator struct {
 
 // Entry represents a key/value pair.
 type Entry struct {
-	Key   []byte
-	Value []byte
+	Key      []byte
+	Value    []byte
+	ExpireAt uint32
+}
+
+const headerEntry = 4 + 4 + 4
+
+func getEntrySize(b []byte) int {
+	return headerEntry + int(binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(b[0:4])) + int(binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(b[4:8]))
+}
+
+func encodeEntry(e *Entry) []byte {
+	size := headerEntry + len(e.Key) + len(e.Value)
+	buf := make([]byte, size)
+
+	// header
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(buf[0:4], uint32(len(e.Key)))
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(buf[4:8], uint32(len(e.Value)))
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(buf[8:12], e.ExpireAt)
+
+	// data
+	copy(buf[12:], e.Key)
+	copy(buf[12+len(e.Key):], e.Value)
+	return buf
+}
+
+func decodeEntry(b []byte) *Entry {
+	ks := binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(b[0:4])
+	vs := binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(b[4:8])
+	expire := binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(b[8:12])
+	return &Entry{
+		Key:      b[12 : 12+ks],
+		Value:    b[12+ks : 12+ks+vs],
+		ExpireAt: expire,
+	}
 }
 
 // Next returns the next entry for the iterator.
@@ -63,6 +97,7 @@ func (it *Iterator) nextForSlot(seg *segment, slotId int) *Entry {
 			entry := new(Entry)
 			entry.Key = make([]byte, hdr.keyLen)
 			entry.Value = make([]byte, hdr.valLen)
+			entry.ExpireAt = hdr.expireAt
 			seg.rb.ReadAt(entry.Key, ptr.offset+ENTRY_HDR_SIZE)
 			seg.rb.ReadAt(entry.Value, ptr.offset+ENTRY_HDR_SIZE+int64(hdr.keyLen))
 			return entry
diff --git a/ringbuf.go b/ringbuf.go
index 71e3586..437e6ee 100644
--- a/ringbuf.go
+++ b/ringbuf.go
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ func NewRingBuf(size int, begin int64) (rb RingBuf) {
 // Reset the ring buffer
 //
 // Parameters:
-//     begin: beginning offset of the data stream
+//
+//	begin: beginning offset of the data stream
 func (rb *RingBuf) Reset(begin int64) {
 	rb.begin = begin
 	rb.end = begin
@@ -60,6 +61,9 @@ func (rb *RingBuf) End() int64 {
 
 // read up to len(p), at off of the data stream.
 func (rb *RingBuf) ReadAt(p []byte, off int64) (n int, err error) {
+	if len(p) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
 	if off > rb.end || off < rb.begin {
 		err = ErrOutOfRange
 		return
@@ -96,6 +100,9 @@ func (rb *RingBuf) getDataOff(off int64) int {
 // Slice returns a slice of the supplied range of the ring buffer. It will
 // not alloc unless the requested range wraps the ring buffer.
 func (rb *RingBuf) Slice(off, length int64) ([]byte, error) {
+	if length == 0 {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
 	if off > rb.end || off < rb.begin {
 		return nil, ErrOutOfRange
 	}
@@ -136,6 +143,9 @@ func (rb *RingBuf) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 }
 
 func (rb *RingBuf) WriteAt(p []byte, off int64) (n int, err error) {
+	if len(p) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
 	if off+int64(len(p)) > rb.end || off < rb.begin {
 		err = ErrOutOfRange
 		return
diff --git a/segment.go b/segment.go
index bcc90a9..163ed44 100644
--- a/segment.go
+++ b/segment.go
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ import (
 const HASH_ENTRY_SIZE = 16
 const ENTRY_HDR_SIZE = 24
 
-var ErrLargeKey = errors.New("The key is larger than 65535")
-var ErrLargeEntry = errors.New("The entry size is larger than 1/1024 of cache size")
-var ErrNotFound = errors.New("Entry not found")
+var ErrLargeKey = errors.New("the key is larger than 65535")
+var ErrLargeEntry = errors.New("the entry size is larger than 1/1024 of cache size")
+var ErrNotFound = errors.New("entry not found")
 
 // entry pointer struct points to an entry in ring buffer
 type entryPtr struct {
@@ -241,6 +241,13 @@ func (seg *segment) get(key, buf []byte, hashVal uint64, peek bool) (value []byt
 		return
 	}
 	expireAt = hdr.expireAt
+	if !peek {
+		atomic.AddInt64(&seg.hitCount, 1)
+	}
+	if int(hdr.valLen) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+
 	if cap(buf) >= int(hdr.valLen) {
 		value = buf[:hdr.valLen]
 	} else {
@@ -248,9 +255,6 @@ func (seg *segment) get(key, buf []byte, hashVal uint64, peek bool) (value []byt
 	}
 
 	seg.rb.ReadAt(value, ptr.offset+ENTRY_HDR_SIZE+int64(hdr.keyLen))
-	if !peek {
-		atomic.AddInt64(&seg.hitCount, 1)
-	}
 	return
 }