diff --git a/cmd/helpers/extractorBuilder.go b/cmd/helpers/extractorBuilder.go
index 8f64c4bb..fe22db1b 100644
--- a/cmd/helpers/extractorBuilder.go
+++ b/cmd/helpers/extractorBuilder.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func BuildExtractorFromArguments(c *cli.Context) *extractor.Extractor {
 		}
 
 		tailChannels := make([]<-chan extractor.InputBatch, 0)
-		for _, filename := range globExpand(fileglobs, recursive) {
+		for filename := range globExpand(fileglobs, recursive) {
 			tail, err := tail.TailFile(filename, tail.Config{Follow: true, ReOpen: followReopen, Poll: followPoll})
 
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/helpers/readChannels.go b/cmd/helpers/readChannels.go
index ee0dfaa5..2a3e6307 100644
--- a/cmd/helpers/readChannels.go
+++ b/cmd/helpers/readChannels.go
@@ -74,19 +74,32 @@ func openFileToReader(filename string, gunzip bool) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 	return file, nil
 }
 
-func openFilesToChan(filenames []string, gunzip bool, concurrency int, batchSize int) <-chan extractor.InputBatch {
+// openFilesToChan takes an iterated channel of filenames, options, and loads them all with
+//  a max concurrency.  Returns a channel that will populate with input batches
+func openFilesToChan(filenames <-chan string, gunzip bool, concurrency int, batchSize int) <-chan extractor.InputBatch {
 	out := make(chan extractor.InputBatch, 128)
 	sema := make(chan struct{}, concurrency)
-	var wg sync.WaitGroup
-	wg.Add(len(filenames))
-	IncSourceCount(len(filenames))
 
 	// Load as many files as the sema allows
 	go func() {
-		for _, filename := range filenames {
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		readCount := 0
+
+		bufferedFilenames := bufferChan(filenames, 100)
+		for filename := range bufferedFilenames {
 			sema <- struct{}{}
 
+			wg.Add(1)
+			readCount++
+			SetSourceCount(readCount + len(bufferedFilenames))
+
 			go func(goFilename string) {
+				defer func() {
+					<-sema
+					wg.Done()
+					StopFileReading(goFilename)
+				}()
+
 				var file io.ReadCloser
 				file, err := openFileToReader(goFilename, gunzip)
 				if err != nil {
@@ -101,16 +114,9 @@ func openFilesToChan(filenames []string, gunzip bool, concurrency int, batchSize
 					ErrLog.Printf("Error reading %s: %v\n", goFilename, e)
 				}
 				extractor.SyncReadAheadToBatchChannel(goFilename, ra, batchSize, out)
-
-				<-sema
-				wg.Done()
-				StopFileReading(goFilename)
 			}(filename)
 		}
-	}()
 
-	// Wait on all files, and close chan
-	go func() {
 		wg.Wait()
 		close(out)
 	}()
diff --git a/cmd/helpers/readProgress.go b/cmd/helpers/readProgress.go
index da7f51e9..cbfe95ba 100644
--- a/cmd/helpers/readProgress.go
+++ b/cmd/helpers/readProgress.go
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ func IncSourceCount(delta int) {
 	sourceCount += delta
 }
 
+// SetSourceCount sets the number of source files
+func SetSourceCount(count int) {
+	sourceCount = count
+}
+
 // StartFileReading registers a given source as being read in the global read-pool
 func StartFileReading(source string) {
 	activeReadMutex.Lock()
diff --git a/cmd/helpers/util.go b/cmd/helpers/util.go
index f33a754b..b9105f73 100644
--- a/cmd/helpers/util.go
+++ b/cmd/helpers/util.go
@@ -5,6 +5,18 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 )
 
+// Aggregate one channel into another, with a buffer
+func bufferChan(in <-chan string, size int) <-chan string {
+	out := make(chan string, size)
+	go func() {
+		for item := range in {
+			out <- item
+		}
+		close(out)
+	}()
+	return out
+}
+
 func isDir(path string) bool {
 	if fi, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil && fi.IsDir() {
 		return true
@@ -13,29 +25,34 @@ func isDir(path string) bool {
 }
 
 // globExpand expands a directory-glob, and optionally recurses on it
-func globExpand(paths []string, recursive bool) []string {
-	out := make([]string, 0)
-	for _, p := range paths {
-		if recursive && isDir(p) {
-			filepath.Walk(p, func(walkPath string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+func globExpand(paths []string, recursive bool) <-chan string {
+	c := make(chan string, 10)
+	go func() {
+		for _, p := range paths {
+			if recursive && isDir(p) {
+				filepath.Walk(p, func(walkPath string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+					if err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
+					if !info.IsDir() {
+						c <- walkPath
+					}
+					return nil
+				})
+			} else {
+				expanded, err := filepath.Glob(p)
 				if err != nil {
-					return err
+					ErrLog.Printf("Path error: %v\n", err)
+				} else {
+					for _, item := range expanded {
+						c <- item
+					}
 				}
-				if !info.IsDir() {
-					out = append(out, walkPath)
-				}
-				return nil
-			})
-		} else {
-			expanded, err := filepath.Glob(p)
-			if err != nil {
-				ErrLog.Printf("Path error: %v\n", err)
-			} else {
-				out = append(out, expanded...)
 			}
 		}
-	}
-	return out
+		close(c)
+	}()
+	return c
 }
 
 func min(a, b int) int {
diff --git a/cmd/helpers/util_test.go b/cmd/helpers/util_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..24a66296
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/helpers/util_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package helpers
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestBufferingChan(t *testing.T) {
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	c := make(chan string)
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
+			c <- "hi"
+		}
+		close(c)
+		wg.Done()
+	}()
+
+	bc := bufferChan(c, 100)
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	assert.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+		return len(bc) == 100
+	}, 1*time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond)
+}