diff --git a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/datatype/DataType.scala b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/datatype/DataType.scala
index 96e6f4036..85a86765d 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/datatype/DataType.scala
+++ b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/datatype/DataType.scala
@@ -244,11 +244,14 @@ object DataType {
   case class CalcKaitaiStructType(override val isOwningInExpr: Boolean = false) extends StructType {
     def isOwning = false
   }
-  case object OwnedKaitaiStreamType extends ComplexDataType {
+
+  /** Base class for streams from which types can be read or written. */
+  abstract sealed class StreamType extends ComplexDataType
+  case object OwnedKaitaiStreamType extends StreamType {
     def isOwning = true
     override def asNonOwning(isOwningInExpr: Boolean = false): DataType = KaitaiStreamType
   }
-  case object KaitaiStreamType extends ComplexDataType {
+  case object KaitaiStreamType extends StreamType {
     def isOwning = false
   }
 
diff --git a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/CSharpCompiler.scala b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/CSharpCompiler.scala
index 97693c473..51ac0ed2b 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/CSharpCompiler.scala
+++ b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/CSharpCompiler.scala
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ object CSharpCompiler extends LanguageCompilerStatic
 
       case AnyType => "object"
       case KaitaiStructType | CalcKaitaiStructType(_) => kstructName
-      case KaitaiStreamType | OwnedKaitaiStreamType => kstreamName
+      case _: StreamType => kstreamName
 
       case t: UserType => types2class(t.name)
       case EnumType(name, _) => types2class(name)
diff --git a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/GoCompiler.scala b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/GoCompiler.scala
index 49e4343e1..8b5ea9678 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/GoCompiler.scala
+++ b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/GoCompiler.scala
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ object GoCompiler extends LanguageCompilerStatic
 
       case AnyType => "interface{}"
       case KaitaiStructType | CalcKaitaiStructType(_) => kstructName
-      case KaitaiStreamType | OwnedKaitaiStreamType => s"*$kstreamName"
+      case _: StreamType => s"*$kstreamName"
 
       case t: UserType => "*" + types2class(t.classSpec match {
         case Some(cs) => cs.name
diff --git a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/JavaCompiler.scala b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/JavaCompiler.scala
index ee19058d3..0b460e794 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/JavaCompiler.scala
+++ b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/JavaCompiler.scala
@@ -870,7 +870,7 @@ object JavaCompiler extends LanguageCompilerStatic
       case _: BytesType => "byte[]"
 
       case AnyType => "Object"
-      case KaitaiStreamType | OwnedKaitaiStreamType => kstreamName
+      case _: StreamType => kstreamName
       case KaitaiStructType | CalcKaitaiStructType(_) => kstructName
 
       case t: UserType => types2class(t.name)
@@ -914,7 +914,7 @@ object JavaCompiler extends LanguageCompilerStatic
       case _: BytesType => "byte[]"
 
       case AnyType => "Object"
-      case KaitaiStreamType | OwnedKaitaiStreamType => kstreamName
+      case _: StreamType => kstreamName
       case KaitaiStructType | CalcKaitaiStructType(_) => kstructName
 
       case t: UserType => types2class(t.name)
diff --git a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/NimCompiler.scala b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/NimCompiler.scala
index 21868c146..c2f857cac 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/NimCompiler.scala
+++ b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/NimCompiler.scala
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ object NimCompiler extends LanguageCompilerStatic
       case _: BytesType => "seq[byte]"
 
       case KaitaiStructType | CalcKaitaiStructType(_) => "KaitaiStruct"
-      case KaitaiStreamType | OwnedKaitaiStreamType => "KaitaiStream"
+      case _: StreamType => "KaitaiStream"
 
       case t: UserType => namespaced(t.classSpec match {
         case Some(cs) => cs.name
diff --git a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/PHPCompiler.scala b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/PHPCompiler.scala
index c2c4d1476..24005340f 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/PHPCompiler.scala
+++ b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/languages/PHPCompiler.scala
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ class PHPCompiler(typeProvider: ClassTypeProvider, config: RuntimeConfig)
       case _: ArrayType => "array"
 
       case KaitaiStructType | CalcKaitaiStructType(_) => kstructName
-      case KaitaiStreamType | OwnedKaitaiStreamType => kstreamName
+      case _: StreamType => kstreamName
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/translators/CommonMethods.scala b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/translators/CommonMethods.scala
index 6b177d35e..1f751d4b9 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/translators/CommonMethods.scala
+++ b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/translators/CommonMethods.scala
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ object MethodArgType {
   case object ArrayArg extends MethodArgType {
     override def toString = "array"
   }
+  case object StreamArg extends MethodArgType {
+    override def toString = "io stream"
+  }
 
   def byDataType(dataType: DataType): Option[MethodArgType] = {
     dataType match {
@@ -35,6 +38,7 @@ object MethodArgType {
       case _: BooleanType => Some(BooleanArg)
       case _: BytesType => Some(BytesArg)
       case _: ArrayType => Some(ArrayArg)
+      case _: StreamType => Some(StreamArg)
       case _ => None
     }
   }
@@ -133,6 +137,12 @@ abstract trait CommonMethods[T] extends TypeDetector {
       MethodSig0("min", AnyType, arrayMin),
       MethodSig0("max", AnyType, arrayMax),
     ),
+
+    StreamArg -> List(
+      MethodSig0("eof", CalcBooleanType, kaitaiStreamEof),
+      MethodSig0("pos", CalcIntType, kaitaiStreamPos),
+      MethodSig0("size", CalcIntType, kaitaiStreamSize),
+    ),
   )
 
   /**
@@ -170,12 +180,6 @@ abstract trait CommonMethods[T] extends TypeDetector {
         }
       case ut: UserType =>
         userTypeField(ut, value, attr.name)
-      case KaitaiStreamType | OwnedKaitaiStreamType =>
-        attr.name match {
-          case "size" => kaitaiStreamSize(value)
-          case "eof" => kaitaiStreamEof(value)
-          case "pos" => kaitaiStreamPos(value)
-        }
       case et: EnumType =>
         attr.name match {
           case "to_i" => enumToInt(value, et)
diff --git a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/translators/TypeDetector.scala b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/translators/TypeDetector.scala
index 49cf61ef2..b96716896 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/translators/TypeDetector.scala
+++ b/shared/src/main/scala/io/kaitai/struct/translators/TypeDetector.scala
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import io.kaitai.struct.datatype.DataType
 import io.kaitai.struct.datatype.DataType._
 import io.kaitai.struct.exprlang.Ast
 import io.kaitai.struct.format.Identifier
-import io.kaitai.struct.precompile.{MethodNotFoundError, TypeMismatchError, TypeUndecidedError}
+import io.kaitai.struct.precompile.{MethodNotFoundError, MethodNotFoundErrorWithArg, TypeMismatchError, TypeUndecidedError}
 
 /**
   * Basic class the implements type inferring functionality for Ast.expr
@@ -172,24 +172,28 @@ class TypeDetector(provider: TypeProvider) {
         attr.name match {
           case "length" | "size" => CalcIntType
           case "first" | "last" | "min" | "max" => Int1Type(false)
-          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundError(attr.name, valType)
+          // MethodArgType.byDataType returns Some(...) in that case
+          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundErrorWithArg(attr.name, MethodArgType.byDataType(valType).get)
         }
       case _: StrType =>
         attr.name match {
           case "length" => CalcIntType
           case "reverse" => CalcStrType
           case "to_i" => CalcIntType
-          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundError(attr.name, valType)
+          // MethodArgType.byDataType returns Some(...) in that case
+          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundErrorWithArg(attr.name, MethodArgType.byDataType(valType).get)
         }
       case _: IntType =>
         attr.name match {
           case "to_s" => CalcStrType
-          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundError(attr.name, valType)
+          // MethodArgType.byDataType returns Some(...) in that case
+          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundErrorWithArg(attr.name, MethodArgType.byDataType(valType).get)
         }
       case _: FloatType =>
         attr.name match {
           case "to_i" => CalcIntType
-          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundError(attr.name, valType)
+          // MethodArgType.byDataType returns Some(...) in that case
+          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundErrorWithArg(attr.name, MethodArgType.byDataType(valType).get)
         }
       case ArrayTypeInStream(_) | CalcArrayType(_, _) =>
         val inType = valType match {
@@ -211,14 +215,16 @@ class TypeDetector(provider: TypeProvider) {
         attr.name match {
           case "first" | "last" | "min" | "max" => inType
           case "size" => CalcIntType
-          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundError(attr.name, valType)
+          // MethodArgType.byDataType returns Some(...) in that case
+          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundErrorWithArg(attr.name, MethodArgType.byDataType(valType).get)
         }
-      case KaitaiStreamType | OwnedKaitaiStreamType =>
+      case _: StreamType =>
         attr.name match {
           case "size" => CalcIntType
           case "pos" => CalcIntType
           case "eof" => CalcBooleanType
-          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundError(attr.name, valType)
+          // MethodArgType.byDataType returns Some(...) in that case
+          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundErrorWithArg(attr.name, MethodArgType.byDataType(valType).get)
         }
       case et: EnumType =>
         attr.name match {
@@ -228,7 +234,8 @@ class TypeDetector(provider: TypeProvider) {
       case _: BooleanType =>
         attr.name match {
           case "to_i" => CalcIntType
-          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundError(attr.name, valType)
+          // MethodArgType.byDataType returns Some(...) in that case
+          case _ => throw new MethodNotFoundErrorWithArg(attr.name, MethodArgType.byDataType(valType).get)
         }
       case _ =>
         throw new MethodNotFoundError(attr.name, valType)
@@ -253,7 +260,10 @@ class TypeDetector(provider: TypeProvider) {
           case (_: StrType, "to_i") => CalcIntType
           case (_: BytesType, "to_s") => CalcStrType
           case _ =>
-            throw new MethodNotFoundError(methodName.name, objType)
+            MethodArgType.byDataType(objType) match {
+              case Some(argType) => throw new MethodNotFoundErrorWithArg(methodName.name, argType)
+              case None => throw new MethodNotFoundError(methodName.name, objType)
+            }
         }
     }
   }