diff --git a/common-tools/clara-io/src/main/java/org/jlab/io/clara/Clas12Reader.java b/common-tools/clara-io/src/main/java/org/jlab/io/clara/Clas12Reader.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e4cf0b7625
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common-tools/clara-io/src/main/java/org/jlab/io/clara/Clas12Reader.java
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+package org.jlab.io.clara;
+
+import java.nio.ByteOrder;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import org.jlab.clara.engine.EngineDataType;
+import org.jlab.clara.std.services.AbstractEventReaderService;
+import org.jlab.clara.std.services.EventReaderException;
+import org.jlab.coda.jevio.EvioException;
+import org.jlab.io.evio.EvioSource;
+import org.jlab.jnp.hipo4.data.Event;
+import org.jlab.jnp.hipo4.io.HipoReader;
+import org.json.JSONObject;
+
+/**
+ * Just reads EVIO or HIPO, and passes it along.
+ * 
+ * @author baltzell
+ */
+public class Clas12Reader extends AbstractEventReaderService<Object> {
+
+    EngineDataType type = Clas12Types.HIPO;
+    private long maxEvents;
+
+    @Override
+    protected Object createReader(Path path, JSONObject opts) throws EventReaderException {
+        if (path.toString().endsWith(".hipo")) {
+            type = Clas12Types.HIPO;
+            HipoReader r = new HipoReader();
+            try {
+                r.open(path.toString());
+                return r;
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                throw new EventReaderException(e);
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            type = Clas12Types.EVIO;
+            EvioSource r = new EvioSource();
+            r.open(path.toString());
+            maxEvents = r.getEventCount();
+            return r;
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void closeReader() {
+        if (type == Clas12Types.EVIO) {
+            ((EvioSource)reader).close();
+        }
+        else {
+            ((HipoReader)reader).close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected int readEventCount() throws EventReaderException {
+        if (type == Clas12Types.EVIO) {
+            return ((EvioSource)reader).getEventCount();
+        }
+        else {
+            return ((HipoReader)reader).getEventCount();
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected Object readEvent(int eventNumber) throws EventReaderException {
+        try {
+            if (type == Clas12Types.EVIO) {
+                if (eventNumber++ >= maxEvents) return null;
+                return ((EvioSource)reader).getEventBuffer(eventNumber, true);
+                //return new EvioDataEvent(b.array(), readByteOrder());
+            }
+            else {
+                return ((HipoReader)reader).getEvent(new Event(),eventNumber);
+            }
+        } catch (EvioException e) {
+            throw new EventReaderException(e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ByteOrder readByteOrder() throws EventReaderException {
+        return ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected EngineDataType getDataType() {
+        return type;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/common-tools/clara-io/src/main/resources/org/jlab/io/clara/Clas12Reader.yaml b/common-tools/clara-io/src/main/resources/org/jlab/io/clara/Clas12Reader.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f499fccd2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common-tools/clara-io/src/main/resources/org/jlab/io/clara/Clas12Reader.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+name: Clas12Reader
+engine: org.jlab.io.clara.Clas12Reader
+type: java
+
+author: Nathan Baltzell
+email: baltzell@jlab.org
+
+version: 0.1
+description:
+  Reads EVIO or HIPO events from a file and passes them along unchanged.