diff --git a/phpseclib/Net/SFTP/Stream.php b/phpseclib/Net/SFTP/Stream.php
index e8bd23a1..64126b2d 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Net/SFTP/Stream.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Net/SFTP/Stream.php
@@ -126,6 +126,22 @@ class Net_SFTP_Stream
      */
     var $notification;
 
+    /**
+     * Registers this class as a URL wrapper.
+     *
+     * @param optional String $protocol The wrapper name to be registered.
+     * @return Boolean True on success, false otherwise.
+     * @access public
+     */
+    static function register($protocol = 'sftp')
+    {
+        if (in_array($protocol, stream_get_wrappers(), true)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        $class = function_exists('get_called_class') ? get_called_class() : __CLASS__;
+        return stream_wrapper_register($protocol, $class);
+    }
+
     /**
      * The Constructor
      *
@@ -783,6 +799,4 @@ class Net_SFTP_Stream
     }
 }
 
-if (function_exists('stream_wrapper_register')) {
-    stream_wrapper_register('sftp', 'Net_SFTP_Stream');
-}
+Net_SFTP_Stream::register();
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Net/SFTPStreamTest.php b/tests/Unit/Net/SFTPStreamTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f54f79f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Unit/Net/SFTPStreamTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * @author    Andreas Fischer <bantu@phpbb.com>
+ * @copyright MMXIV Andreas Fischer
+ * @license   http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.html  MIT License
+ */
+
+require_once 'Net/SFTP/Stream.php';
+
+class Unit_Net_SFTPStreamTest extends PhpseclibTestCase
+{
+    protected $protocol = 'sftptest';
+
+    public function setUp()
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+        if (in_array($this->protocol, stream_get_wrappers())) {
+            stream_wrapper_unregister($this->protocol);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public function testRegisterFromSideEffect()
+    {
+        // Including the file registers 'sftp' as a stream.
+        $this->assertContains('sftp', stream_get_wrappers());
+    }
+
+    public function testRegisterWithArgument()
+    {
+        Net_SFTP_Stream::register($this->protocol);
+        $this->assertContains($this->protocol, stream_get_wrappers());
+    }
+}