diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/README.md b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/README.md
index 88e0c942..628395ce 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/README.md
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/README.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
   - [Usage](#usage)
     - [Example](#example)
       - [API](#api)
-    - [`exporter(cid, ipld)`](#exportercid-ipld)
+    - [`exporter(cid, ipld, options)`](#exportercid-ipld-options)
       - [UnixFS V1 entries](#unixfs-v1-entries)
       - [Raw entries](#raw-entries)
       - [CBOR entries](#cbor-entries)
@@ -85,12 +85,16 @@ console.info(content) // 0, 1, 2, 3
 const exporter = require('ipfs-unixfs-exporter')
 ```
 
-### `exporter(cid, ipld)`
+### `exporter(cid, ipld, options)`
 
-Uses the given [js-ipld instance][] to fetch an IPFS node by it's CID.
+Uses the given [ipld](https://github.com/ipld/js-ipld) instance to fetch an IPFS node by it's CID.
 
 Returns a Promise which resolves to an `entry`.
 
+`options` is an optional object argument that might include the following keys:
+
+- `signal` ([AbortSignal](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/AbortSignal)): Used to cancel any network requests that are initiated as a result of this export
+
 #### UnixFS V1 entries
 
 Entries with a `dag-pb` codec `CID` return UnixFS V1 entries:
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/package.json b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/package.json
index e2489ed5..dd020a91 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/package.json
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/package.json
@@ -35,11 +35,13 @@
   },
   "homepage": "https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfs-unixfs#readme",
   "devDependencies": {
+    "abort-controller": "^3.0.0",
     "aegir": "^21.3.0",
     "async-iterator-all": "^1.0.0",
     "async-iterator-buffer-stream": "^1.0.0",
     "async-iterator-first": "^1.0.0",
     "chai": "^4.2.0",
+    "chai-as-promised": "^7.1.1",
     "detect-node": "^2.0.4",
     "dirty-chai": "^2.0.1",
     "ipfs-unixfs-importer": "^1.0.2",
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/index.js b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/index.js
index 1e75e11b..b34274a6 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/index.js
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ const cidAndRest = (path) => {
   throw errCode(new Error(`Unknown path type ${path}`), 'ERR_BAD_PATH')
 }
 
-const walkPath = async function * (path, ipld) {
+const walkPath = async function * (path, ipld, options) {
   let {
     cid,
     toResolve
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ const walkPath = async function * (path, ipld) {
   const startingDepth = toResolve.length
 
   while (true) {
-    const result = await resolve(cid, name, entryPath, toResolve, startingDepth, ipld)
+    const result = await resolve(cid, name, entryPath, toResolve, startingDepth, ipld, options)
 
     if (!result.entry && !result.next) {
       throw errCode(new Error(`Could not resolve ${path}`), 'ERR_NOT_FOUND')
@@ -76,27 +76,27 @@ const walkPath = async function * (path, ipld) {
   }
 }
 
-const exporter = (path, ipld) => {
-  return last(walkPath(path, ipld))
+const exporter = (path, ipld, options) => {
+  return last(walkPath(path, ipld, options))
 }
 
-const recursive = async function * (path, ipld) {
-  const node = await exporter(path, ipld)
+const recursive = async function * (path, ipld, options) {
+  const node = await exporter(path, ipld, options)
 
   yield node
 
   if (node.unixfs && node.unixfs.type.includes('dir')) {
-    for await (const child of recurse(node)) {
+    for await (const child of recurse(node, options)) {
       yield child
     }
   }
 
-  async function * recurse (node) {
-    for await (const file of node.content()) {
+  async function * recurse (node, options) {
+    for await (const file of node.content(options)) {
       yield file
 
       if (file.unixfs.type.includes('dir')) {
-        for await (const subFile of recurse(file)) {
+        for await (const subFile of recurse(file, options)) {
           yield subFile
         }
       }
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/dag-cbor.js b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/dag-cbor.js
index ebf67ed8..0c88360b 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/dag-cbor.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/dag-cbor.js
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 const CID = require('cids')
 const errCode = require('err-code')
 
-const resolve = async (cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld) => {
-  const node = await ipld.get(cid)
+const resolve = async (cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld, options) => {
+  const node = await ipld.get(cid, options)
   let subObject = node
   let subPath = path
 
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/identity.js b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/identity.js
index a18c6ce5..8a54051e 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/identity.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/identity.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const rawContent = (node) => {
   }
 }
 
-const resolve = async (cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld) => {
+const resolve = async (cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld, options) => {
   if (toResolve.length) {
     throw errCode(new Error(`No link named ${path} found in raw node ${cid.toBaseEncodedString()}`), 'ERR_NOT_FOUND')
   }
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/index.js b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/index.js
index 9fe34c48..68163c99 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/index.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/index.js
@@ -9,14 +9,14 @@ const resolvers = {
   identity: require('./identity')
 }
 
-const resolve = (cid, name, path, toResolve, depth, ipld) => {
+const resolve = (cid, name, path, toResolve, depth, ipld, options) => {
   const resolver = resolvers[cid.codec]
 
   if (!resolver) {
     throw errCode(new Error(`No resolver for codec ${cid.codec}`), 'ERR_NO_RESOLVER')
   }
 
-  return resolver(cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld)
+  return resolver(cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld, options)
 }
 
 module.exports = resolve
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/raw.js b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/raw.js
index 6dc7f68a..6dd96185 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/raw.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/raw.js
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@ const rawContent = (node) => {
   }
 }
 
-const resolve = async (cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld) => {
+const resolve = async (cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld, options) => {
   if (toResolve.length) {
     throw errCode(new Error(`No link named ${path} found in raw node ${cid.toBaseEncodedString()}`), 'ERR_NOT_FOUND')
   }
 
-  const buf = await ipld.get(cid)
+  const buf = await ipld.get(cid, options)
 
   return {
     entry: {
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/content/directory.js b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/content/directory.js
index df909e14..caadbec5 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/content/directory.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/content/directory.js
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 'use strict'
 
-const directoryContent = (cid, node, unixfs, path, resolve, depth, ipld) => {
+const directoryContent = (cid, node, unixfs, path, resolve, depth, ipld, options) => {
   return async function * (options = {}) {
     const offset = options.offset || 0
     const length = options.length || node.Links.length
     const links = node.Links.slice(offset, length)
 
     for (const link of links) {
-      const result = await resolve(link.Hash, link.Name, `${path}/${link.Name}`, [], depth + 1, ipld)
+      const result = await resolve(link.Hash, link.Name, `${path}/${link.Name}`, [], depth + 1, ipld, options)
 
       yield result.entry
     }
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/content/file.js b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/content/file.js
index da4cd9da..20168e5f 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/content/file.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/content/file.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const validateOffsetAndLength = require('../../../utils/validate-offset-and-leng
 const UnixFS = require('ipfs-unixfs')
 const errCode = require('err-code')
 
-async function * emitBytes (ipld, node, start, end, streamPosition = 0) {
+async function * emitBytes (ipld, node, start, end, streamPosition = 0, options) {
   // a `raw` node
   if (Buffer.isBuffer(node)) {
     const buf = extractDataFromBlock(node, streamPosition, start, end)
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ async function * emitBytes (ipld, node, start, end, streamPosition = 0) {
     if ((start >= childStart && start < childEnd) || // child has offset byte
         (end > childStart && end <= childEnd) || // child has end byte
         (start < childStart && end > childEnd)) { // child is between offset and end bytes
-      const child = await ipld.get(childLink.Hash)
+      const child = await ipld.get(childLink.Hash, options)
 
-      for await (const buf of emitBytes(ipld, child, start, end, streamPosition)) {
+      for await (const buf of emitBytes(ipld, child, start, end, streamPosition, options)) {
         streamPosition += buf.length
 
         yield buf
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ const fileContent = (cid, node, unixfs, path, resolve, depth, ipld) => {
     const start = offset
     const end = offset + length
 
-    return emitBytes(ipld, node, start, end)
+    return emitBytes(ipld, node, start, end, 0, options)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/index.js b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/index.js
index 9ec90e62..99fca6af 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/index.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/resolvers/unixfs-v1/index.js
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ const contentExporters = {
   symlink: (cid, node, unixfs, path, resolve, depth, ipld) => {}
 }
 
-const unixFsResolver = async (cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld) => {
-  const node = await ipld.get(cid)
+const unixFsResolver = async (cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld, options) => {
+  const node = await ipld.get(cid, options)
   let unixfs
   let next
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ const unixFsResolver = async (cid, name, path, toResolve, resolve, depth, ipld)
       path,
       cid,
       node,
-      content: contentExporters[unixfs.type](cid, node, unixfs, path, resolve, depth, ipld),
+      content: contentExporters[unixfs.type](cid, node, unixfs, path, resolve, depth, ipld, options),
       unixfs,
       depth
     },
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/utils/find-cid-in-shard.js b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/utils/find-cid-in-shard.js
index a3f060c7..bcf97c7d 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/utils/find-cid-in-shard.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/src/utils/find-cid-in-shard.js
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ const toBucketPath = (position) => {
   return path.reverse()
 }
 
-const findShardCid = async (node, name, ipld, context) => {
+const findShardCid = async (node, name, ipld, context, options) => {
   if (!context) {
     context = {
       rootBucket: new Bucket({
@@ -113,9 +113,9 @@ const findShardCid = async (node, name, ipld, context) => {
 
   context.hamtDepth++
 
-  node = await ipld.get(link.Hash)
+  node = await ipld.get(link.Hash, options)
 
-  return findShardCid(node, name, ipld, context)
+  return findShardCid(node, name, ipld, context, options)
 }
 
 module.exports = findShardCid
diff --git a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/test/exporter.spec.js b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/test/exporter.spec.js
index 17ec5c46..da6db0d2 100644
--- a/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/test/exporter.spec.js
+++ b/packages/ipfs-unixfs-exporter/test/exporter.spec.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 const chai = require('chai')
 chai.use(require('dirty-chai'))
+chai.use(require('chai-as-promised'))
 const expect = chai.expect
 const IPLD = require('ipld')
 const inMemory = require('ipld-in-memory')
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ const all = require('async-iterator-all')
 const last = require('it-last')
 const first = require('async-iterator-first')
 const randomBytes = require('async-iterator-buffer-stream')
+const AbortController = require('abort-controller')
 
 const ONE_MEG = Math.pow(1024, 2)
 
@@ -953,4 +955,35 @@ describe('exporter', () => {
 
     expect(result.toString('utf8')).to.equal('l')
   })
+
+  it('aborts a request', async () => {
+    const abortController = new AbortController()
+
+    // data should not be in IPLD
+    const data = Buffer.from(`hello world '${Math.random()}`)
+    const hash = mh.encode(data, 'sha2-256')
+    const cid = new CID(1, 'dag-pb', hash)
+    const message = `User aborted ${Math.random()}`
+
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      abortController.abort()
+    }, 100)
+
+    // regular test IPLD is offline-only, we need to mimic what happens when
+    // we try to get a block from the network
+    const ipld = {
+      get: (cid, options) => {
+        // promise will never resolve, so reject it when the abort signal is sent
+        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+          options.signal.addEventListener('abort', () => {
+            reject(new Error(message))
+          })
+        })
+      }
+    }
+
+    await expect(exporter(cid, ipld, {
+      signal: abortController.signal
+    })).to.eventually.be.rejectedWith(message)
+  })
 })