diff --git a/CHCSVParser/CHCSVParser/CHCSVParser.m b/CHCSVParser/CHCSVParser/CHCSVParser.m
index eff27a1..ec87e68 100644
--- a/CHCSVParser/CHCSVParser/CHCSVParser.m
+++ b/CHCSVParser/CHCSVParser/CHCSVParser.m
@@ -32,12 +32,17 @@ of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
 NSString *const CHCSVErrorDomain = @"com.davedelong.csv";
 
 #define CHUNK_SIZE 512
+#define DELIMITER_SNIFF_SIZE 16384
 #define DOUBLE_QUOTE '"'
 #define COMMA ','
+#define TAB '\t'
+#define SEMICOLON ';'
 #define OCTOTHORPE '#'
 #define EQUAL '='
 #define BACKSLASH '\\'
 #define NULLCHAR '\0'
+#define NEWLINE '\n' // newline can be used as a dummy method parameter to signify
+                     // that we wish to use automatic delimiter sniffing
 
 @interface CHCSVParser ()
 @property (assign) NSUInteger totalBytesRead;
@@ -85,7 +90,6 @@ - (instancetype)initWithContentsOfDelimitedURL:(NSURL *)URL delimiter:(unichar)d
 - (id)initWithInputStream:(NSInputStream *)stream usedEncoding:(NSStringEncoding *)encoding delimiter:(unichar)delimiter {
     NSParameterAssert(stream);
     NSParameterAssert(delimiter);
-    NSAssert([[NSCharacterSet newlineCharacterSet] characterIsMember:delimiter] == NO, @"The field delimiter may not be a newline");
     NSAssert(delimiter != DOUBLE_QUOTE, @"The field delimiter may not be a double quote");
     
     self = [super init];
@@ -96,8 +100,6 @@ - (id)initWithInputStream:(NSInputStream *)stream usedEncoding:(NSStringEncoding
         _stringBuffer = [[NSMutableData alloc] init];
         _string = [[NSMutableString alloc] init];
         
-        _delimiter = delimiter;
-        
         _nextIndex = 0;
         _recognizesComments = NO;
         _recognizesBackslashesAsEscapes = NO;
@@ -120,6 +122,15 @@ - (id)initWithInputStream:(NSInputStream *)stream usedEncoding:(NSStringEncoding
         } else {
             _streamEncoding = *encoding;
         }
+        
+        // newline is now used as a dummy parameter to signify that we wish
+        // to use automatic delimiter sniffing
+        if ([[NSCharacterSet newlineCharacterSet] characterIsMember:delimiter]) {
+            // we need to determine the delimiter
+            [self _sniffDelimiter];
+        } else {
+            _delimiter = delimiter;
+        }
     }
     return self;
 }
@@ -207,6 +218,45 @@ - (void)_sniffEncoding {
     _streamEncoding = encoding;
 }
 
+- (void)_sniffDelimiter {
+    NSInteger appendLength = DELIMITER_SNIFF_SIZE - [self totalBytesRead];
+    if (appendLength > 0) {
+        uint8_t bytes[appendLength];
+        NSInteger readLength = [_stream read:bytes maxLength:appendLength];
+        if (readLength > 0 && readLength <= appendLength) {
+            [_stringBuffer appendBytes:bytes length:readLength];
+            [self setTotalBytesRead:[self totalBytesRead] + readLength];
+        }
+    }
+    
+    NSString *csv = [[NSString alloc] initWithData:_stringBuffer encoding:_streamEncoding];
+    
+    NSError *error = NULL;
+    NSRegularExpression *regex = [NSRegularExpression regularExpressionWithPattern:@"[^\"]+" options:NSRegularExpressionCaseInsensitive error:&error];
+    
+    const int delimiterCount = 3;
+    unichar delimiters[delimiterCount] = {TAB, COMMA, SEMICOLON};
+    long maxOccurences = 0;
+    int delimiterIndex = 0;
+    
+    for (int i=0; i<delimiterCount; i++) {
+        NSString *delimiterString = [NSString stringWithCharacters:&delimiters[i] length:1];
+        regex = [NSRegularExpression regularExpressionWithPattern:delimiterString
+                                                          options:NSRegularExpressionCaseInsensitive
+                                                            error:&error];
+        long currentOccurences = [regex numberOfMatchesInString:csv
+                                                        options:0
+                                                          range:NSMakeRange(0, [csv length])];
+        
+        if (currentOccurences > maxOccurences) {
+            maxOccurences = currentOccurences;
+            delimiterIndex = i;
+        }
+    }
+    
+    _delimiter = delimiters[delimiterIndex];
+}
+
 - (void)_loadMoreIfNecessary {
     NSUInteger stringLength = [_string length];
     NSUInteger reloadPortion = stringLength / 3;
@@ -844,11 +894,11 @@ - (NSString *)CSVString {
 @implementation NSString (CHCSVAdditions)
 
 - (NSArray *)CSVComponents {
-    return [self componentsSeparatedByDelimiter:COMMA options:0 error:nil];
+    return [self componentsSeparatedByDelimiter:'\n' options:0 error:nil];
 }
 
 - (NSArray *)CSVComponentsWithOptions:(CHCSVParserOptions)options {
-    return [self componentsSeparatedByDelimiter:COMMA options:options error:nil];
+    return [self componentsSeparatedByDelimiter:'\n' options:options error:nil];
 }
 
 - (NSArray *)componentsSeparatedByDelimiter:(unichar)delimiter {
@@ -975,7 +1025,7 @@ - (BOOL)stripsLeadingAndTrailingWhitespace {
 @implementation NSArray (CHCSVAdditions_Deprecated)
 
 + (instancetype)arrayWithContentsOfCSVFile:(NSString *)csvFilePath {
-    return [self arrayWithContentsOfDelimitedURL:[NSURL fileURLWithPath:csvFilePath] options:0 delimiter:COMMA error:nil];
+    return [self arrayWithContentsOfDelimitedURL:[NSURL fileURLWithPath:csvFilePath] options:0 delimiter:'\n' error:nil];
 }
 
 + (instancetype)arrayWithContentsOfCSVFile:(NSString *)csvFilePath delimiter:(unichar)delimiter {
@@ -983,7 +1033,7 @@ + (instancetype)arrayWithContentsOfCSVFile:(NSString *)csvFilePath delimiter:(un
 }
 
 + (instancetype)arrayWithContentsOfCSVFile:(NSString *)csvFilePath options:(CHCSVParserOptions)options {
-    return [self arrayWithContentsOfDelimitedURL:[NSURL fileURLWithPath:csvFilePath] options:options delimiter:COMMA error:nil];
+    return [self arrayWithContentsOfDelimitedURL:[NSURL fileURLWithPath:csvFilePath] options:options delimiter:'\n' error:nil];
 }
 
 + (instancetype)arrayWithContentsOfCSVFile:(NSString *)csvFilePath options:(CHCSVParserOptions)options delimiter:(unichar)delimiter {
diff --git a/Unit Tests/UnitTests.m b/Unit Tests/UnitTests.m
index 44e0191..7e79cfc 100644
--- a/Unit Tests/UnitTests.m	
+++ b/Unit Tests/UnitTests.m	
@@ -129,6 +129,16 @@ - (void)testSimpleUTF8 {
     TEST(csv, expected);
 }
 
+- (void)testDelimiterSniffing {
+    NSString *csv = FIELD1 COMMA FIELD2 COMMA FIELD3 COMMA UTF8FIELD4 NEWLINE FIELD1 COMMA FIELD2 COMMA FIELD3 COMMA UTF8FIELD4;
+    NSArray *expected = @[@[FIELD1, FIELD2, FIELD3, UTF8FIELD4], @[FIELD1, FIELD2, FIELD3, UTF8FIELD4]];
+    TEST(csv, expected);
+    csv = FIELD1 SEMICOLON FIELD2 SEMICOLON FIELD3 SEMICOLON UTF8FIELD4 NEWLINE FIELD1 SEMICOLON FIELD2 SEMICOLON FIELD3 SEMICOLON UTF8FIELD4;
+    TEST(csv, expected);
+    csv = FIELD1 TAB FIELD2 TAB FIELD3 TAB UTF8FIELD4 NEWLINE FIELD1 TAB FIELD2 TAB FIELD3 TAB UTF8FIELD4;
+    TEST(csv, expected);
+}
+
 - (void)testGithubIssue35 {
     NSString *tsv = @"1,a" TAB @"1,b" TAB @"1,c" TAB @"1,\"d\"" NEWLINE
     @"2,a" TAB @"2,b" TAB @"2,c" TAB @"2,d" NEWLINE