diff --git a/swh/core/api/__init__.py b/swh/core/api/__init__.py
--- a/swh/core/api/__init__.py
+++ b/swh/core/api/__init__.py
@@ -135,6 +135,11 @@
         attributes[meth_name] = meth_
 
 
+def line_iterator(it):
+    for line in it:
+        yield line.decode().lstrip('\n')
+
+
 class RPCClient(metaclass=MetaRPCClient):
     """Proxy to an internal SWH RPC
 
@@ -193,13 +198,18 @@
         else:
             data = encode_data(data)
         chunk_size = opts.pop('chunk_size', self.chunk_size)
+        stream_lines = opts.pop('stream_lines', False)
+        if stream_lines:
+            opts['stream'] = True
         response = self.raw_verb(
             'post', endpoint, data=data,
             headers={'content-type': 'application/x-msgpack',
                      'accept': 'application/x-msgpack'},
             **opts)
-        if opts.get('stream') or \
-           response.headers.get('transfer-encoding') == 'chunked':
+        if stream_lines:
+            return line_iterator(response.iter_lines())
+        elif (opts.get('stream') or
+              response.headers.get('transfer-encoding') == 'chunked'):
             return response.iter_content(chunk_size)
         else:
             return self._decode_response(response)
@@ -208,12 +218,17 @@
 
     def get(self, endpoint, **opts):
         chunk_size = opts.pop('chunk_size', self.chunk_size)
+        stream_lines = opts.pop('stream_lines', False)
+        if stream_lines:
+            opts['stream'] = True
         response = self.raw_verb(
             'get', endpoint,
             headers={'accept': 'application/x-msgpack'},
             **opts)
-        if opts.get('stream') or \
-           response.headers.get('transfer-encoding') == 'chunked':
+        if stream_lines:
+            return line_iterator(response.iter_lines())
+        elif (opts.get('stream') or
+              response.headers.get('transfer-encoding') == 'chunked'):
             return response.iter_content(chunk_size)
         else:
             return self._decode_response(response)