diff --git a/src/py_adapter/__init__.py b/src/py_adapter/__init__.py
index f7f4c54..25eff37 100644
--- a/src/py_adapter/__init__.py
+++ b/src/py_adapter/__init__.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import inspect
 import logging
 import uuid
+from collections.abc import Iterator
 from typing import (
     Any,
     Callable,
@@ -142,10 +143,9 @@ def deserialize(data: bytes, py_type: Type[Obj], *, format: str, writer_schema:
     return obj
 
 
-# TODO: return generator instead
-def deserialize_many(data: bytes, py_type: Type[Obj], *, format: str, writer_schema: bytes = b"") -> List[Obj]:
+def deserialize_many(data: bytes, py_type: Type[Obj], *, format: str, writer_schema: bytes = b"") -> Iterator[Obj]:
     """
-    Deserialize bytes as a list of Python objects of a given type from a serialization format supported by
+    Deserialize bytes as an iterator over Python objects of a given type from a serialization format supported by
     **py-adapter**
 
     :param data:          Serialized data
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ def deserialize_many(data: bytes, py_type: Type[Obj], *, format: str, writer_sch
     """
     deserialize_fn = py_adapter.plugin.plugin_hook(format, "deserialize_many")
     basic_objs = deserialize_fn(data=data, writer_schema=writer_schema)
-    objs = [from_basic_type(basic_obj, py_type) for basic_obj in basic_objs]
+    objs = (from_basic_type(basic_obj, py_type) for basic_obj in basic_objs)
     return objs
 
 
diff --git a/src/py_adapter/plugin/__init__.py b/src/py_adapter/plugin/__init__.py
index d678701..0a3f8e2 100644
--- a/src/py_adapter/plugin/__init__.py
+++ b/src/py_adapter/plugin/__init__.py
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
 import functools
 import logging
 import sys
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, List, Sequence
+from collections.abc import Iterator
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Sequence
 
 import pluggy
 
@@ -135,9 +136,9 @@ def deserialize(data: bytes, writer_schema: bytes) -> "py_adapter.Basic":
 
 
 @_hookspec(firstresult=True)
-def deserialize_many(data: bytes, writer_schema: bytes) -> List["py_adapter.Basic"]:
+def deserialize_many(data: bytes, writer_schema: bytes) -> Iterator["py_adapter.Basic"]:
     """
-    Hook specification. Deserialize data as a list of objects of basic Python types
+    Hook specification. Deserialize data as an iterator over objects of basic Python types
 
     :param data:          Bytes to deserialize
     :param writer_schema: Data schema used to serialize the data with, as JSON bytes.
diff --git a/src/py_adapter/plugin/_avro.py b/src/py_adapter/plugin/_avro.py
index 76e527c..08ab48d 100644
--- a/src/py_adapter/plugin/_avro.py
+++ b/src/py_adapter/plugin/_avro.py
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
 """
 
 import io
-from typing import List, Sequence
+from collections.abc import Iterator
+from typing import Sequence
 
 import orjson
 
@@ -78,14 +79,14 @@ def deserialize(data: bytes, writer_schema: bytes) -> py_adapter.Basic:
     data_stream = io.BytesIO(data)
     # TODO: add support for reader schema, if provided
     # TODO: add support for reader of data with embedded (writer) schema
-    basic_obj = fastavro.read.schemaless_reader(data_stream, writer_schema=writer_schema_obj)
+    basic_obj = fastavro.read.schemaless_reader(data_stream, writer_schema=writer_schema_obj, reader_schema=None)
     return basic_obj
 
 
 @py_adapter.plugin.hook
-def deserialize_many(data: bytes, writer_schema: bytes) -> List[py_adapter.Basic]:
+def deserialize_many(data: bytes, writer_schema: bytes) -> Iterator[py_adapter.Basic]:
     """
-    Deserialize Avro container file format data as a list of objects of basic Python types
+    Deserialize Avro container file format data as an iterator over objects of basic Python types
 
     :param data:          Bytes to deserialize
     :param writer_schema: Data schema used to serialize the data with, as JSON bytes.
@@ -95,5 +96,5 @@ def deserialize_many(data: bytes, writer_schema: bytes) -> List[py_adapter.Basic
     # TODO: make it fail if writer_schema is provided?
     data_stream = io.BytesIO(data)
     # TODO: add support for reader schema, if provided
-    basic_objs = list(fastavro.read.reader(data_stream, reader_schema=None))
+    basic_objs = fastavro.read.reader(data_stream, reader_schema=None)
     return basic_objs