diff --git a/pgconn/config.go b/pgconn/config.go
index 38144be7..a446a67e 100644
--- a/pgconn/config.go
+++ b/pgconn/config.go
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ func AfterConnectTargetSessionAttrsReadWrite(pgConn *PgConn) error {
 		return errors.New("show transaction_read_only failed")
 	}
 
-	if string(result.Value(0)) == "on" {
+	if string(result.Values()[0]) == "on" {
 		return errors.New("read only connection")
 	}
 
diff --git a/pgconn/pgconn.go b/pgconn/pgconn.go
index 94397759..c243d2f6 100644
--- a/pgconn/pgconn.go
+++ b/pgconn/pgconn.go
@@ -340,10 +340,9 @@ func (ct CommandTag) RowsAffected() int64 {
 	return n
 }
 
-// SendExec enqueues the execution of sql via the PostgreSQL simple query
-// protocol. sql may contain multipe queries. Multiple queries will be processed
-// within a single transation. It is only sent to the PostgreSQL server when
-// Flush is called.
+// SendExec enqueues the execution of sql via the PostgreSQL simple query protocol. sql may contain multiple queries.
+// Execution is implicitly wrapped in a transactions unless a transaction is already in progress or sql contains
+// transaction control statements. It is only sent to the PostgreSQL server when Flush is called.
 func (pgConn *PgConn) SendExec(sql string) {
 	pgConn.batchBuf = appendQuery(pgConn.batchBuf, sql)
 	pgConn.batchCount += 1
@@ -359,30 +358,51 @@ func appendQuery(buf []byte, query string) []byte {
 }
 
 type PgResultReader struct {
-	pgConn            *PgConn
-	fieldDescriptions []pgproto3.FieldDescription
-	rowValues         [][]byte
-	commandTag        CommandTag
-	err               error
-	complete          bool
+	pgConn             *PgConn
+	fieldDescriptions  []pgproto3.FieldDescription
+	rowValues          [][]byte
+	commandTag         CommandTag
+	err                error
+	complete           bool
+	preloadedRowValues bool
 }
 
 // GetResult returns a PgResultReader for the next result. If all results are
 // consumed it returns nil. If an error occurs it will be reported on the
 // returned PgResultReader.
 func (pgConn *PgConn) GetResult() *PgResultReader {
-	if pgConn.pendingReadyForQueryCount == 0 {
-		return nil
+	for pgConn.pendingReadyForQueryCount > 0 {
+		msg, err := pgConn.ReceiveMessage()
+		if err != nil {
+			return &PgResultReader{pgConn: pgConn, err: err, complete: true}
+		}
+
+		switch msg := msg.(type) {
+		case *pgproto3.RowDescription:
+			return &PgResultReader{pgConn: pgConn, fieldDescriptions: msg.Fields}
+		case *pgproto3.DataRow:
+			return &PgResultReader{pgConn: pgConn, rowValues: msg.Values, preloadedRowValues: true}
+		case *pgproto3.CommandComplete:
+			return &PgResultReader{pgConn: pgConn, commandTag: CommandTag(msg.CommandTag), complete: true}
+		case *pgproto3.ErrorResponse:
+			return &PgResultReader{pgConn: pgConn, err: errorResponseToPgError(msg), complete: true}
+		}
 	}
 
-	return &PgResultReader{pgConn: pgConn}
+	return nil
 }
 
-func (rr *PgResultReader) NextRow() (present bool) {
+// NextRow returns advances the PgResultReader to the next row and returns true if a row is available.
+func (rr *PgResultReader) NextRow() bool {
 	if rr.complete {
 		return false
 	}
 
+	if rr.preloadedRowValues {
+		rr.preloadedRowValues = false
+		return true
+	}
+
 	for {
 		msg, err := rr.pgConn.ReceiveMessage()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -396,6 +416,7 @@ func (rr *PgResultReader) NextRow() (present bool) {
 			rr.rowValues = msg.Values
 			return true
 		case *pgproto3.CommandComplete:
+			rr.rowValues = nil
 			rr.commandTag = CommandTag(msg.CommandTag)
 			rr.complete = true
 			return false
@@ -407,8 +428,11 @@ func (rr *PgResultReader) NextRow() (present bool) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (rr *PgResultReader) Value(c int) []byte {
-	return rr.rowValues[c]
+// Values returns the current row data. NextRow must have been previously been called. The returned [][]byte is only
+// valid until the next NextRow call or the PgResultReader is closed. However, the underlying byte data is safe to
+// retain a reference to and mutate.
+func (rr *PgResultReader) Values() [][]byte {
+	return rr.rowValues
 }
 
 // Close consumes any remaining result data and returns the command tag or
@@ -418,6 +442,8 @@ func (rr *PgResultReader) Close() (CommandTag, error) {
 		return rr.commandTag, rr.err
 	}
 
+	rr.rowValues = nil
+
 	for {
 		msg, err := rr.pgConn.ReceiveMessage()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -464,6 +490,57 @@ func (pgConn *PgConn) resetBatch() {
 	}
 }
 
+type PgResult struct {
+	Rows       [][][]byte
+	CommandTag CommandTag
+}
+
+// Exec executes sql via the PostgreSQL simple query protocol, buffers the entire result, and returns it. sql may
+// contain multiple queries, but only the last results will be returned. Execution is implicitly wrapped in a
+// transactions unless a transaction is already in progress or sql contains transaction control statements.
+//
+// Exec must not be called when there are pending results from previous Send* methods (e.g. SendExec).
+func (pgConn *PgConn) Exec(sql string) (*PgResult, error) {
+	if pgConn.batchCount != 0 {
+		return nil, errors.New("unflushed previous sends")
+	}
+	if pgConn.pendingReadyForQueryCount != 0 {
+		return nil, errors.New("unread previous results")
+	}
+
+	pgConn.SendExec(sql)
+	err := pgConn.Flush()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var result *PgResult
+
+	for resultReader := pgConn.GetResult(); resultReader != nil; resultReader = pgConn.GetResult() {
+		rows := [][][]byte{}
+		for resultReader.NextRow() {
+			row := make([][]byte, len(resultReader.Values()))
+			copy(row, resultReader.Values())
+			rows = append(rows, row)
+		}
+
+		commandTag, err := resultReader.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		result = &PgResult{
+			Rows:       rows,
+			CommandTag: commandTag,
+		}
+	}
+	if result == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("unexpected missing result")
+	}
+
+	return result, nil
+}
+
 func errorResponseToPgError(msg *pgproto3.ErrorResponse) PgError {
 	return PgError{
 		Severity:         msg.Severity,
diff --git a/pgconn/pgconn_test.go b/pgconn/pgconn_test.go
index 0dccc99f..f3f22d42 100644
--- a/pgconn/pgconn_test.go
+++ b/pgconn/pgconn_test.go
@@ -126,36 +126,15 @@ func TestConnectWithRuntimeParams(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 	defer closeConn(t, conn)
 
-	// TODO - refactor these selects once there are higher level query functions
-
-	conn.SendExec("show application_name")
-	conn.SendExec("show search_path")
-	err = conn.Flush()
+	result, err := conn.Exec("show application_name")
 	require.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(result.Rows))
+	assert.Equal(t, "pgxtest", string(result.Rows[0][0]))
 
-	result := conn.GetResult()
-	require.NotNil(t, result)
-
-	rowFound := result.NextRow()
-	assert.True(t, rowFound)
-	if rowFound {
-		assert.Equal(t, "pgxtest", string(result.Value(0)))
-	}
-
-	_, err = result.Close()
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
-
-	result = conn.GetResult()
-	require.NotNil(t, result)
-
-	rowFound = result.NextRow()
-	assert.True(t, rowFound)
-	if rowFound {
-		assert.Equal(t, "myschema", string(result.Value(0)))
-	}
-
-	_, err = result.Close()
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	result, err = conn.Exec("show search_path")
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(result.Rows))
+	assert.Equal(t, "myschema", string(result.Rows[0][0]))
 }
 
 func TestConnectWithFallback(t *testing.T) {
@@ -239,26 +218,39 @@ func TestConnectWithAfterConnectTargetSessionAttrsReadWrite(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestSimple(t *testing.T) {
+func TestExec(t *testing.T) {
 	pgConn, err := pgconn.Connect(context.Background(), os.Getenv("PGX_TEST_DATABASE"))
 	require.Nil(t, err)
+	defer closeConn(t, pgConn)
 
-	pgConn.SendExec("select current_database()")
-	err = pgConn.Flush()
+	result, err := pgConn.Exec("select current_database()")
 	require.Nil(t, err)
-
-	result := pgConn.GetResult()
-	require.NotNil(t, result)
-
-	rowFound := result.NextRow()
-	assert.True(t, rowFound)
-	if rowFound {
-		assert.Equal(t, "pgx_test", string(result.Value(0)))
-	}
-
-	_, err = result.Close()
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
-
-	err = pgConn.Close()
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(result.Rows))
+	assert.Equal(t, pgConn.Config.Database, string(result.Rows[0][0]))
+}
+
+func TestExecMultipleQueries(t *testing.T) {
+	pgConn, err := pgconn.Connect(context.Background(), os.Getenv("PGX_TEST_DATABASE"))
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	defer closeConn(t, pgConn)
+
+	result, err := pgConn.Exec("select current_database(); select 1")
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(result.Rows))
+	assert.Equal(t, "1", string(result.Rows[0][0]))
+}
+
+func TestExecMultipleQueriesError(t *testing.T) {
+	pgConn, err := pgconn.Connect(context.Background(), os.Getenv("PGX_TEST_DATABASE"))
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	defer closeConn(t, pgConn)
+
+	result, err := pgConn.Exec("select 1; select 1/0; select 1")
+	require.NotNil(t, err)
+	require.Nil(t, result)
+	if pgErr, ok := err.(pgconn.PgError); ok {
+		assert.Equal(t, "22012", pgErr.Code)
+	} else {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
 }